BILL REQ. #:  H-4129.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/06/12.   

     AN ACT Relating to encouraging multiple career pathways through information, exploration, planning, and program coordination; amending RCW 28A.230.097, 28C.18.060, 28B.76.526, 28C.18.162, 28C.18.164, 28C.18.166, 28B.92.030, 28B.92.084, 28A.700.060, 28A.600.045, 28A.230.090, 28A.230.010, and 28A.230.130; amending 2009 c 238 s 11 (uncodified); reenacting and amending RCW 28A.600.160; adding a new section to chapter 28A.320 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.230 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.410 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.10 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 28C RCW; creating new sections; recodifying RCW 28A.700.060; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 101   (1) The legislature finds that multiple pathways lead to marketable job skills and productive careers and intends that the value and dignity of all careers be reflected in career exploration materials and curricula, high school graduation requirements, and other communication to students, parents, educators, and the community.
     (2) The legislature further intends that the state of Washington distinguish itself in the national and global economy by becoming the fastest-growing supplier of highly skilled workers for targeted industries.
     (3) To accomplish these objectives, the legislature intends to:
     (a) Facilitate increased opportunities for work-based learning and internships for high school students and teachers, as well as mentorships for the business community in public schools;
     (b) Create structures to encourage greater connections between businesses, schools, and institutions of higher education;
     (c) Make career exploration a routine part of middle and high school instruction and encourage students to select career goals or majors while in middle and high school, with flexibility to change them based on further exploration;
     (d) Beginning in middle school, better inform parents and students of career opportunities that are tied to the needs of the local, regional, and state economy;
     (e) Continually emphasize the dignity and economic value of nonbaccalaureate career pathways equally with baccalaureate pathways, including skilled trades, preapprenticeships, apprenticeships, industry certifications, workforce training programs, one and two-year degrees, and baccalaureate and postbaccalaureate opportunities; and
     (f) Measurably increase completion rates at all levels of secondary and postsecondary education and measurably increase student success after completion.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 201   The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter and to RCW 28A.600.045, 28A.600.160, and section 409 of this act unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
     (1) "Career cluster" means a grouping of occupations and industries based on common aspects that provide students with a context for planning and studying academic and technical courses related to a career.
     (2) "Career pathway" means a series of coordinated education and training programs and support services aligned with a career cluster. Career pathways begin in the secondary education system, align with postsecondary education, and offer multiple points for students to exit one program of study or pathway, enter a new program or pathway, and access further education and training throughout their lives.
     (3) "High demand occupation or career" means an occupation or career with a substantial number of current or projected employment opportunities.
     (4) "High employer demand program of study" has the same definition as in RCW 28B.50.030.
     (5) "Middle-income bracket" has the same definition as in RCW 28B.145.060.
     (6) "Postsecondary education" includes preapprenticeship, apprenticeship, workforce training programs, community and technical colleges, and baccalaureate and postbaccalaureate opportunities.
     (7) "Program of study" means a coordinated, nonduplicative progression of courses within a career pathway that aligns academic and career and technical education in secondary education with postsecondary education. A program of study offers coherent and rigorous academic content aligned with state learning standards and relevant career and technical content, includes opportunities for students to earn dual high school and college credit, provides work-based learning experiences, prepares students to enter postsecondary education and employment, and culminates in an industry-recognized credential. Integration of academic and career and technical education content is encouraged.
     (8) "State education and workforce agencies" means the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board of education, the state board for community and technical colleges, the higher education coordinating board or its successor agency, the workforce training and education coordinating board, and the employment security department.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 202   The goal of increasing the percentage of Washington households living in the middle-income bracket is adopted. Increasing the number of secondary and postsecondary program graduates and completers in the state, especially in fields with high economic demand, is adopted as one strategy for reaching this goal.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 203   The state education and workforce agencies, the department of commerce, the Washington state apprenticeship and training council, and the department of social and health services must incorporate the goal and strategy adopted under section 202 of this act into their respective strategic plans and include in those plans specific additional strategies appropriate to their respective missions for reaching the goal.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 204   (1) All materials and communications produced and distributed by the state education and workforce agencies after the effective date of this section regarding career opportunities or career exploration must include information about multiple career pathways across all levels of postsecondary education, including skilled trades, preapprenticeships, apprenticeships, industry certifications, workforce training programs, one and two-year degrees, and baccalaureate and postbaccalaureate opportunities. The materials and communications must emphasize the value of each of the pathways so that individuals are encouraged to conduct a meaningful exploration of the multiple opportunities available to them.
     (2) All materials and communications produced and distributed by the state board of education after the effective date of this section regarding high school graduation requirements must illustrate options and strategies for students to pursue any of multiple career pathways while meeting graduation requirements, including a clearly-articulated nonbaccalaureate pathway that may include career and technical education, enrollment in a skill center, or preapprenticeship.
