Brief Summary of Bill

Within existing resources, all public high schools in the state must work toward the goal of offering a sufficient number of high school courses to give students the opportunity to earn the equivalent of one year's worth of postsecondary credit and must inform students and their families about these opportunities.
Institutions of higher education must develop a master list of postsecondary courses that can be fulfilled by achieving an agreed-upon score on a proficiency exam or by meeting demonstrated competencies.
Each institution must publicize its own list of qualifying courses and distribute it to the Higher Education Coordinating Board and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges in a form that the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction can distribute to school districts.
The Higher Education Coordinating Board must annually publish on its website the agreed-upon list of high school courses qualifying for postsecondary credit and the exam scores and demonstrated competencies meeting postsecondary requirements.

Background:

Dual Credit Programs.

A variety of education programs allow high school students to earn post-secondary course credit while also earning credit toward high school graduation. Students who participate in these dual credit programs have the opportunity to graduate from high school with all or a portion of college course work already completed as well as enhance their chances of entry into a chosen trade or profession.

Running Start.

Running Start students have the opportunity to study on a college campus while acquiring credits that count toward both high school and college graduation. If the student passes the college course, he or she receives the same amount of credit as any other college student taking the course. The students do not pay tuition for Running Start classes. Rather, for a full-time Running Start student, a school district retains seven percent of the basic education allocation and provides the remainder to the higher education institution. A Running Start student can be charged some fees.

College in Higher School.

College in the high school permits students to complete college level work while staying on their high school campuses. High school teachers typically form a relationship with a college or university and receive adjunct, extension, or lecturer status. They work with a professor to align a particular high school course with a college level course published in the college catalog. The college course is then taught to high school students by the high school teacher during the regular school day. Students usually pay a fee for this program which varies based on the area of study. Other funding, fees, and eligibility requirements are negotiated by participating schools through a local contract.

Tech Prep.

Tech prep is a cooperative effort between K-12 schools, community and technical colleges, and the business community to develop applied integrated, academic and technical programs. These professional technical courses are taught on high school campuses by high school instructors. The instructors work with local colleges to assure the courses are taught at the college-level and articulate to the college program. Each of the state's 22 Tech Prep consortia have developed competency- based articulation agreements between high schools and colleges that help students transition from high school into post-secondary professional technical programs. Through Tech Prep articulation agreements, colleges award credit to students who successfully complete college-equivalent courses and programs with a "B" or better while still in high school.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate.

Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs allow students to take college-level courses while staying on their high school campuses. For both of these programs, students complete courses taught by high school teachers but then must pass a standardized examination at the end of the course. Whether college credit is awarded depends upon a student's score on the exam. For AP, students score from zero to five points. Minimum scores to qualify for college credit vary by college and by subject area. Students pay the exam fees.

Running Start for the Trades.

Running Start for the Trades began in 2006 with the purpose of expanding apprenticeship opportunities for high-school students. High schools work closely with local apprenticeship programs to prepare students to enter apprenticeships immediately after graduation. Depending upon the program, students may earn direct entry into an apprenticeship program or enhance their chances of entry into a program.

In November 2010, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released a report regarding student participation in dual credit programs. Dual credit programs allow high school students to begin earning college credits while still in high school. An analysis of students' schedules for the 2009-10 school year, as reported in the Comprehensive Education Data and Research System (CEDARS) show that 10.9 percent of all high school courses taken can earn dual credit. Whether or not a student will be able to leave high school with a full year of postsecondary credit will vary depending on the subject matter and program requirements in each apprenticeship program or institution of higher education.

The Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) is a ten-member citizen board appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Established by the Legislature, the HECB provides vision, leadership, and coordination for the state’s public colleges and universities. The HECB administers state and federal financial aid.

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) is governed by a nine-member board appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The SBCTC is responsible for providing leadership and coordination for Washington's public system of 34 community and technical colleges.

Summary of Bill:

Within existing resources, all public high schools in the state must work toward the goal of offering a sufficient number of high school courses to give students the opportunity to earn the equivalent of a year's worth of postsecondary credit toward a certificate, apprenticeship program, technical degree, or associate or baccalaureate degree. All public high schools must also inform students and their families about the opportunities to earn postsecondary credit during twelfth grade to get an advanced start on their career and postsecondary education.

By December 1, 2011, and biennially each June thereafter, institutions of higher education must develop a master list of postsecondary courses that can be fulfilled by achieving an agreed-upon score on a proficiency exam or by meeting demonstrated competencies. Each institution must publish on its website and in its admissions materials its own list of courses that can qualify for postsecondary credit. Each institution must recognize at least one year of course credit that can be earned through proficiency exams or demonstrated competencies, including but not limited to AP and IB exams. The successful completion of the exam and award of credit must be noted on the student's college transcript.

Each institution of higher education must provide a list of postsecondary courses that can be fulfilled by proficiency exams or demonstrated competencies to the HECB and SBCTC in a form that the Superintendent of Public Instruction is able to distribute to school districts.

The HECB must annually publish on its website the agreed-upon list of high school courses qualifying for postsecondary credit and the exam scores and demonstrated competencies meeting postsecondary requirements.

This is to be referred to as the Launch Year Act.