READ FIRST TIME 02/12/08.   

     AN ACT Relating to secondary career and technical education; amending RCW 28C.04.100, 28C.04.110, 28A.230.097, 28A.655.065, 28A.600.045, 28B.102.040, and 28A.505.220; amending 2007 c 399 s 3 (uncodified); amending 2007 c 354 s 12 (uncodified); adding new sections to chapter 28B.50 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 28A.245 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 28A RCW; creating new sections; recodifying RCW 28C.04.100, 28C.04.110, and 28C.22.020; repealing RCW 28C.22.005 and 28C.22.010; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that many secondary career and technical education programs have made progress in retooling for the twenty-first century by aligning with state and nationally certified programs that meet industry standards and by increasing the rigor of academic content in core skills such as reading, writing, mathematics, and science.
     (2) However, the legislature also finds that increased expectations for students to meet the state's academic learning standards require students to take remedial courses. The state board of education is considering increasing credit requirements for high school graduation. Together these policies could restrict students from pursuing high quality career and technical education programs because students would not have adequate time in their schedules to enroll in a progressive sequence of career and technical courses.
     (3) The legislature further finds that teachers, counselors, students, and parents are not well-informed about the opportunities presented by high quality career and technical education. Secondary career and technical education is not a stopping point but a beginning point for further education, including through a bachelor's degree. Secondary preapprenticeships and courses aligned to industry standards can lead directly to workforce entry as well as to additional education. Career and technical education is a proven strategy to engage and motivate students, including students at risk of dropping out of school entirely.
     (4) Finally, the legislature finds that state policies have been piecemeal in support of career and technical education. Laws exist to require state approval of career and technical programs, but could be strengthened by requiring alignment with industry standards and focusing on high-demand fields. Tech prep consortia have developed articulation agreements for dual credit and smooth transitions between high schools and colleges, but agreements remain highly decentralized between individual faculty and individual schools. Laws require school districts to create equivalences between academic and career and technical courses, but more support and professional development is needed to expand these opportunities.
     (5) Therefore it is the legislature's intent to identify the gaps in current laws and policies regarding secondary career and technical education and fill those gaps in a comprehensive fashion to create a coherent whole. This act seeks to increase the quality and rigor of secondary career and technical education, improve links to postsecondary education, encourage and facilitate academic instruction through career and technical courses, and expand access to and awareness of the opportunities offered by high quality career and technical education.

Sec. 101   RCW 28C.04.100 and 2001 c 336 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) To ensure high quality career and technical programs, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall periodically review and approve the plans of local districts for the delivery of career and technical education. Standards for career and technical programs shall be established by the office of the superintendent of public instruction. ((These standards should:)) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop a schedule for career and technical education plan reapproval under this section that includes an abbreviated review process for programs reapproved after 2005, but before the effective date of this section. All school district career and technical education programs must meet the requirements of this section by August 31, 2010.
     (2) To receive approval, school district plans must:
     (a) Demonstrate how career and technical education programs will ensure academic rigor; align with the state's education reform requirements; help address the skills gap of Washington's economy; and maintain strong relationships with local career and technical education advisory councils for the design and delivery of career and technical education; ((and))
     (b) Demonstrate a strategy to align the five-year planning requirement under the federal Carl Perkins act with the state and district ((vocational)) career and technical program planning requirements that include:
     (i) An assessment of equipment and technology needs to support the skills training of technical students;
     (ii) An assessment of industry internships required for teachers to ensure the ability to prepare students for industry-defined standards or certifications, or both;
     (iii) An assessment of the costs of supporting job shadows, mentors, community service and industry internships, and other activities for student learning in the community; ((and))
     (iv) A description of the leadership activities to be provided for technical education students; and
     (v) Annual local school board approval;
     (c) Demonstrate that all preparatory career and technical education courses offered by the district meet the requirements of RCW 28C.04.110 (as recodified by this act);
     (d) Demonstrate progress toward meeting or exceeding the targets established under section 104 of this act of an increased number of career and technical programs in high-demand fields; and
     (e) Demonstrate that approved career and technical programs maximize opportunities for students to earn dual credit for high school and college.
     (((2))) (3) To ensure high quality career education programs and services in secondary schools, the office of the superintendent of public instruction may provide technical assistance to local districts and develop state guidelines for the delivery of career guidance in secondary schools.