     (3) Analyses produced and presented by the state education and workforce agencies that compare employment prospects and earnings for high school graduates, two-year degrees, or baccalaureate degrees must also provide information about employment prospects and earnings for apprenticeships and, to the extent data is available, must disaggregate information about two-year and baccalaureate degrees by academic major or by major academic unit. Major academic unit includes the college of arts and sciences, the college of business, the college of education, and other similar units.
     (4) As used in this section, materials and communications include but are not limited to brochures, information on the agency web site, curriculum, reports, presentations, and strategic plans.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 205   (1) The workforce training and education coordinating board shall identify a sample of online tools that students and parents may use to explore multiple career pathways and shall publicize these tools on the board's web site. Within available funds, the board may modify or supplement existing online tools to make them more user-friendly or to provide additional information specific to the Washington education system and economy.
     (2) The workforce training and education coordinating board must annually create a brief, summary list of promising careers based on analysis of employment openings and future growth, as well as sustainable wages. The list must include careers that require various levels of postsecondary education and must illustrate the career pathways students may take to pursue the careers. The purpose of the list is to illustrate a sample of high quality, high-demand careers available through multiple pathways and encourage students and parents to engage in career exploration using available tools. The list must be publicized along with the career exploration tools identified under subsection (1) of this section and may be linked to other, more comprehensive analyses and information regarding high-demand careers and career projections.
     (3) The state education and workforce agencies and all community and technical colleges must publicize the online tools and promising careers identified under subsections (1) and (2) of this section on their respective web sites. Worksource centers and public libraries must include information about the online tools in existing publications, including newsletters, posters, brochures, or other print materials, and must provide directions and options for public internet access to the online tools.
     (4) The workforce training and education coordinating board shall work with statewide business organizations to develop an online mentor program using volunteer mentors employed in various career fields who provide advice or answer inquiries from students and parents as they explore multiple career pathways using the online tools. The mentor program must be supported by business organizations or foundations through cash or in-kind contributions for the development and operation of the program. The workforce board shall inform the legislature if business and foundation support is not available for this purpose and may recommend state matching support if necessary.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 206   A new section is added to chapter 28A.320 RCW to read as follows:
     The workforce training and education coordinating board shall develop a graphic advertisement regarding the importance of early career exploration and including an electronic link to the online tools and information about promising careers identified under section 205 of this act. School districts must provide information to all enrolled students in grades six through twelve about the opportunity to explore multiple career pathways by, at a minimum, copying the graphic advertisement into school newsletters, routine communication to parents, and the district web site. School districts may provide additional career exploration information through additional means.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 207   (1) The career exploration partnership zone program is established to increase connections and access to internship, training, and employment opportunities and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas, innovations, and expertise between local business and labor communities, public schools, apprenticeship councils, and institutions of higher education.
     (2) The workforce training and education coordinating board shall develop criteria and an application process for designating regional coordinators for partnership zones. It is the legislature's intent that between eight and twelve partnership zones be designated. The purpose of the designation is to establish a single point of contact for local coordination, reduce duplication of effort, achieve economies of scale, and create opportunities for successful grant seeking from the public and private sectors.
     (3) Career exploration partnership zone coordinators must, in collaboration with business and labor communities and public education institutions:
     (a) Serve as a clearinghouse for summer and year-round youth employment opportunities and work with local businesses to develop new opportunities;
     (b) Recruit businesses to provide internships for students and educators;
     (c) Work with school districts, colleges, universities, apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs, and workforce training programs to develop internship, mentoring, and advising opportunities for individuals in the local business and labor communities;
     (d) Design and develop other partnerships to provide opportunities for continuing education and training;
     (e) Seek public and private sector funding to support the partnership zone;
     (f) Recruit and encourage students, parents, and schools to use the online career exploration tools and online mentor programs under section 205 of this act; and
     (g) Report annually to the workforce training and education coordinating board as provided under subsection (5) of this section.
     (4) Partnerships and collaborative activities under a partnership zone are voluntary and intended to benefit all partners. Partners are encouraged to use creation of a partnership zone as a means to strengthen competitive grant applications. Partners who achieve savings by reducing duplication of effort through the partnership zone may contribute funding to the partnership zone.
     (5) The workforce training and education coordinating board shall design a performance monitoring report for career exploration partnership zones that tracks the expansion and improvement in youth employment, number of internships, number of career exploration and other partnership activities, and whether the options provided under subsection (4) of this section were exercised.

