Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Education Committee

HB 2128

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Requires school districts, beginning May 1, 2020, to provide annual reports on career and technical education (CTE) courses and course offerings to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and to post the reports on the district's website.
Requires the OSPI, beginning September 1, 2020, and every two years thereafter, to provide a report to the education committees of the Legislature that summarizes the school district CTE reports and makes recommendations for improving the content and delivery of CTE courses.

Background:

Career and technical education (CTE) is a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins with exploration of career options and supports basic academic and life skills. As specified in statute, CTE enables the achievement of high academic standards, leadership, options for high skill, high wage employment preparation, and advanced and continuing education.

Career and technical education instruction is provided through two general classifications of courses—exploratory and preparatory—both of which must comply with numerous standards established by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Exploratory CTE courses allow students to demonstrate the application of learning standards in the context of preparing for living, learning, and working. Preparatory CTE courses expand upon exploratory courses, are more intensive and rigorous, and require the mastery of occupational specific skills required to meet industry defined standards for a specific career.

Graduating students must earn at least one CTE credit, but the State Board of Education allows students to meet this requirement through an occupational education course that meets the definition of a CTE exploratory course.

Career and technical education instruction is delivered through programs at middle and high schools, through approved online courses, and at skill centers. Skill centers are regional CTE instructional venues established and operated by a host school district to provide access to comprehensive, industry-defined CTE programs that prepare students for careers, employment, apprenticeships, and postsecondary education. There are 14 skill centers in Washington.

Summary of Bill:

Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, each school district must provide a report to the OSPI that includes delineated information related to CTE courses and course offerings. Examples of what the reports must include are as follows:

a list of the CTE courses offered by the district, available to the district's students through a skill center, or both;
a summary of outreach efforts by the district to provide students with information about CTE course offerings;
the faculty-student ratio in the CTE courses offered by the district, available to the district's students through a skill center, or both;
the industry focus of the offered courses; and
the number and type of advisory boards in the district that advise CTE curriculum and instruction, including the composition of the boards and the frequency of their meetings.

School districts must provide the initial report to the OSPI by May 1, 2020, and must provide subsequent reports annually on or before each May 1. School districts also must post the reports on their websites each year by May 1.

Beginning September 1, 2020, and every two years thereafter, the OSPI must provide the education committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate with a report summarizing the information provided by the school districts in the annual CTE reports. The reports provided to the education committees must include recommendations for improving the content of CTE courses, including their alignment with industry requirements, and the delivery of CTE instruction.