     (((3))) (4) To ensure leadership development, the staff of the office of the superintendent of public instruction may serve as the state advisors to Washington state FFA, Washington future business leaders of America, Washington DECA, Washington ((SkillsUSA-VICA)) SkillsUSA, Washington family, career and community leaders, and Washington technology students association, and any additional career or technical student organizations that are formed. Working with the directors or executive secretaries of these organizations, the office of the superintendent of public instruction may develop tools for the coordination of leadership activities with the curriculum of technical education programs.
     (((4))) (5) As used in this section, "career and technical education" means a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins with exploration of career options; supports basic academic and life skills; and enables achievement of high academic standards, leadership, options for high skill, high wage employment preparation, and advanced and continuing education.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 102   (1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the workforce training and education coordinating board, the Washington state apprenticeship and training council, and the state board for community and technical colleges, shall develop a list of statewide high-demand programs for secondary career and technical education. The list shall be developed using the high-demand list maintained by workforce development councils in consultation with the employment security department, the high employer demand programs of study identified by the workforce training and education coordinating board, and the high employer demand programs of study identified by the higher education coordinating board. Local school districts may recommend additional high-demand programs in consultation with local career and technical education advisory committees by submitting evidence of local high demand.
     (2) As used in this section and in sections 104, 105, 107, and 307 of this act:
     (a) "High-demand program" means a career and technical education program that prepares students for either a high employer demand program of study or a high-demand occupation, or both.
     (b) "High employer demand program of study" means an apprenticeship or an undergraduate or graduate certificate or degree program in which the number of students per year prepared for employment from in-state programs is substantially fewer than the number of projected job openings per year in that field, either statewide or in a substate region.
     (c) "High-demand occupation" means an occupation with a substantial number of current or projected employment opportunities.

Sec. 103   RCW 28C.04.110 and 2006 c 115 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     ((The superintendent of public instruction shall develop a list of approved career and technical education programs that qualify for the objective alternative assessment for career and technical students developed under RCW 28A.655.065. Programs on the list)) All approved preparatory secondary career and technical education programs must meet the following minimum criteria:
     (1) Either:
     (a) Lead to a certificate or credential that is state or nationally recognized by trades, industries, or other professional associations as necessary for employment or advancement in that field; or
     (b) Allow students to earn dual credit for high school and college through tech prep, advanced placement, or other agreements or programs;
     (2) ((Require)) Be comprised of a sequenced progression of multiple courses((, both exploratory and preparatory,)) that are ((vocationally)) technically intensive and rigorous; and
     (3) ((Have a high potential for providing the program completer with gainful employment or)) Lead to workforce entry ((into a)), state or nationally approved apprenticeships, or postsecondary ((workforce training program)) education in a related field.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 104   (1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish performance measures and targets and monitor the performance of career and technical education programs in at least the following areas:
     (a) Student participation in and completion of high-demand programs as identified under section 102 of this act;
     (b) Students earning dual credit for high school and college; and
     (c) Performance measures and targets established by the workforce training and education coordinating board, including but not limited to student academic and technical skill attainment, graduation rates, postgraduation employment or enrollment in postsecondary education, and other measures and targets as required by the federal Carl Perkins act, as amended.
     (2) If a school district fails to meet the performance targets established under this section, the office of the superintendent of public instruction may require the district to submit an improvement plan. If a district fails to implement an improvement plan or continues to fail to meet the performance targets for three consecutive years, the office of the superintendent of public instruction may use this failure as the basis to deny the approval or reapproval of one or more of the district's career and technical education programs.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 105   Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate grants to middle schools, high schools, or skill centers, to develop or upgrade high-demand career and technical education programs as identified under section 102 of this act. Grant funds shall be allocated on a one-time basis and may be used to purchase or improve curriculum, create preapprenticeship programs, upgrade technology and equipment to meet industry standards, and for other purposes intended to initiate a new program or improve the rigor and quality of a high-demand program. Priority in allocating the funds shall be given to programs that are also considered high cost due to the types of technology and equipment necessary to maintain industry certification. Priority shall also be given to programs considered in most high demand in the state or applicable region.

Sec. 106   2007 c 399 s 3 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     (1) The funding structure alternatives developed by the joint task force under section 2 of this act shall take into consideration the legislative priorities in this section, to the maximum extent possible and as appropriate to each formula.