Sec. 208   RCW 28A.230.097 and 2008 c 170 s 202 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 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 may not prohibit a student from enrolling in a career and technical course equivalency, if available, if the student has not been successful in the equivalent academic course. 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.

Sec. 209   RCW 28C.18.060 and 2009 c 151 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     The board, in cooperation with the operating agencies of the state training system and private career schools and colleges, shall:
     (1) Concentrate its major efforts on planning, coordination evaluation, policy analysis, and recommending improvements to the state's training system;
     (2) Advocate for the state training system and for meeting the needs of employers and the workforce for workforce education and training;
     (3) Establish and maintain an inventory of the programs of the state training system, and related state programs, and perform a biennial assessment of the ((vocational)) career and technical education, training, and adult basic education and literacy needs of the state; identify ongoing and strategic education needs; and assess the extent to which employment, training, ((vocational)) career and technical and basic education, rehabilitation services, and public assistance services represent a consistent, integrated approach to meet such needs;
     (4) Develop and maintain a state comprehensive plan for workforce training and education, including but not limited to, goals, objectives, and priorities for the state training system, and review the state training system for consistency with the state comprehensive plan. In developing the state comprehensive plan for workforce training and education, the board shall use, but shall not be limited to: Economic, labor market, and populations trends reports in office of financial management forecasts; joint office of financial management and employment security department labor force, industry employment, and occupational forecasts; the results of scientifically based outcome, net-impact and cost-benefit evaluations; the needs of employers as evidenced in formal employer surveys and other employer input; and the needs of program participants and workers as evidenced in formal surveys and other input from program participants and the labor community;
     (5) In consultation with the higher education coordinating board or its successor agency, review and make recommendations to the office of financial management and the legislature on operating and capital facilities budget requests for operating agencies of the state training system for purposes of consistency with the state comprehensive plan for workforce training and education;
     (6) Provide for coordination among the different operating agencies and components of the state training system at the state level and at the regional level;
     (7) Develop a consistent and reliable database on ((vocational)) career and technical education enrollments, costs, program activities, and job placements from publicly funded ((vocational)) career and technical education programs in this state;
     (8)(a) Establish standards for data collection and maintenance for the operating agencies of the state training system in a format that is accessible to use by the board. The board shall require a minimum of common core data to be collected by each operating agency of the state training system;
     (b) Develop requirements for minimum common core data in consultation with the office of financial management and the operating agencies of the training system;
     (9) Establish minimum standards for program evaluation for the operating agencies of the state training system, including, but not limited to, the use of common survey instruments and procedures for measuring perceptions of program participants and employers of program participants, and monitor such program evaluation;
     (10) Every two years administer scientifically based outcome evaluations of the state training system, including, but not limited to, surveys of program participants, surveys of employers of program participants, and matches with employment security department payroll and wage files. Every five years administer scientifically based net-impact and cost-benefit evaluations of the state training system;
     (11) In cooperation with the employment security department, provide for the improvement and maintenance of quality and utility in occupational information and forecasts for use in training system planning and evaluation. Improvements shall include, but not be limited to, development of state-based occupational change factors involving input by employers and employees, and delineation of skill and training requirements by education level associated with current and forecasted occupations;
     (12) Provide for the development of common course description formats, common reporting requirements, and common definitions for operating agencies of the training system;
     (13) Provide for effectiveness and efficiency reviews of the state training system;
     (14) In cooperation with the higher education coordinating board or its successor agency, facilitate transfer of credit policies and agreements between institutions of the state training system, and encourage articulation agreements for programs encompassing two years of secondary workforce education and two years of postsecondary workforce education;
     (15) In cooperation with the higher education coordinating board or its successor agency, facilitate transfer of credit policies and agreements between private training institutions and institutions of the state training system;
     (16) Develop policy objectives for the workforce investment act, P.L. 105-220, or its successor; develop coordination criteria for activities under the act with related programs and services provided by state and local education and training agencies; and ensure that entrepreneurial training opportunities are available through programs of each local workforce investment board in the state;
     (17) Make recommendations to ((the commission of student assessment,)) the state board of education((,)) and the superintendent of public instruction, concerning basic skill competencies and essential core competencies for K-12 education. Basic skills for this purpose shall be reading, writing, computation, speaking, and critical thinking, essential core competencies for this purpose shall be English, math, science/technology, history, geography, and critical thinking. The board shall monitor the development of and provide advice concerning secondary curriculum which integrates ((vocational)) career and technical and academic education;
     (18) Establish and administer programs for marketing and outreach to businesses and potential program participants;
     (19) Facilitate the location of support services, including but not limited to, child care, financial aid, career counseling, and job placement services, for students and trainees at institutions in the state training system, and advocate for support services for trainees and students in the state training system;
     (20) Facilitate private sector assistance for the state training system, including but not limited to: Financial assistance, rotation of private and public personnel, and vocational counseling;
     (21) Facilitate the development of programs ((for school-to-work transition that combine classroom education and on-the-job training, including entrepreneurial education and training, in industries and occupations without a significant number of apprenticeship programs)) of study as defined in section 201 of this act;
     (22) Include in the planning requirements for local workforce investment boards a requirement that the local workforce investment boards specify how entrepreneurial training is to be offered through the one-stop system required under the workforce investment act, P.L. 105-220, or its successor;
     (23) Encourage and assess progress for the equitable representation of racial and ethnic minorities, women, and people with disabilities among the students, teachers, and administrators of the state training system. Equitable, for this purpose, shall mean substantially proportional to their percentage of the state population in the geographic area served. This function of the board shall in no way lessen more stringent state or federal requirements for representation of racial and ethnic minorities, women, and people with disabilities;
     (24) Participate in the planning and policy development of governor set-aside grants under P.L. 97-300, as amended;
     (25) Administer veterans' programs, licensure of private vocational schools, the job skills program, and the Washington award for vocational excellence;
     (26) Allocate funding from the state job training trust fund;
     (27) Work with the director of ((community, trade, and economic development and the economic development commission)) commerce to ensure coordination among workforce training priorities, the long-term economic development strategy of the economic development commission, and economic development and entrepreneurial development efforts, including but not limited to assistance to industry clusters;
     (28) Conduct research into workforce development programs designed to reduce the high unemployment rate among young people between approximately eighteen and twenty-four years of age. In consultation with the operating agencies, the board shall advise the governor and legislature on policies and programs to alleviate the high unemployment rate among young people. The research shall include disaggregated demographic information and, to the extent possible, income data for adult youth. The research shall also include a comparison of the effectiveness of programs examined as a part of the research conducted in this subsection in relation to the public investment made in these programs in reducing unemployment of young adults. The board shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature by November 15, 2008, and every two years thereafter. Where possible, the data reported to the legislative committees should be reported in numbers and in percentages;
     (29) Perform the functions assigned to the board under chapter 28C.--- RCW (the new chapter created in section 501 of this act); and
     (30) Adopt rules as necessary to implement this chapter.
     The board may delegate to the director any of the functions of this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 301   (1) The state education and workforce agencies shall work together to ensure that programs established by the legislature to provide opportunities for individuals to increase their knowledge, skills, and earnings potential through education and training operate seamlessly, without unnecessary duplication and overlap, and without unnecessary barriers that may hinder students' transition from one program to another.
     (2) Programs under this section include opportunity internships under RCW 28C.18.160, opportunity grants under RCW 28B.50.271, worker retraining and other programs supported by the opportunity express account under RCW 28B.50.286, the college bound scholarship under chapter 28B.118 RCW, and the pay for actual student success program under RCW 28A.175.130 through 28A.175.160.
     (3) The agencies may make recommendations to the legislature for increasing efficiency and effectiveness among the programs and for reducing barriers for students.

