Title: An act relating to college and career readiness centers.

Brief Description: Creating a work group to explore the creation of college and career readiness centers.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Schmidt, Weinstein, Kohl-Welles, Pridemore, Benton, Delvin, Rasmussen and Franklin).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education: 1/30/06, 2/1/06 [DPS].

Passed Senate: 2/14/06, 46-0.

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

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6821 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.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: Susan Mielke (786-7422)

Background: Students can enroll in public schools until they complete a high school diploma or turn 21. To earn a high school diploma, a student must complete the following requirements:
acquire the 19 minimum course credits established by the State Board of Education (SBE); acquire any additional course credits required by the local school district; complete a culminating project; complete a High School & Beyond Plan; and, beginning with the graduating class of 2008, meet the state standards on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning or an alternative assessment, once approved by the Legislature.

Many community and technical colleges provide several types of programs where students can earn a high school diploma. Students over 19 may be served in the adult high school completion programs. They pay a reduced tuition rate and are enrolled in existing classes offered at the college. Students under 19 may participate in these programs if released from their local school. Some colleges have entered into contracts with local school districts to serve students who are behind in their credits. In these cases, colleges are developing programs to serve specific cohorts of students. Three colleges run technical high schools on their campuses.

Additionally, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) has awarded funds through an application process to some community colleges and community-based organizations to provide the Workplace Basic Skills Program. This program provides training for workers employed in low-wage jobs where lower educational levels are barriers to current job performance and advancement. Training is provided as a partnership between the provider and employers who contribute resources. It is customized to the specific needs of the workers and provided in the workplace.

Summary of Bill: The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the SBCTC, and the Higher Education Coordinating Board must convene a work group with specified representation to explore the creation of college and career readiness centers. The centers will provide additional learning opportunities for students in middle school, high school, and beyond up to the age of 21 and who are at risk of not graduating with their peers. The work group must consider where such centers would be located, how to administer the educational program at the centers, funding mechanisms for the centers, eligibility criteria for the centers, how to provide information to students about the centers, and how a community-school district partnership could help implement college and career readiness centers. The work group must report to the SBE and the Legislature by January 10, 2007, and include recommendations regarding the use of demonstration projects to pilot a community-school district partnership.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 30, 2007.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Testimony For: This study will hopefully lead to a program that will give students access to additional educational services and the benefit of a more appropriate program for them to continue their education and career development. We encourage you to add a representative of the Educational Service Districts to the workgroup. We also think that a part of the program should include counseling and mentoring for these students.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Senator Rosemary McAuliffe, prime sponsor; Norma Cuevas, Latin Educational Achievement Project; Leslie Goldstein, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; Norm Wisner, Association of Educational Service Districts.