     (2) The funding structure should reflect the most effective instructional strategies and service delivery models and be based on research-proven education programs and activities with demonstrated cost benefits. In reviewing the possible strategies and models to include in the funding structure the task force shall, at a minimum, consider the following issues:
     (a) Professional development for all staff;
     (b) Whether the compensation system for instructional staff shall include pay for performance, knowledge, and skills elements; regional cost-of-living elements; elements to recognize assignments that are difficult; recognition for the professional teaching level certificate in the salary allocation model; and a plan to implement the pay structure;
     (c) Voluntary all-day kindergarten;
     (d) Optimum class size, including different class sizes based on grade level and ways to reduce class size;
     (e) Focused instructional support for students and schools;
     (f) Extended school day and school year options; ((and))
     (g) Health and safety requirements; and
     (h) Staffing ratios and other components needed to support career and technical education programs.
     (3) The recommendations should provide maximum transparency of the state's educational funding system in order to better help parents, citizens, and school personnel in Washington understand how their school system is funded.
     (4) The funding structure should be linked to accountability for student outcomes and performance.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 107   (1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the state board for community and technical colleges, the higher education coordinating board, and the council of presidents shall work with local school districts, workforce education programs in colleges, tech prep consortia, and four-year institutions of higher education to develop model career and technical education programs of study as described by this section.
     (2) Career and technical education programs of study:
     (a) Incorporate secondary and postsecondary education elements;
     (b) Include coherent and rigorous academic content aligned with state learning standards and relevant career and technical content in a coordinated, nonduplicative progression of courses that are aligned with postsecondary education in a related field;
     (c) Include opportunities for students to earn dual high school and college credit; and
     (d) Lead to an industry-recognized credential or certificate at the postsecondary level, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
     (3) During the 2008-09 school year, model career and technical education programs of study shall be developed for the following high-demand programs: Construction, health care, and information technology. Each school year thereafter, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and technical colleges, the higher education coordinating board, and the workforce training and education coordinating board shall select additional programs of study to develop, with a priority on high-demand programs as identified under section 102 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 108   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) It is the legislature's intent to recognize and support the work of community and technical colleges, high schools, and skill centers in creating articulation and dual credit agreements for career and technical education students, in part by codifying current practice.
     (2) Community and technical colleges shall create agreements with high schools and skill centers to offer dual high school and college credit for secondary career and technical courses. Agreements shall be subject to approval by the chief instructional officer of the college and the principal and the career and technical education director of the high school or the executive director of the skill center.
     (3) Community and technical colleges may create dual credit agreements with high schools and skill centers that are located outside the college district boundary or service area.
     (4) If a community or technical college has created an agreement with a high school or skill center to offer college credit for a secondary career and technical course, all community and technical colleges shall accept the course for an equal amount of college credit.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 201   (1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall support school district efforts under RCW 28A.230.097 to adopt course equivalencies for career and technical courses by:
     (a) Recommending career and technical curriculum suitable for course equivalencies;
     (b) Publicizing best practices for high schools and school districts in developing and adopting course equivalencies; and
     (c) In consultation with the Washington association for career and technical education, providing professional development, technical assistance, and guidance for school districts seeking to expand their lists of equivalent courses.
     (2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide professional development, technical assistance, and guidance for school districts to develop career and technical course equivalencies that also qualify as advanced placement courses.
     (3) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate grant funds to school districts to increase the integration and rigor of academic instruction in career and technical courses. Grant recipients are encouraged to use grant funds to support teams of academic and technical teachers using a research-based professional development model supported by the national research center for career and technical education. The office of the superintendent of public instruction may require that grant recipients provide matching resources using federal Carl Perkins funds or other fund sources.

Sec. 202   RCW 28A.230.097 and 2006 c 114 s 2 are each amended 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)) in high schools and skill centers. 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. The high school or school district shall also issue and keep record of course completion certificates that demonstrate that the career and technical courses were successfully completed as needed for industry certification, college credit, or preapprenticeship, as applicable. The certificate shall be either part of the student's high school and beyond plan or the student's culminating project, as determined by the student. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop and make available electronic samples of certificates of course completion.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 203   A new section is added to chapter 28A.245 RCW to read as follows:
     Skill centers may enter into agreements with one or more cooperating school districts to grant a high school diploma on behalf of the district so that students who are juniors and seniors have an opportunity to attend the skill center on a full-time basis without coenrollment at a district high school. To avoid competition with other high schools in the cooperating district, high school completion programs operated by skill centers shall be designed as dropout prevention and retrieval programs for at-risk and credit-deficient students or for fifth-year seniors. A skill center may use grant awards from the building bridges program under RCW 28A.175.025 to develop high school completion programs as provided in this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 204   (1) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the secondary integrated basic education and skills training (I-BEST) pilot project is created to integrate career and technical instruction, core academic and basic skills, and English as a second language, for secondary school students. The objective of the pilot project is to determine whether and how a successful community and technical college instructional model can be adapted and implemented at a secondary school level.
