Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Education Committee

HB 1168

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Concerning career and technical education.

Sponsors: Representatives Liias, Probst, Kenney, Maxwell, Hunt, McCoy, Finn, Billig and Ormsby.

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Describes the characteristics of career and technical student organizations that are eligible for support and assistance from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

  • Allows a high school or skill center to request assistance from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges if it believes a college is not following a law that requires all colleges to recognize one another's dual credit agreements for secondary career and technical education courses.

Hearing Date: 2/11/11

Staff: Barbara McLain (786-7383).

Background:

Student Organizations. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is directed to provide support for statewide coordination of career and technical (CTE) student organizations and their members and students. The CTE student organizations eligible for assistance and support are those recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or by the OSPI, if such recognition is recommended by the Washington Association for Career and Technical Education.

Eligible organizations include:

Dual Credit for CTE. One of the provisions of legislation enacted in 2008 was to require that, if a community or technical college has created an agreement with a high school or skill center to offer college credit for a secondary CTE course, then all colleges must accept that course for an equal amount of college credit. The traditional practice has been that colleges only grant college credit for the schools with which they have signed an agreement or schools within the same Tech Prep consortium as the college. Some colleges may offer to grant the credit, but only after charging the student a fee. The 2008 legislation did not provide an avenue for addressing possible disputes between a college and a high school on this issue.

Summary of Bill:

Student Organizations. In order to receive state support, CTE student organizations must:

The CTE student organizational activities are recognized as integral to career and technical education if they:

Dual Credit for CTE. A community or technical college may not charge a student more than a standard transcription fee when asked to grant college credit for a secondary CTE course where another college has agreed to offer such credit. If a high school or skill center believes a college is not following the law pertaining to granting of college credit for secondary CTE courses, it can request assistance from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC). After consideration of the facts of the situation, the SBCTC may direct the college to follow the law.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.