BILL REQ. #: H-3304.1
State of Washington | 63rd Legislature | 2014 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/17/14. Referred to Committee on Higher Education.
AN ACT Relating to higher education programs; adding a new section to chapter 43.41 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The legislature acknowledges that
students need information on the wage growth potential before they
decide to enroll in a higher education program and that this
information is not available for many higher education programs in the
state.
(2) The legislature recognizes that long-term earnings and
employment information for graduates of higher education programs
provides higher education leaders and policymakers with valuable
information.
(3) The legislature recognizes that the collection of any data on
employment and earnings must strictly follow federal privacy
guidelines, including the removal of personally identifiable
information and methods of identifying individuals, such as the removal
of certain data sets and data sets for cohorts of fewer than ten.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 43.41 RCW
to read as follows:
(1) By October 1st annually, the education data center shall
publish short and long-term earnings and employment data on its web
site for completers of higher education degrees, apprenticeships, and
certificates awarded by institutions of higher education as defined in
RCW 28B.10.016 for each institution. The data must include at a
minimum:
(a) The number and percentage of higher education program
completers for each program, with employment at eighteen months and
five years after the date of completion;
(b) The percentage of completers known to be employed for each
program; and
(c) The average or median salary for completers of each program.
(2) Data reported under subsection (1) of this section shall be by
degree, apprenticeship, or certificate program at each institution of
higher education.
(3) In order to collect and analyze the data, the education data
center shall consult with the state board for community and technical
colleges, the workforce training and education coordinating board, and
a representative of four-year institutions of higher education as
defined in RCW 28B.10.016, among others.
(4) In collecting and publishing the data, the education data
center and the agencies and institutions transmitting the data must
comply with the federal family educational rights and privacy act (20
U.S.C. Sec. 1232g), the federal unemployment compensation program
confidentiality rules (20 C.F.R., Part 603), and chapters 50.13 and
50.38 RCW.
(5) By November 1st annually, the education data center shall
prepare, or contract with an entity to prepare, an economic success
metrics report of employment and earnings outcomes for degrees,
apprenticeships, and certificates earned at institutions of higher
education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016. The report shall be delivered
to the governor and the higher education and fiscal committees of the
legislature and be provided in a format that is easily understandable
and accessible to the public through the education data center's web
site.