     (2) The goal of secondary I-BEST is to enable and motivate secondary students who are struggling with language and academic skills to earn a high school diploma and be prepared for workforce entry or further education and training in a career and technical field. Under the pilot project, academic, career and technical, and English-as-a second-language teachers shall provide instruction through team and coteaching. Course content shall be integrated across the three domains of career and technical, academic, and language.
     (3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate pilot project grants to high schools or skill centers on a competitive basis. Grants are for a three-year period. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall work with the state board for community and technical colleges, grant recipients, and the Washington State University social and economic sciences research center to design and implement an evaluation of the pilot project that includes comparisons of gains in achievement for students in the project compared to other similar students. A report on the pilot project and results of the evaluation shall be submitted to the governor and the education and fiscal committees of the legislature by December 1, 2011.
     (4) The state board for community and technical colleges shall provide technical assistance and advice to the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the pilot project regarding best practices for I-BEST, including program design, professional development, assessment, and evaluation. The state board shall also designate one or more community or technical colleges with exemplary postsecondary I-BEST programs to serve as mentors for the pilot project.
     (5) This section expires June 30, 2012.

Sec. 205   RCW 28A.655.065 and 2007 c 354 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature has made a commitment to rigorous academic standards for receipt of a high school diploma. The primary way that students will demonstrate that they meet the standards in reading, writing, mathematics, and science is through the Washington assessment of student learning. Only objective assessments that are comparable in rigor to the state assessment are authorized as an alternative assessment. Before seeking an alternative assessment, the legislature expects students to make a genuine effort to meet state standards, through regular and consistent attendance at school and participation in extended learning and other assistance programs.
     (2) Under RCW 28A.655.061, beginning in the 2006-07 school year, the superintendent of public instruction shall implement objective alternative assessment methods as provided in this section for students to demonstrate achievement of the state standards in content areas in which the student has not yet met the standard on the high school Washington assessment of student learning. A student may access an alternative if the student meets applicable eligibility criteria in RCW 28A.655.061 and this section and other eligibility criteria established by the superintendent of public instruction, including but not limited to attendance criteria and participation in the remediation or supplemental instruction contained in the student learning plan developed under RCW 28A.655.061. A school district may waive attendance and/or remediation criteria for special, unavoidable circumstances.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, "applicant" means a student seeking to use one of the alternative assessment methods in this section.
     (4) One alternative assessment method shall be a combination of the applicant's grades in applicable courses and the applicant's highest score on the high school Washington assessment of student learning, as provided in this subsection. A student is eligible to apply for the alternative assessment method under this subsection (4) if the student has a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 on a four point grading scale. The superintendent of public instruction shall determine which high school courses are applicable to the alternative assessment method and shall issue guidelines to school districts.
     (a) Using guidelines prepared by the superintendent of public instruction, a school district shall identify the group of students in the same school as the applicant who took the same high school courses as the applicant in the applicable content area. From the group of students identified in this manner, the district shall select the comparison cohort that shall be those students who met or slightly exceeded the state standard on the Washington assessment of student learning.
     (b) The district shall compare the applicant's grades in high school courses in the applicable content area to the grades of students in the comparison cohort for the same high school courses. If the applicant's grades are equal to or above the mean grades of the comparison cohort, the applicant shall be deemed to have met the state standard on the alternative assessment.
     (c) An applicant may not use the alternative assessment under this subsection (4) if there are fewer than six students in the comparison cohort.
     (5) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop an alternative assessment method that shall be an evaluation of a collection of work samples prepared and submitted by the applicant((, as provided in this subsection and, for career and technical applicants, the additional requirements of subsection (6) of this section)).
