Brief Summary of Bill

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

Background:

Student Organizations. The Office of 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 United States Department of Education or by the OSPI, if such recognition is recommended by the Washington Association for Career and Technical Education.

Eligible organizations include:

National Future Farmers of America Organization;
Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America;
SkillsUSA;
Distributive Education Clubs of America;
Future Business Leaders of America; and
Technology Student Association.

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.

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Summary of Bill:

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

prepare students for career experiences beyond high school;

help students develop personal, leadership, technical, and occupational skills;
be an integral component of CTE instructional programs; and
directly help students achieve state learning goals, especially goals related to critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making.

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

provide instructional strategies to develop, improve, and expand occupational competencies related to a particular career and technical subject matter;
are an extension of the classroom and laboratory instructional program; and
include curriculum-oriented activities to help students gain skills that maximize employability and the ability to become productive citizens.

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.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) The two issues in the bill appear to be minor and technical in nature, but they are important to students and parents. Students have helped to write the intent language about the importance of their CTE student organizations. Also, the bill tries to streamline the process for students trying to get credit for high school CTE courses when the college is not in their area. Different colleges offer different programs; this bill provides equitable access to students living in different areas.

The bill provides more accountability for CTE student organizations, along with the capacity for the OSPI to provide support for those organizations if funding is available. There should be uniformity for students earning postsecondary CTE credits. The mission of the Future Business Leaders of America is to bring business and education together through innovative career and education programs. Students are more than just members of an association; they feel part of a family. Students are motivated to come to school and feel like they are part of something in school. Being part of an organization can turn a student's life around and give them the courage to chase their dreams. They can see that they have a plan for their future. They are encouraged to look beyond what they thought was obtainable.

Everything done by CTE student organizations is co-curricular, not extra-curricular. The state learning standards outline what students need to know to be successful after graduation. These standards are interwoven through all CTE activities. These programs help students grow and expand their skills to meet today's career demands. Years later, people can look back and identify pivotal moments that continue to make a difference in their lives. Joining a CTE organization can be one of those moments. Students are provided with speaking and learning opportunities. Shy students can become outspoken and confident. There are many opportunities and stories about the ways that CTE organizations can change students' lives. These are the stories that the Legislature helps to write.

(Opposed) None.