Sec. 302   RCW 28B.76.526 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 27 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     The Washington opportunity pathways account is created in the state treasury. Expenditures from the account may be used only for programs in chapter 28B.12 RCW (state work-study), chapter 28B.50 RCW (opportunity grant), RCW 28B.76.660 (Washington scholars award), RCW 28B.76.670 (Washington award for vocational excellence), chapter 28B.92 RCW (state need grant program), ((chapter 28B.101 RCW (educational opportunity grant),)) chapter 28B.105 RCW (GET ready for math and science scholarship), chapter 28B.117 RCW (passport to college promise), chapter 28B.118 RCW (college bound scholarship), chapter 28B.119 RCW (Washington promise scholarship), chapter 43.215 RCW (early childhood education and assistance program), RCW 28C.18.160 through 28C.18.168 (opportunity internship program), and RCW 43.330.280 (recruitment of entrepreneurial researchers, innovation partnership zones and research teams).

Sec. 303   RCW 28C.18.162 and 2009 c 238 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this section and RCW 28C.18.160 and 28C.18.164 through 28C.18.168.
     (1) "High-demand occupation" means an occupation with a substantial number of current or projected employment opportunities.
     (2) "Low-income high school student" means a student who is enrolled in grade((s)) ten, eleven, or twelve in a public high school and who ((qualifies for federal free or reduced-price meals)): (a) Would qualify for a state need grant under chapter 28B.92 RCW on the basis of financial need; or (b) qualifies to participate in the Title I-B youth program under the federal workforce investment act of 1988. If a student qualifies at the time the student begins participating in the opportunity internship program, the student remains eligible even if the student ((does not receive free or reduced-price meals)) would not qualify thereafter. To participate in the program, the student must remain enrolled in high school until the student receives a high school diploma or receives a GED.
     (3) "Opportunity internship consortium" means a local consortium formed for the purpose of participating in the opportunity internship program and which may be composed of a local workforce development council, economic development council, area high schools, community or technical colleges, apprenticeship councils, preapprenticeship programs such as running start for the trades, private vocational schools licensed under chapter 28C.10 RCW, public and private four-year institutions of higher education, employers in targeted industries, and labor organizations.
     (4) "Opportunity internship graduate" means a low-income high school student who successfully completes an opportunity internship program and either graduates from high school or receives a GED.
     (5) "Postsecondary program of study" means an undergraduate or graduate certificate, apprenticeship, or degree program.
     (6) "Preapprenticeship" means a program of at least ninety hours and not more than one hundred eighty hours in length that provides practical experience, education, preparation, and the development of skills that would be beneficial for entry into state-approved apprenticeship programs, including but not limited to construction industry structure and the construction process; orientation to state- approved apprenticeship; tools of the various trades and safe handling of power tools; and industry standards of safety, responsibility, and craft excellence.
     (7) "Targeted industry" means a business or industry identified by a local workforce development council as having high-demand occupations that require candidates to have completed a postsecondary program of study.