     (a) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop guidelines for the types and number of work samples in each content area that may be submitted as a collection of evidence that the applicant has met the state standard in that content area. Work samples may be collected from academic, career and technical, or remedial courses and may include performance tasks as well as written products. The superintendent shall submit the guidelines for approval by the state board of education.
     (b) The superintendent shall develop protocols for submission of the collection of work samples that include affidavits from the applicant's teachers and school district that the samples are the work of the applicant and a requirement that a portion of the samples be prepared under the direct supervision of a classroom teacher. The superintendent shall submit the protocols for approval by the state board of education.
     (c) The superintendent shall develop uniform scoring criteria for evaluating the collection of work samples and submit the scoring criteria for approval by the state board of education. Collections shall be scored at the state level or regionally by a panel of educators selected and trained by the superintendent to ensure objectivity, reliability, and rigor in the evaluation. An educator may not score work samples submitted by applicants from the educator's school district. If the panel awards an applicant's collection of work samples the minimum required score, the applicant shall be deemed to have met the state standard on the alternative assessment.
     (d) Using an open and public process that includes consultation with district superintendents, school principals, and other educators, the state board of education shall consider the guidelines, protocols, scoring criteria, and other information regarding the collection of work samples submitted by the superintendent of public instruction. The collection of work samples may be implemented as an alternative assessment after the state board of education has approved the guidelines, protocols, and scoring criteria and determined that the collection of work samples: (i) Will meet professionally accepted standards for a valid and reliable measure of the grade level expectations and the essential academic learning requirements; and (ii) is comparable to or exceeds the rigor of the skills and knowledge that a student must demonstrate on the Washington assessment of student learning in the applicable content area. The state board shall make an approval decision and determination no later than December 1, 2006, and thereafter may increase the required rigor of the collection of work samples.
     (e) By September of 2006, the superintendent of public instruction shall develop informational materials for parents, teachers, and students regarding the collection of work samples and the status of its development as an alternative assessment method. The materials shall provide specific guidance regarding the type and number of work samples likely to be required, include examples of work that meets the state learning standards, and describe the scoring criteria and process for the collection. The materials shall also encourage students in the graduating class of 2008 to begin creating a collection if they believe they may seek to use the collection once it is implemented as an alternative assessment.
     (6)(a) For students enrolled in a career and technical education program approved under RCW 28C.04.110 (as recodified by this act), the superintendent of public instruction shall develop additional guidelines for ((a)) collections of work samples that ((evidences that the collection:
     (i) Is relevant to the student's particular career and technical program;
     (ii) Focuses on the application of academic knowledge and skills within the program;
     (iii) Includes completed activities or projects where demonstration of academic knowledge is inferred; and
     (iv) 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.
     (b) To meet the state standard on the alternative assessment under this subsection (6), an applicant must also attain the state or nationally recognized certificate or credential associated with the approved career and technical program)) are tailored to different career and technical programs. The additional guidelines shall:
     (i) Provide multiple examples of work samples that are related to the particular career and technical program;
     (ii) Permit work samples based on completed activities or projects where demonstration of academic knowledge is inferred; and
     (iii) Provide multiple examples of work samples drawn from career and technical courses.
     (b) The purpose of the additional guidelines is to provide a clear pathway toward a certificate of academic achievement for career and technical students by showing them applied and relevant opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, and to provide guidance to teachers in integrating academic and career and technical instruction and assessment and assisting career and technical students in compiling a collection. The superintendent of public instruction shall develop and disseminate additional guidelines for no fewer than ten career and technical education programs representing a variety of program offerings by no later than September 1, 2008. Guidelines for ten additional programs shall be developed and disseminated no later than June 1, 2009.
     (c) The superintendent shall consult with community and technical colleges, employers, the workforce training and education coordinating board, apprenticeship programs, and other regional and national experts in career and technical education to create ((an)) appropriate ((collection)) guidelines and examples of work samples and other evidence of a career and technical student's knowledge and skills on the state academic standards.
     (7) The superintendent of public instruction shall study the feasibility of using existing mathematics assessments in languages other than English as an additional alternative assessment option. The study shall include an estimation of the cost of translating the tenth grade mathematics assessment into other languages and scoring the assessments should they be implemented.
