Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

Requires school districts to use 20 out of 80 additional instructional hours for secondary students, when they take effect, to provide career exploration and other activities intended to engage students in preparing for their future.
Requires the State Board of Education to permit students to choose alternatives based on their High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) for certain courses required for graduation.
Directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to develop a template for the HSBP, which all school districts must use beginning in 2014-15 to help students design a Program of Study for their high school education.
Requires all high schools to provide a career planning and exploration program that includes specified components, beginning in 2014-15.
Directs the OSPI to adopt a list of academic course equivalencies for career and technical education (CTE) courses, which must be recognized by school districts.
Directs the Professional Educator Standard Board to redesign CTE teacher certification for individuals with industry experience.

Background:

Basic Education.

A revised definition of Basic Education adopted in 2009 provides for an increase in minimum instructional hours from a districtwide average of 1,000 hours across all grades, to 1,000 hours in each of grades 1 through 6 and 1,080 hours in each of grades 7 through 12. This increase is to be implemented according to a schedule adopted by the Legislature, which has not yet occurred.

The State Board of Education (SBE) establishes minimum statewide graduation requirements. Students are required to complete one credit in occupational education, which may or may not be the same as career and technical education (CTE). The CTE courses must meet certain state standards and be approved by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). The SBE recently increased the English credits from three to four, effective with the graduating class of 2016. The SBE has proposed, but not adopted, an increase in science credits from two to three.

Career Exploration and Planning.

One of the state graduation requirements is completion of a High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP). The content of the plan and whether a student's plan meets the requirement is determined at the local level.

To assist students in their career planning, the OSPI has developed Programs of Study, which are detailed guides that map out specific course options for a chosen career path from high school through postsecondary education. They also illustrate career options at varying levels of training and education. There are 78 model Programs of Study grouped into 16 different career clusters posted on the OSPI website.

Since 2006 the state has provided funds to support Navigation 101, a comprehensive school guidance and counseling program for middle and high school students. Navigation 101 consists of an established curriculum, assignment of an advisor who typically stays with a student throughout his or her high school career, student-led parent teacher conferences, and data collection to measure student progress. More than 400 schools have received implementation grants since 2006, and the full Navigation 101 curriculum, college and career planning tools, and teacher training are currently available online at no cost to schools.

Career Education.

School districts have been directed to examine their credit-granting policies and award academic credit for CTE courses that are determined to be equivalent to an academic course. The OSPI has developed a Course Equivalency Toolkit to assist districts in making these determinations. There is no data collected on district credit-granting policies.

The CTE courses fall into two categories. Exploratory courses offer introductory, basic skills in a particular area. Preparatory courses are more advanced, must be aligned with industry standards, and often offer students the opportunity to earn dual high school and college credit.

Under the CTE Business and Industry route to teacher certification, individuals with at least three years of occupational experience may enroll in a certification program approved by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) to complete coursework on pedagogy, classroom management, and student teaching and then be certified to teach in their particular specialty.

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Summary of Substitute Bill:

Basic Education.

When the increase in instructional hours for grades 7 through 12 takes effect, school districts must use 20 of the additional 80 hours per year to provide opportunities for students to participate in career exploration, work-based learning, job shadowing, internships, student advisories, and other similar activities intended to engage students in preparing for their future.

The SBE must redesignate the occupational education credit required for graduation as a CTE credit. The SBE must also adopt rules that allow students to choose an alternative to the CTE course or the fourth credit of English based on their HSBP. These changes take effect with the graduating class of 2017. If the SBE adopts an additional science credit in the future, students must be allowed to choose an alternative course based on their HSBP.

Career Exploration and Planning.

The OSPI must develop a standard template for the HSBP to facilitate its use as a tool to help students develop a Program of Study for their high school education beginning in the eighth grade. The template must include certain components and activities, such as identifying personal interests and goals, creating a course-taking plan, research on postsecondary education and entry-level jobs, developing a budget, and participating in postsecondary education or workplace site visits.

School districts must use the standard template, or an HSBP that they determine is equivalent, beginning in 2014-15. A Program of Study is defined as a coordinated progression of courses within a career pathway, that aligns secondary education with postsecondary education to prepare students for an occupation or group of occupations. A Program of Study offers academic content, CTE content, and opportunities for dual credit and work-integrated learning.

Beginning in 2014-15, each high school must implement a career planning and exploration program for all students in grades 9 through 12 that includes a curriculum, opportunities for regular meetings between students and an advisor who stays with students throughout their high school career, student-led parent teacher conferences, and data collection to measure student progress. Nothing prescribes a particular frequency, duration, or teacher to student ratio for the meetings.

The Education Data Center in the Office of Financial Management must develop an annual report on the postsecondary education and employment outcomes for public high school graduates within one year after graduation and within five years after graduation.

The Workforce Board must identify online tools for career exploration that emphasize multiple pathways to careers, and annually create a list of promising careers across various levels of education. State education and workforce agencies, community colleges, libraries, and WorkSource Centers must publicize the online tools. Middle, junior high, and high schools must provide information to parents and students about the tools beginning in 2015-16.

Career Education.

The OSPI must adopt a list of CTE courses that must, at a minimum, be considered equivalent to academic courses. School district boards of directors must grant academic credit for these mandatory course equivalencies beginning in 2014-15, but districts are not limited to the courses on the list

All preparatory CTE programs must include at least one work-integrated learning opportunity provided for students. The OSPI must establish criteria and an award or designation to recognize exemplary CTE programs.

The PESB must review certification standards for secondary school principals to assure that fundamentals of CTE leadership are included, and must work with CTE teacher certification programs to revise requirements to increase the extent that program requirements are based on demonstrated competencies rather than course completion.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

School districts are required to dedicate 20, rather than 80, of the increased instructional hours for grades 7 through 12 to career exploration activities. The HSBP template must include specified components and activities. Districts must use the standard template or an HSBP that they determine is equivalent. The comprehensive guidance and planning program is renamed a career planning and exploration program. There must be opportunities for regular meetings between students and advisors, rather than regular meetings for each student with an advisor. Nothing prescribes a particular frequency, duration, or teacher to student ratio for the meetings. The list of mandatory course equivalencies is a minimum list and districts are not limited to courses on the list. The PESB must review standards for principal certification rather than revise rules for certificate renewal. The Workforce Board must identify online tools for career exploration, and various agencies must publicize the online tools. Middle, junior high, and high schools must provide information to parents and students about the tools beginning in 2015-16.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This bill is about the importance of the CTE. Our economy needs engineers, but it also needs people who can turn a wrench. Informal surveys of high-tech businesses indicate that fewer than 50 percent of their workforce needs are people with advanced degrees. There must be room for the CTE in high school. The intent of this bill is not about making students successful in high school, but making them successful in life. It helps students focus on their challenges, interests, and aptitudes in order to guide their educational and career choices.

The equivalency credit aspects of the bill are also very important. The CTE courses have English, mathematics, and science embedded in them that should be recognized. Some school districts recognize that, and others do not. There are wonderful career documents for students in the CTE about career pathways and communication with parents about options.

The reaction to this bill is "joyful." The CTE strategic plan was the basis for these proposals. Some additional flexibility in the current version may be necessary. However, there must be a baseline set of policies and some consistency in implementation. Those who are reticent to recognize and support the CTE must come up to the baseline.

The Workforce Board strategic plan endorses multiple pathways for all individuals to find a route to economic security. The CTE is a big part of that solution. There is a need for additional opportunities in work-based learning, dual crediting, and career exploration. Students need to see a vision for themselves in the economy. There are suggestions for two enhancements. Steps should be taken to get career guidance materials to students and families. There should be stronger language about the HSBP.

The details need to be worked out, but this engages students in their learning and pulls them in as partners. At the end of the day that is what is needed. Not all students want to go to college. Some want to go directly to work. They do not enjoy academic education, but they do enjoy learning and working with their hands. These students fall through the cracks more often than not. They do not know how to proceed because they are not going to college and they do not have a pathway. Many people in America have lost sight of the fact that as a nation, we would not be where we are without people who get their hands dirty.

(With concerns) There is appreciation for bringing the career side of the equation forward. The concerns are about maintaining local flexibility. The additional instructional hours are prescribed to some very specific activities. School districts would be required to use an HSBP developed by the OSPI, even if they have developed their own version. Navigation 101 is a wonderful program, but it is important to have counselors who are trained in college and career readiness. Mandatory course equivalency is the biggest concern. Districts need flexibility to adopt their own policies and not be limited to an OSPI list.

The concerns are not with the intent but with the capacity of districts to meet it. Counseling programs are staff intensive. It appears that all teachers would have to be well-versed in career options and job markets. Comprehensive guidance is a key to student success, but the staff need to be trained and have more capacity than exists now.

(Opposed) There is much support for the CTE. However, the portion of the bill regarding graduation requirements seems to say that the career and college framework adopted by the SBE would be elective, and that is not what it is designed for now. The notion of earmarking the additional instructional hours is counter-intuitive and seems disconnected from the original purpose of the increase. This is a worrisome trend of greater state control over many decisions made locally.