Sec. 304   RCW 28C.18.164 and 2010 1st sp.s. c 24 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Opportunity internship consortia may apply to the board to offer an opportunity internship program.
     (a) The board, in consultation with the Washington state apprenticeship and training council, may select those consortia that demonstrate the strongest commitment and readiness to implement a high quality opportunity internship program for low-income high school students. The board shall place a priority on consortia with demonstrated experience working with similar populations of students and demonstrated capacity to assist a large number of students through the progression of internship or preapprenticeship, high school graduation or receipt of a GED, postsecondary education or apprenticeship, and retention in a high-demand occupation. The board shall place a priority on programs that emphasize secondary career and technical education and nonbaccalaureate postsecondary education; however, programs that target four-year postsecondary degrees are eligible to participate.
     (b)(i) Except as provided in (b)(ii) of this subsection (1), the board shall enter into a contract with each consortium selected to participate in the program. No more than ten consortia per year shall be selected to participate in the program, and to the extent possible, the board shall assure a geographic distribution of consortia in regions across the state emphasizing a variety of targeted industries. Each consortium may select no more than one hundred low-income high school students per year to participate in the program.
     (ii) For fiscal years 2011 through 2013, the board shall enter into a contract with each consortium selected to participate in the program. No more than twelve consortia per year shall be selected to participate in the program, and to the extent possible, the board shall assure a geographic distribution of consortia in regions across the state emphasizing a variety of targeted industries. No more than five thousand low-income high school students per year may be selected to participate in the program.
     (2) Under the terms of an opportunity internship program contract, an opportunity internship consortium shall commit to the following activities which shall be conducted using existing federal, state, local, or private funds available to the consortium:
     (a) Identify high-demand occupations in targeted industries for which opportunity internships or preapprenticeships shall be developed and provided;
     (b) Develop and implement the components of opportunity internships, including paid or unpaid internships or preapprenticeships of at least ninety hours in length in high-demand occupations with employers in the consortium, mentoring and guidance for students who participate in the program, assistance with applications for postsecondary programs and financial aid, and a guarantee of a job interview with a participating employer for all opportunity internship graduates who successfully complete a postsecondary program of study;
     (c) Once the internship or preapprenticeship components have been developed, conduct outreach efforts to inform low-income high school students about high-demand occupations, the opportunity internship program, options for postsecondary programs of study, and the incentives and opportunities provided to students who participate in the program;
     (d) Obtain appropriate documentation of the low-income status of students who participate in the program;
     (e) Award each opportunity internship graduate with the certificate produced by the office of student financial assistance under RCW 28B.92.084 that notifies graduates of their eligibility for a state need grant;
     (f) Maintain communication with opportunity internship graduates of the consortium who enroll in postsecondary programs of study; and
     (((f))) (g) Submit an annual report to the board on the progress of and participation in the opportunity internship program of the consortium.
     (3) Opportunity internship consortia are encouraged to:
     (a) Provide paid opportunity internships or preapprenticeships, including during the summer months to encourage students to stay enrolled in high school;
     (b) Work with high schools to offer opportunity internships as approved worksite learning experiences where students can earn high school credit;
     (c) Designate the local workforce development council as fiscal agent for the opportunity internship program contract;
     (d) Work with area high schools to incorporate the opportunity internship program into comprehensive guidance and counseling programs such as the navigation 101 program; ((and))
     (e) Coordinate the opportunity internship program with other workforce development and postsecondary education programs, including opportunity grants, the college bound scholarship program, federal workforce investment act initiatives, and college access challenge grants; and
     (f) Provide stipends or financial incentives for internship and preapprenticeship completion.
     (4) The board shall seek federal funds that may be used to support the opportunity internship program, including providing the incentive payments under RCW 28C.18.168.

Sec. 305   RCW 28C.18.166 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 11 s 242 are each amended to read as follows:
     On an annual basis, each opportunity internship consortium shall provide the board with a list of the opportunity internship graduates from the consortium. The board shall compile the lists from all consortia and shall notify the office of student financial assistance of the eligibility of each graduate on the lists to receive a state need grant under chapter 28B.92 RCW if the graduate enrolls in a postsecondary program of study within one year of high school graduation or receipt of a GED.