     (8) The superintendent of public instruction shall implement:
     (a) By June 1, 2006, a process for students to appeal the score they received on the high school assessments; and
     (b) By January 1, 2007, guidelines and appeal processes for waiving specific requirements in RCW 28A.655.061 pertaining to the certificate of academic achievement and to the certificate of individual achievement for students who: (i) Transfer to a Washington public school in their junior or senior year with the intent of obtaining a public high school diploma, or (ii) have special, unavoidable circumstances.
     (9) The state board of education shall examine opportunities for additional alternative assessments, including the possible use of one or more standardized norm-referenced student achievement tests and the possible use of the reading, writing, or mathematics portions of the ACT ASSET and ACT COMPASS test instruments as objective alternative assessments for demonstrating that a student has met the state standards for the certificate of academic achievement. The state board shall submit its findings and recommendations to the education committees of the legislature by January 10, 2008.
     (10) The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules to implement this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 301   (1) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop and conduct an ongoing campaign for career and technical education to increase awareness among teachers, counselors, students, parents, principals, school administrators, and the general public about the opportunities offered by rigorous career and technical education programs. Messages in the campaign shall emphasize career and technical education as a high quality educational pathway for students, including for students who seek advanced education that includes a bachelor's degree or beyond. In particular, the office shall provide information about the following:
     (a) The model career and technical education programs of study developed under section 107 of this act;
     (b) Career and technical education course equivalencies and dual credit for high school and college;
     (c) The career and technical education alternative assessment guidelines under RCW 28A.655.065;
     (d) The availability of scholarships for postsecondary workforce education, including the Washington award for vocational excellence, and apprenticeships through the opportunity grant program under RCW 28B.50.271, grants under section 302 of this act, and other programs; and
     (e) Education, apprenticeship, and career opportunities in emerging and high-demand programs.
     (2) The office shall use multiple strategies in the campaign depending on available funds, including developing an interactive web site to encourage and facilitate career exploration; conducting training and orientation for guidance counselors and teachers; and developing and disseminating printed materials.
     (3) The office shall seek advice, participation, and financial assistance from the workforce training and education coordinating board, higher education institutions, foundations, employers, apprenticeship and training councils, workforce development councils, and business and labor organizations for the campaign.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 302   (1) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide grants to eligible students to offset the costs of required examination or testing fees associated with obtaining state or industry certification in the student's career and technical education program.
     (2) The office shall establish maximum grant amounts and a process for students to apply for the grants.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, "eligible student" means:
     (a) A student enrolled in a secondary career and technical education program where state or industry certification can be obtained without additional postsecondary work or study; or
     (b) A student who completed a secondary career and technical education program in a Washington public school and is seeking state or industry certification in a program requiring additional postsecondary work or study or where there are age limitations on certification.
     (4) Eligible students must have a family income that is at or below two hundred percent of the federal poverty level using the most current guidelines available from the United States department of health and human services.

Sec. 303   RCW 28A.600.045 and 2006 c 117 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature encourages each middle school, junior high school, and high school to implement a comprehensive guidance and planning program for all students. The purpose of the program is to support students as they navigate their education and plan their future; encourage an ongoing and personal relationship between each student and an adult in the school; and involve parents in students' educational decisions and plans.
     (2) A comprehensive guidance and planning program is a program that contains at least the following components:
     (a) A curriculum intended to provide the skills and knowledge students need to select courses, explore options, plan for their future, and take steps to implement their plans. The curriculum may include such topics as analysis of students' test results; diagnostic assessments of students' academic strengths and weaknesses; use of assessment results in developing students' short-term and long-term plans; assessments of student interests and aptitude; goal-setting skills; planning for high school course selection; independent living skills; exploration of options and opportunities for career and technical education at the secondary and postsecondary level; exploration of career opportunities in emerging and high-demand programs including apprenticeships; and postsecondary options and how to access them;
     (b) Regular meetings between each student and a teacher who serves as an advisor throughout the student's enrollment at the school;
     (c) Student-led conferences with the student's parents, guardians, or family members and the student's advisor for the purpose of demonstrating the student's accomplishments; identifying weaknesses; planning and selecting courses; and setting long-term goals; and
     (d) Data collection that allows schools to monitor students' progress.
     (3) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide support for comprehensive guidance and planning programs in public schools, including providing ongoing development and improvement of the curriculum described in subsection (2) of this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 304   A new section is added to chapter 28A.245 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Subject to the provisions of this section and section 305 of this act, a skill center may enter into an agreement with the community or technical college in which district the skill center is located to provide career and technical education courses necessary to complete an industry certificate or credential for students who have received a high school diploma.
