Title: An act relating to high school completion programs.

Brief Description: Expanding high school completion programs.

Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Upthegrove, Hunter, Appleton, Hasegawa, Quall, Clibborn, Simpson, Green, Ormsby, Kenney, Hudgins and Kagi).

Brief History: Passed House: 2/09/06, 85-13.

Committee Activity: Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education: 2/16/06, 2/24/06 [DP-WM].

Ways & Means: 2/27/06 [DPA, w/oRec].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING, K-12 & HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Pridemore, Vice Chair, Higher Education; Weinstein, Vice Chair, Early Learning & K-12; Schmidt, Ranking Minority Member; Berkey, Carrell, Delvin, Eide, Kohl-Welles, Pflug, Rasmussen, Rockefeller, Schoesler and Shin.

Staff: Stephanie Yurcisin (786-7438)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.Signed by Senators Prentice, Chair; Fraser, Vice Chair, Capital Budget Chair; Doumit, Vice Chair, Operating Budget; Brandland, Kohl-Welles, Pflug, Pridemore, Rasmussen, Regala, Roach, Rockefeller, Schoesler and Thibaudeau.

Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.Signed by Senators Zarelli, Ranking Minority Member and Parlette.

Staff: Bryon Moore (786-7726)

Background: High School Graduation Requirements: The State Board of Education (SBE) establishes minimum high school graduation requirements for public schools. Students must complete at least 19 credits, do a culminating project, and prepare a high school and beyond plan. Beginning with the class of 2008, students will also need to earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA) by meeting the state academic standards on the high school Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). Local school districts may establish additional requirements. Students can enroll in public schools until they complete a diploma or turn 21.

High School Programs in Community and Technical Colleges. Washington's community and technical colleges have a broad mission that includes workforce training, academic degrees, and adult education. The colleges also offer three types of high school programs:

(1) High School Completion. It enables adults to earn a regular high school diploma issued by the college. Approximately 3,500 students, most of whom are over 21, participate in these programs. Students over the age of 19 are eligible for a tuition waiver; those under 19 pay tuition. The programs are funded with state funds through the community and technical college budget.

(2) Drop-Out Retrieval. Seven colleges offer high school programs under contract with a local school district for students aged 16 to 21 to make up the credits they need to graduate. About 1,700 students participate in these programs. The school district pays the college for the program under the terms of the contract using funds from the Basic Education Act (BEA) and other resources.

(3) Technical High Schools. Three technical colleges operate programs that offer career-technical training and courses necessary to receive a diploma. Approximately 950 students are enrolled. The colleges bill the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for BEA funding and may not charge tuition.

Running Start. The Running Start program provides a way to use BEA funds to support students who are dually enrolled in high school and college. The BEA allocation for Running Start is $4,166 per full time equivalent (FTE) student.

School districts receive funding from other state programs, including $764 for each student in the Transitional Bilingual Program, $188 per student in the Learning Assistance Program (LAP), and $300 per student from the Student Achievement Program (I-728).

Summary of Amended Bill: Students under the age of 21 who have completed all state and local graduation requirements except the CAA or the Certificate of Individual Achievement (CIA) can enroll in a high school completion program at a community or technical college and earn a high school diploma.

Colleges must make the program available to any eligible student, but can implement it by: (1) contracting with a local school district, in which case the school district issues the diploma; (2) delivering the program and courses directly and the college issues the diploma; or (3) offering some combination of contracted program and direct delivery.

If the college delivers the program directly, it is reimbursed by OSPI for each FTE student enrolled in high school completion courses. Funding is calculated based on the following programs:

• the BEA funding allocation, where reimbursement is calculated using a statewide average per FTE student;
• an amount per FTE student based on the state allocation for the LAP program;
• an amount per FTE student based on the state allocation for the Student Achievement Program; and
• for bilingual students, an amount per FTE student based on the state allocation for the Transitional Bilingual Program.

Colleges cannot charge students in the program tuition or fees for courses that lead to a diploma. School districts and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges will report no student for more than 1.0 full time equivalent combining both their high school enrollment and instruction in the college high school completion program.

Colleges must offer the programs on the college campus, but can also offer them at additional locations other than a high school. Colleges, school districts, and Educational Service Districts are not precluded from offering high school completion programs for students who do not meet the criteria in the bill.

Student learning plans for high school students must include this high school completion option, if applicable. School districts must provide information to 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students and their parents about this option. Any student who completes all state and local graduation requirements except the CAA or the CIA, as applicable, can participate in high school graduation ceremonies.

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill: School districts and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges are limited to reporting no student for more than 1.0 full time equivalent combining both their high school enrollment and instruction in the college high school completion program.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: This population of students has succeeded in their classes and in all other requirements for graduation, but for passing the WASL. Allowing them to continue their studies so that they will be better prepared for a retake in an environment that is different than their high school will mean that many who otherwise would drop out will continue on to earn their diploma. The only ongoing cost to the state is to pay for any student who otherwise would have dropped out; the state is already paying for 5th year seniors who continue at their local high school. This is particularly helpful for motivated English language learners who just need a little bit of additional work and assistance as they prepare to retake the exam. Bilingual students, in particular, have a difficult time with the WASL and this would greatly benefit immigrants and students who are refugees. This is an excellent policy offering to address the drop out rate. The funding as provided by formula would fall a little bit short of a regularly enrolled college student, but not very much. This plan would only cost the state if it is successful.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Representative Upthegrove, prime sponsor; Michael Tate, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; Priscilla Bell, Highline Community College; Mark Okazaki, Neighborhood House; Stephen Daniels-Brown, Washington Roundtable; Mary Kenfield, PTA.