Sec. 306   RCW 28B.92.030 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 11 s 159 are each amended to read as follows:
     As used in this chapter:
     (1) "Disadvantaged student" means a posthigh school student who by reason of adverse cultural, educational, environmental, experiential, familial or other circumstances is unable to qualify for enrollment as a full-time student in an institution of higher education, who would otherwise qualify as a needy student, and who is attending an institution of higher education under an established program designed to qualify the student for enrollment as a full-time student.
     (2) "Financial aid" means loans and/or grants to needy students enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a student at institutions of higher education.
     (3) "Institution" or "institutions of higher education" means:
     (a) Any public university, college, community college, or technical college operated by the state of Washington or any political subdivision thereof; or
     (b) Any other university, college, school, or institute in the state of Washington offering instruction beyond the high school level which is a member institution of an accrediting association recognized by rule of the board or successor agency for the purposes of this section: PROVIDED, That any institution, branch, extension or facility operating within the state of Washington which is affiliated with an institution operating in another state must be a separately accredited member institution of any such accrediting association, or a branch of a member institution of an accrediting association recognized by rule of the board or successor agency for purposes of this section, that is eligible for federal student financial aid assistance and has operated as a nonprofit college or university delivering on-site classroom instruction for a minimum of twenty consecutive years within the state of Washington, and has an annual enrollment of at least seven hundred full-time equivalent students: PROVIDED FURTHER, That no institution of higher education shall be eligible to participate in a student financial aid program unless it agrees to and complies with program rules and regulations adopted pursuant to RCW 28B.92.150.
     (4) "Needy student" means a posthigh school student of an institution of higher education who demonstrates to the ((board)) office the financial inability, either through the student's parents, family and/or personally, to meet the total cost of board, room, books, and tuition and incidental fees for any semester or quarter. "Needy student" also means an opportunity internship graduate as defined by RCW 28C.18.162 who enrolls in a postsecondary program of study as defined in RCW 28C.18.162 within one year of high school graduation or receipt of a GED.
     (5) "Office" means the office of student financial assistance.
     (6) "Placebound student" means a student who (a) is unable to complete a college program because of family or employment commitments, health concerns, monetary inability, or other similar factors; and (b) may be influenced by the receipt of an enhanced student financial aid award to complete a baccalaureate degree at an eligible institution.

Sec. 307   RCW 28B.92.084 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 11 s 163 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The office shall work with institutions of higher education to assure that the institutions are aware of the eligibility of opportunity internship graduates for an award under this chapter. The office shall also create certificates that notify opportunity internship graduates of their eligibility for an award under this chapter and the importance of early filing of the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) to secure their eligibility. The office shall provide the certificates to opportunity internship consortia for distribution.
     (2) If an opportunity internship graduate enrolls within one year of high school graduation or receipt of a GED in a postsecondary program of study in an institution of higher education, including in an apprenticeship program with related and supplemental instruction provided through an institution of higher education, the graduate is eligible to receive a state need grant for up to one year. The graduate shall not be required to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis. The related and supplemental instruction provided to a graduate through an apprenticeship program shall not be required to lead to a degree or certificate.
     (3) Except for the eligibility criteria for an opportunity internship graduate that are provided under this section, other rules pertaining to award of a state need grant apply.
     (4) Nothing in this section precludes an opportunity internship graduate from being eligible to receive additional state need grants after the one-year grant provided in this section if the graduate meets other criteria as a needy or disadvantaged student.

Sec. 308   2009 c 238 s 11 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:
     (1) The workforce training and education coordinating board shall conduct an outcome evaluation of opportunity internship programs. At a minimum, the analysis shall examine the financial benefits of on-time graduation, youth employment while in high school, postsecondary education enrollment and completion, and adult employment in high-demand occupations compared to the local and state costs of the programs.
     (2) The board shall submit a preliminary analysis to the governor and the education and higher education committees of the legislature by December 1, 2012, and a final analysis by December 1, 2014. The board shall include in its final analysis whether the performance of the opportunity internship program warrants expanding participation to include students from middle-income families who do not qualify under the income criteria for the program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 309   (1) The workforce training and education coordinating board, in consultation with the employment security department and business and labor organizations, shall develop a proposal to establish an employee benefit account for the purpose of supporting continuing education and training to improve an employee's knowledge, skills, and earnings potential that employers may offer as one of the elements of a comprehensive benefits package and that may be funded by employer, employee, and state contributions.
     (2) The board shall submit the proposal to the legislature by December 1, 2012.

Sec. 401   RCW 28A.700.060 and 2008 c 170 s 107 are each amended to read as follows:
     (((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 or its successor agency, and the council of presidents shall work with local school districts, ((workforce education programs in colleges, tech prep consortia)) community and technical colleges, and four-year institutions of higher education to:
     (1) 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 RCW 28A.700.020)) within career pathways;
     (2) Maximize opportunities for students to benefit from dual credit programs, articulation agreements within and between secondary and postsecondary education, and prior learning assessments for postsecondary credit; and
     (3) Partner with business and labor organizations to expand opportunities for work-based learning.

