READ FIRST TIME 02/03/06.   

     AN ACT Relating to creating a career and technical high school graduation option for students meeting state standards in fundamental academic content areas; amending RCW 28A.230.090 and 28A.230.100; adding a new section to chapter 28A.230 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28C.04 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that Washington's performance-based education system should seek to provide fundamental academic knowledge and skills for all students, and to provide the opportunity for students to acquire knowledge and skills likely to contribute to their own economic well-being and that of their families and communities.
     (2) The legislature recognizes that career and technical options are available for students.
     (3) High schools or school districts should take advantage of their opportunity to offer course credits, including credits toward graduation requirements, for knowledge and skills in fundamental academic content areas that students gain in career and technical education courses.
     (4) Therefore the legislature intends to create a rigorous and high quality career and technical high school alternative assessment that assures students meet state standards, and also reflects nationally recognized standards for the knowledge and skills needed to pursue employment and careers in technical fields.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.230 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Each high school or school district board of directors shall adopt course equivalencies for career and technical high school courses offered to students at the high school. A career and technical course equivalency may be for whole or partial credit. Each school district board of directors shall develop a course equivalency approval procedure.
     (2) Career and technical courses determined to be equivalent to academic core courses, in full or in part, by the high school or school district shall be accepted as meeting core requirements, including graduation requirements, if the courses are recorded on the student's transcript using the equivalent academic high school department designation and title. Full or partial credit shall be recorded as appropriate.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.230.090 and 2005 c 205 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The state board of education shall establish high school graduation requirements or equivalencies for students, except those equivalencies established by local high schools or school districts under section 2 of this act.
     (a) Any course in Washington state history and government used to fulfill high school graduation requirements shall consider including information on the culture, history, and government of the American Indian peoples who were the first inhabitants of the state.
     (b) The certificate of academic achievement requirements under RCW 28A.655.061 or the certificate of individual achievement requirements under RCW 28A.155.045 are required for graduation from a public high school but are not the only requirements for graduation.
     (c) Any decision on whether a student has met the state board's high school graduation requirements for a high school and beyond plan shall remain at the local level.
     (2) In recognition of the statutory authority of the state board of education to establish and enforce minimum high school graduation requirements, the state board shall periodically reevaluate the graduation requirements and shall report such findings to the legislature in a timely manner as determined by the state board. The state board shall reevaluate the graduation requirements for students enrolled in vocationally intensive and rigorous career and technical education programs, particularly those programs that lead to a certificate or credential that is state or nationally recognized. The purpose of the evaluation is to ensure that students enrolled in these programs have sufficient opportunity to earn a certificate of academic achievement, complete the program and earn the program's certificate or credential, and complete other state and local graduation requirements. The board shall reports its findings and recommendations for additional flexibility in graduation requirements, if necessary, to the legislature by December 1, 2007.
     (3) Pursuant to any requirement for instruction in languages other than English established by the state board of education or a local school district, or both, for purposes of high school graduation, students who receive instruction in American sign language or one or more American Indian languages shall be considered to have satisfied the state or local school district graduation requirement for instruction in one or more languages other than English.
     (4) If requested by the student and his or her family, a student who has completed high school courses before attending high school shall be given high school credit which shall be applied to fulfilling high school graduation requirements if:
     (a) The course was taken with high school students, if the academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes, and the student has successfully passed by completing the same course requirements and examinations as the high school students enrolled in the class; or
     (b) The academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes and the course would qualify for high school credit, because the course is similar or equivalent to a course offered at a high school in the district as determined by the school district board of directors.
     (5) Students who have taken and successfully completed high school courses under the circumstances in subsection (4) of this section shall not be required to take an additional competency examination or perform any other additional assignment to receive credit.
     (6) At the college or university level, five quarter or three semester hours equals one high school credit.

Sec. 4   RCW 28A.230.100 and 1991 c 116 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW, to implement the course requirements set forth in RCW 28A.230.090. The rules shall include, as the state board deems necessary, granting equivalencies for and temporary exemptions from the course requirements in RCW 28A.230.090 and special alterations of the course requirements in RCW 28A.230.090. In developing such rules the state board shall recognize the relevance of vocational and applied courses and allow such courses to fulfill in whole or in part the courses required for graduation in RCW 28A.230.090, as determined by the high school or school district in accordance with section 2 of this act. The rules may include provisions for competency testing in lieu of such courses required for graduation in RCW 28A.230.090 or demonstration of specific skill proficiency or understanding of concepts through work or experience.

     *NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 28C.04 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop an objective alternative assessment for career and technical education programs. The objective alternative assessment shall be comparable in rigor to the skills and knowledge that the student must demonstrate on the Washington assessment of student learning.
     (2) The alternative assessment shall include an evaluation of a collection of work samples prepared and submitted by an applicant who is enrolled in a career and technical education program. The superintendent of public instruction shall develop guidelines for the collection of work samples that evidences that the collection:
     (a) Is relevant to the student's particular career and technical program;
     (b) Focuses on the application of academic knowledge and skills within the program;
     (c) Includes completed activities or projects where demonstration of academic knowledge is inferred; and
     (d) Is related to the essential academic learning requirements and state standards that students must meet to earn a certificate of academic achievement or certificate of individual achievement, but also represents the knowledge and skills that successful individuals in the career and technical field of the approved program are expected to possess.
     (3) In developing the work samples for subsection (2) of this section, the superintendent shall consult with community and technical colleges, employers, the work force training and education coordinating board, apprenticeship programs, and other regional and national experts in career and technical education to create an appropriate collection of work samples and other evidence of a career and technical student's knowledge and skills on the state academic standards.
     *Sec. 5 was vetoed. See message at end of chapter.