     (2) To qualify for enrollment under this section, a student must have been enrolled in the skill center before receiving the high school diploma and must remain continuously enrolled in the skill center. A student may enroll only in those courses necessary to complete the industry certificate or credential associated with the student's career and technical program.
     (3) Students enrolled in a skill center under this section shall be considered community and technical college students for purposes of enrollment reporting, tuition, and financial aid. The skill center shall maintain enrollment data for students enrolled under this section separately from data on secondary school enrollment.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 305   A new section is added to chapter 28B.50 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A community or technical college may enter into an agreement with a skill center within the college district to allow students who have completed a high school diploma to remain enrolled in the skill center in courses necessary to complete an industry certificate or credential in the student's career and technical program as provided by section 304 of this act.
     (2) Before entering an agreement, a community or technical college may require the skill center to provide evidence that:
     (a) The skill center has adequate facilities and capacity to offer the necessary courses and the community or technical college does not have adequate facilities or capacity; or
     (b) The community or technical college does not offer the particular industry certificate program or courses proposed by the skill center.
     (3) Under the terms of the agreement, the community or technical college shall report the enrolled student as a state-supported student and may charge the student tuition and fees. The college shall transmit to the skill center an agreed-upon amount per enrolled full-time equivalent student to pay for the student's courses at the skill center.

Sec. 306   RCW 28B.102.040 and 2005 c 518 s 918 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The board may select participants based on an application process conducted by the board or the board may utilize selection processes for similar students in cooperation with the professional educator standards board or the office of the superintendent of public instruction.
     (2) If the board selects participants for the program, it shall establish a selection committee for screening and selecting recipients of the conditional scholarships. The criteria shall emphasize factors demonstrating excellence including but not limited to superior scholastic achievement, leadership ability, community contributions, bilingual ability, willingness to commit to providing teaching service in shortage areas, and an ability to act as a role model for students. Priority will be given to individuals seeking certification or an additional endorsement in math, science, technology education, agricultural education, business and marketing education, family and consumer science education, or special education.
     ((For fiscal years 2006 and 2007, additional priority shall be given to such individuals who are also bilingual. It is the intent of the legislature to develop a pool of dual-language teachers in order to meet the challenge of educating students who are dominant in languages other than English.))

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 307   (1) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the in-demand scholars program is created. The purpose of the program is to replicate a successful pilot program to attract high school students into high-demand fields, as identified under section 102 of this act, that require one to three years of postsecondary education, including apprenticeships. The program shall be administered by the workforce training and education coordinating board.
     (2) The workforce training and education coordinating board, in consultation with representatives from the statewide association of workforce development councils, the Washington state labor council, and a statewide business association, shall:
     (a) Develop a model in-demand scholars program to be implemented by local workforce development councils. The model program shall be sufficiently flexible that councils may customize the design to meet the unique needs and available resources in each region. Under the model program, workforce development councils identify local industries in high-demand fields that are having difficulty filling employee positions that require one to three years of postsecondary education or apprenticeship. Representatives of such industries present the employment opportunities available in their industry to local high school students and inform students about possible job shadowing or internship opportunities in the industry. Students who participate in a job shadow or internship under a model program are eligible to receive an in-demand scholarship if the students enroll in a postsecondary education program or apprenticeship in one of the high-demand fields identified in the model program. Local workforce development councils award the scholarships. Scholarships shall not exceed an amount specified in the omnibus appropriations act and shall be used to offset tuition and related education and training expenses for a maximum of two years;
     (b) Determine and make the initial allocation for the in-demand scholars program to each workforce development council, based on its projected outcomes and other criteria. Funding may be reallocated among workforce development councils if necessary based on actual results achieved; and
     (c) Require that local workforce development councils submit quarterly reports on the in-demand scholars program, including but not limited to the industries participating and the projected and actual number of students served, students completing job shadows or internships, students entering and completing postsecondary education, students entering the targeted career, and students continuing on to four-year degrees or other additional education.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 308   (1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall conduct a feasibility study to create technical high schools in Washington state. In conducting the study, the office shall convene an advisory committee including, but not limited to, representatives from school districts, high schools, skill centers, community and technical colleges, workforce development councils, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the Washington association for career and technical education, the Washington state apprenticeship and training council, and the state board for community and technical colleges. Subject to available funds, the office shall contract with a third party to support the study, including examining technical high school models in other states.
     (2) The feasibility study shall examine and make recommendations on the following issues:
     (a) The definition of a technical high school and how a technical high school might differ from current comprehensive high schools, alternative high schools, or skill centers;
     (b) The governance structure for technical high schools, which may be within a single district, a cooperative of multiple districts, or other new governance structures that may be considered;
     (c) Funding models and estimated costs to support technical high schools, including both operating and capital funds;
     (d) Whether technical high schools should focus on particular student populations or be structured as magnet schools or academies with a particular programmatic focus;
     (e) Whether technical high schools should operate with a two-year or four-year program or with part-time or full-time attendance;
     (f) The implications of accountability for student achievement with a technical high school, including adequate yearly progress; and
     (g) Options, strategies, and estimated costs for possible transition of selected current high schools or skill centers to a technical high school model.
     (3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall submit an interim progress report to the governor and the education and fiscal committees of the legislature by December 1, 2008, and a final report with recommendations by September 15, 2009.

Sec. 401   RCW 28A.505.220 and 2005 c 514 s 1103 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Total distributions from the student achievement fund to each school district shall be based upon the average number of full-time equivalent students in the school district during the previous school year as reported to the office of the superintendent of public instruction by August 31st of the previous school year. The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that moneys generated by skill center students are returned to skill centers.
     (2) The allocation rate per full-time equivalent student shall be three hundred dollars in the 2005-06 school year, three hundred seventy-five dollars in the 2006-07 school year, and four hundred fifty dollars in the 2007-08 school year. For each subsequent school year, the amount allocated per full-time equivalent student shall be adjusted for inflation as defined in RCW 43.135.025(8). These allocations per full-time equivalent student from the student achievement fund shall be supported from the following sources:
     (a) Distributions from state property tax proceeds deposited into the student achievement fund under RCW 84.52.068; and
     (b) Distributions from the education legacy trust account created in RCW 83.100.230.
     (3) Any funds deposited in the student achievement fund under RCW 43.135.045 shall be allocated to school districts on a one-time basis using a rate per full-time equivalent student. These funds are provided in addition to any amounts allocated in subsection (2) of this section.
     (4) The school district annual amounts as defined in subsection (2) of this section shall be distributed on the monthly apportionment schedule as defined in RCW 28A.510.250.

Sec. 402   2007 c 354 s 12 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     (1) The superintendent of public instruction and the workforce training and education coordinating board shall jointly convene and staff an advisory committee to identify career and technical education curricula that will assist in preparing students for the state assessment system and provide the opportunity to obtain a certificate of academic achievement.
     (2) The advisory committee shall consist of the following nine members:
     (a) Four members of the legislature, with two members each appointed by the respective caucuses of the house of representatives and the senate;
     (b) One representative from the career and technical education section of the office of the superintendent of public instruction;
     (c) One member appointed by the workforce training and education coordinating board; and
     (d) Three members appointed by the superintendent of public instruction and the workforce training and education coordinating board based on recommendations from the career and technical education community.
     (3) The advisory committee shall appoint a chair from among the nonlegislative members.
     (4) Legislative members of the advisory committee shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members, except those representing an employer or organization, are entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
     (5) By January 15, 2008, the advisory committee shall provide an initial report to the governor and the legislature and, if necessary, a work plan with additional reporting deadlines((, which shall not extend beyond December 15, 2008)). By December 2009, the advisory committee shall report to the governor and appropriate committees of the legislature with an evaluation of the status of the recommendations made in the initial report and any additional recommendations the advisory committee finds necessary to accomplish the goals of the initial report.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 403   RCW 28C.04.100 and 28C.04.110 are each recodified as sections in the new chapter created in section 408 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 404   RCW 28C.22.020 is recodified as a section in chapter 28A.245 RCW.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 405   The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:
     (1) RCW 28C.22.005 (Findings) and 1993 c 380 s 1; and
     (2) RCW 28C.22.010 (Skill center program operation) and 1993 c 380 s 2.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 406   This chapter may be known and cited as the career and technical education act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 407   Part headings used in this act are not any part of the law.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 408   Sections 102, 104, 105, 107, 201, 204, 301, 302, 307, and 406 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 28A RCW.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 409   Section 401 of this act takes effect September 1, 2008.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 410   If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2008, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.