Sec. 402   RCW 28A.600.045 and 2008 c 170 s 303 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)) School districts are encouraged to use a curriculum ((may)) that includes ((such)) the following 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, including online exploration, of career pathway options ((and)), opportunities for career and technical education at the secondary and postsecondary level, and preapprenticeships and apprenticeships; exploration of multiple career pathways and career opportunities in emerging and high-demand programs ((including apprenticeships)); ((and)) postsecondary options and how to access them; and information on potential job and earning prospects for occupations in all career pathways;
     (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) To the extent possible, paper or electronic student planning portfolios that enable students to save samples of their work, reflect on their progress, and determine how they can improve their educational performance, and which should also contain resumes, assessments, and evidence of intentional and informed postsecondary planning and career exploration;
     (e) To the extent possible, scheduling of high school courses based on student interests and demand; and
     (f) 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.
     (4) The definitions in section 201 of this act apply to this section.

Sec. 403   RCW 28A.230.090 and 2011 c 203 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The state board of education shall establish high school graduation requirements or equivalencies for students, except as provided in RCW 28A.230.122 and except those equivalencies established by local high schools or school districts under RCW 28A.230.097. The purpose of a high school diploma is to declare that a student is ready for success in postsecondary education, gainful employment, and citizenship, and is equipped with the skills to be a lifelong learner.
     (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)(a) 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.
     (b) 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 graduation requirements provide students ((enrolled in these programs have)) whose high school and beyond plan does not include immediate entrance into a four-year institution of higher education sufficient opportunity to earn a certificate of academic achievement, complete ((the)) their program ((and)) of study, earn the program's certificate or credential if applicable, and complete other state and local graduation requirements. Graduation requirements established by the board may not impose additional administrative requirements or procedures, such as waivers or permissions, for students seeking a nonbaccalaureate career pathway.
     (c) The state board shall forward any proposed changes to the high school graduation requirements to the education committees of the legislature for review and to the quality education council established under RCW 28A.290.010. The legislature shall have the opportunity to act during a regular legislative session before the changes are adopted through administrative rule by the state board. Changes that have a fiscal impact on school districts, as identified by a fiscal analysis prepared by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, shall take effect only if formally authorized and funded by the legislature through the omnibus appropriations act or other enacted legislation.
     (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.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 404   A new section is added to chapter 28A.230 RCW to read as follows:
     School districts are encouraged to have each middle school, junior high school, and high school student develop a high school and beyond plan that includes at least the following components and activities to be completed by each student:
     (1) Identifying personal interests and achievable career goals;
     (2) Establishing a four-year plan for course-taking beginning in the ninth grade, including selecting a high school program of study by the end of the eighth grade within a career pathway of interest to the student;
     (3) Conducting research on postsecondary training and education related to the student's career interest, including comparative information on the benefits and costs of available choices;
     (4) Developing a budget for postsecondary education or training and life based on personal and career interests;
     (5) Participating in a postsecondary site visit or visits, which may include a virtual visit; and
     (6) Completing a resume and an application for postsecondary education and training.

Sec. 405   RCW 28A.230.010 and 2003 c 49 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     School district boards of directors shall identify and offer courses with content that meet or exceed: (1) The basic education skills identified in RCW 28A.150.210; (2) the graduation requirements under RCW 28A.230.090; (3) the courses required to meet the minimum college entrance requirements under RCW ((28A.230.130)) 28B.10.050; and (4) the course options for career development under RCW 28A.230.130. Such courses may be applied or theoretical, academic, or ((vocational)) career and technical.

Sec. 406   RCW 28A.230.130 and 2011 c 77 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) All public high schools of the state shall provide a program, directly or in cooperation with a community college or another school district, for students whose educational plans include application for entrance to a baccalaureate-granting institution after being granted a high school diploma. The program shall help these students to meet at least the minimum entrance requirements under RCW 28B.10.050.
     (2) All public high schools of the state shall provide a program, directly or in cooperation with a community or technical college, a skills center, an apprenticeship committee, or another school district, for students who plan to pursue postsecondary education, career, or work opportunities other than entrance to a baccalaureate-granting institution after being granted a high school diploma. These programs may:
     (a) Help students demonstrate the application of essential academic learning requirements to the world of work, occupation-specific skills, knowledge of more than one career in a chosen pathway, and employability and leadership skills; and
     (b) Help students demonstrate the knowledge and skill needed to prepare for industry certification, and/or have the opportunity to articulate to postsecondary education and training programs, including preapprenticeship, apprenticeship, workforce training programs, and community and technical colleges.
     (3) Within existing resources, all public high schools in the state shall:
     (a) Work towards the goal of offering a sufficient number of high school courses that give students the opportunity to earn the equivalent of a year's worth of postsecondary credit towards a certificate, apprenticeship program, technical degree, or associate or baccalaureate degree. These high school courses are those advanced courses that have accompanying proficiency exams or demonstrated competencies that are used to demonstrate postsecondary knowledge and skills; and
     (b) Inform students and their families, emphasizing communication to underrepresented groups, about the program offerings and the opportunities to take courses that qualify for postsecondary credit through demonstrated competencies or if the student earns the qualifying score on the proficiency exam. This information shall encourage students to use the twelfth grade as the launch year for an advance start on their career and postsecondary education.
     (4) A middle school that receives approval from the office of the superintendent of public instruction to provide a career and technical program in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics directly to students shall receive funding at the same rate as a high school operating a similar program. Additionally, a middle school that provides a hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics with an integrated curriculum of academic content and career and technical education, and includes a career and technical education exploratory component shall also qualify for the career and technical education funding.

