FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5241

C 40 L 17

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Concerning the educational success of youth who are homeless or in foster care.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators Carlyle, O'Ban, Darneille, Hasegawa and Wellman).

Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education

House Committee on Education

Background: Dependent Students. Current law requires school districts to have certain procedures to help the on-time grade level progression and graduation of dependent students. Dependent, in this case, means abandoned; abused or neglected by a person legally responsible for the care of the child; has no parent, guardian, or custodian capable of adequately caring for the child; or receives extended foster care services.

Homeless Students. The education title of the code defines homeless students as students without a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

Waiver of Courses. School districts must waive specific courses required for graduation if similar coursework has been satisfactorily completed in another school district or must provide reasonable justification for denial. Should a waiver not be granted to a student who would qualify to graduate from the sending school district, the receiving school district must use best efforts to provide an alternative means of acquiring required coursework so that graduation may occur on time.

Consolidating Coursework. School districts are encouraged to consolidate unresolved or incomplete coursework and provide opportunities for credit accrual through local classroom hours, correspondence courses, or the portable assisted study sequence units designed for migrant high school students.

Summary: Homeless Students. In addition to dependent students, school districts must have certain procedures to help the on-time grade level progression and graduation of students who are homeless.

Waiver of Courses. When a waiver of a specific course has not been granted, school districts must, rather than use best efforts to, provide an alternative means of acquiring required coursework so that graduation may occur on time.

Granting Partial Credit. For students who have been unable to complete an academic course and receive full credit due to withdrawal or transfer, school districts must grant partial credit for coursework completed before the date of withdrawal or transfer. The receiving school must accept those credits, apply them to the student's academic progress or graduation or both, and allow the student to earn credits regardless of the student's date of enrollment in the receiving school.

Consolidating Coursework and Partial Credit. School districts must, rather than encouraged to, consolidate partial credit, unresolved, or incomplete coursework and provide opportunities for credit accrual in a manner that eliminates academic and nonacademic barriers for the student.

Rules. The Superintendent of Public Instruction must adopt and distribute to all school districts lawful and reasonable rules prescribing the substantive and procedural obligations of school districts to implement these provisions.

Votes on Final Passage: