S-3636.1

SENATE BILL 6291


State of Washington	64th Legislature	2016 Regular Session

By Senators Braun, Becker, Angel, Rivers, Sheldon, and Liias

Read first time 01/14/16. Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

AN ACT Relating to using weighted grade point averages for accelerated courses; amending RCW 28A.230.125; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that there has been significant legislative action providing opportunities for academic acceleration of students. The legislature further finds that school districts have been encouraged to adopt a policy to automatically enroll a student in the most rigorous advanced course in a subject with the objective that students eventually enroll in dual credit classes. The legislature recognizes that there are still disincentives for students to take more challenging coursework such as honors, AP, or IB courses. The legislature acknowledges that one disincentive is that the standardized high school transcript does not permit the option to use a weighted grade point average so there is no distinction between regular coursework and accelerated coursework on a transcript. The legislature intends to remove this disincentive by providing the option for school districts to use a weighted grade point average to appropriately recognize student achievement in accelerated courses.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.230.125 and 2014 c 102 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the four-year institutions as defined in RCW 28B.76.020, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the workforce training and education coordinating board, shall develop for use by all public school districts a standardized high school transcript. The superintendent shall establish clear definitions for the terms "credits" and "hours" so that school programs operating on the quarter, semester, or trimester system can be compared.

(2) The standardized high school transcript shall include the following:

(a) A notation of whether the student has earned a certificate of individual achievement or a certificate of academic achievement; and

(b) The option of using a weighted grade point average to recognize accelerated coursework.

(3) The standardized high school transcript may include a notation of whether the student has earned the Washington state seal of biliteracy established under RCW 28A.300.575.