Sec. 407   RCW 28A.600.160 and 2009 c 556 s 14 and 2009 c 450 s 6 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     ((Any middle school, junior high school, or)) (1) All public high schools ((using educational pathways shall ensure that all participating students will continue to have access to the courses and instruction necessary to meet admission requirements at baccalaureate institutions)) are encouraged to offer multiple high school programs of study within career pathways for students. Students shall be allowed to enter the ((educational)) high school program of study and career pathway of their choice. Before ((accepting)) a student ((into an educational)) begins a high school program of study within a career pathway, the school shall inform the student's parent of the program of study and career pathway chosen, the opportunities available to the student through the pathway, and the career objectives the student will have exposure to while pursuing the pathway. Providing online access to the information satisfies the requirements of this section unless a parent or guardian specifically requests (([requests])) information to be provided in written form. Parents and students dissatisfied with the opportunities available through the selected ((educational)) program of study and career pathway shall be provided with the opportunity to transfer the student to any other pathway provided in the school. Schools may not develop ((educational)) programs of study pathways that retain students in high school beyond the date they are eligible to graduate, and may not require students who transfer between programs of study or career pathways to complete ((pathway)) program of study requirements beyond the date the student is eligible to graduate. ((Educational pathways may include, but are not limited to, programs such as worksite learning, internships, tech prep, career and technical education, running start, college in the high school, running start for the trades, and preparation for technical college, community college, or university education.))
     (2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop model frameworks for high school programs of study within career pathways, working collaboratively with other education entities as provided under RCW 28A.700.060 (as recodified by this act).
     (3) Work-based learning opportunities provided within a high school program of study may include any of the following:
     (a) Career-related student competitions that involve teamwork and demonstrate mastery through presentations or competitions with a professional jury;
     (b) Paid and unpaid internships that provide sustained work-based learning experiences designed to enrich and expand the classroom;
     (c) School-based enterprises that produce goods or services for sale or use by others;
     (d) Social enterprises for learning;
     (e) Service learning;
     (f) Simulated workplace experiences and enterprises where labor laws or logistics make actual workplace experiences difficult;
     (g) Technical mentoring that provides direct, systemic outside professional input to students' work products;
     (h) Unpaid and paid work experience; or
     (i) Youth apprenticeships and preapprenticeships.
     (4) For the purposes of this section, "program of study" and "career pathway" have the same definitions as in section 201 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 408   A new section is added to chapter 28A.410 RCW to read as follows:
     By October 1, 2012, the professional educator standards board must review the standards for teacher certification to determine whether the standards include the requisite skills and knowledge to offer contextualized learning activities for students, including project-based learning and teaching academic content in the context of the world of work. By January 1, 2013, the board must revise the standards to the extent necessary to include such skills and knowledge.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 409   A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Institutions of higher education are encouraged to offer comprehensive career counseling to all students. Comprehensive career counseling should include the following:
     (a) Assistance in identifying the student's career pathway and a program of study within the student's chosen career pathway whether the student is new to or returning after having previously exited an institution of higher education. The assistance should build on the student's existing certifications or degrees to further the student's credentials, particularly in areas of high employer demand;
     (b) Labor market demand information for occupations;
     (c) Assistance with barriers to completion of the student's certificate or degree program; and
     (d) If a student exits an education or training program before completion of the student's program of study, information on what is required for the student to obtain a certificate or degree before exiting and alternatives the student may access if the student chooses to return to an education or training program in the future.
     (2) Institutions of higher education are encouraged to develop partnerships with workforce development councils and worksource centers to allow worksource center staff and partner staff affiliated with worksource to provide career counseling services to students at the institutions.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, "program of study" and "career pathway" have the definitions in section 201 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 501   Sections 201 through 205, 207, and 301 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 28C RCW.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 502   RCW 28A.700.060 is recodified as a section in chapter 28C.--- RCW (the new chapter created in section 501 of this act).

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 503   Sections 305, 306, and 307 of this act take effect July 1, 2012.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 504   This act shall be known and may be cited as the career pathways act.