FINAL BILL REPORT

2SSB 5624

C 55 L 13

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Aligning high-demand secondary STEM or career and technical education programs with applied baccalaureate programs.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Litzow, Shin, Kohl-Welles, Hasegawa, Rolfes, Hobbs, Becker, Frockt, Chase, Eide and Conway).

Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education

Senate Committee on Higher Education

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

House Committee on Higher Education

House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Education

Background: The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) is authorized to select community or technical colleges to develop and offer programs of study leading to applied baccalaureate degrees.

Colleges selected by SBCTC to offer an applied baccalaureate degree must demonstrate the capacity to make a longer-term commitment of resources to build and sustain a high-quality program; have faculty appropriately qualified to develop and deliver high-quality curriculum; demonstrate demand by students and employers; and fill a gap in options available for students because it is not offered by a public four-year institution of higher education in the college's geographic area. Currently, community and technical colleges offer thirteen applied bachelors' degrees at eight colleges.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) must employ a statewide director for math, science, and technology. The director has specific duties, including to collaborate with community and technical colleges and four-year institutions of higher education in conducting outreach efforts to attract middle and high school students to careers in math, science, and technology and to educate students about the coursework that is necessary to be prepared to succeed in these fields.

Summary: The statewide director for math, science, and technology employed by SPI must work with SBCTC to develop high-demand applied baccalaureate programs that align with high-quality secondary science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs and career and technical education (CTE) programs, subject to available funding.

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose and in addition to other applied baccalaureate degree programs, pursuant to state law on applied baccalaureates, SBCTC must select colleges to develop and offer two programs that support the continuation of high-quality STEM or CTE programs offered to students in kindergarten through grade 12 who are prepared and aspire to continue in these high-demand areas in college and the workforce. Selected colleges for the new high-demand applied baccalaureate degrees may only develop curriculum and design and deliver courses subject to available funding.

Votes on Final Passage: