SENATE BILL REPORT

2SHB 1424

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.

Title: An act relating to increasing access to state career and technical course equivalencies.

Brief Description: Concerning access to state career and technical course equivalencies.

Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Steele, Paul, Eslick, Lekanoff, Tarleton, Frame, Jinkins, Tharinger, Ormsby, Riccelli and Stonier; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction).

Brief History: Passed House: 3/05/19, 97-0.

Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 3/20/19, 3/27/19 [DPA-WM].

Ways & Means: 4/04/19.

Brief Summary of Amended Bill

Requires that until September 1, 2021, school districts must provide high school students with the opportunity to access at least one career and technical education course that is considered a statewide equivalency course by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Requires that beginning September 1, 2021, any statewide equivalency course offered by a school district or accessed at a skill center must be offered for academic credit.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass as amended and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

Signed by Senators Wellman, Chair; Wilson, C., Vice Chair; Hawkins, Ranking Member; Holy, Hunt, McCoy, Mullet, Padden, Pedersen, Salomon and Wagoner.

Staff: Benjamin Omdal (786-7442)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Staff: Kayla Hammer (786-7305)

Background: Career and Technical Education Equivalency Courses. As defined in statute, career and technical education (CTE) is a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins with an exploration of career options and supports basic academic and life skills. Each high school or school board in Washington is required to adopt course equivalencies for CTE high school courses, where the credit for CTE courses is determined to be equivalent to an academic course. Each school board must develop a course equivalency approval procedure, and must, at a minimum, grant academic course equivalency in mathematics or science for a CTE course from a list approved by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

Career and Technical Education Curriculum Frameworks. Current law also requires OSPI to develop curriculum frameworks for a selected list of CTE courses whose content is considered equivalent, in full or in part, to courses that meet high school graduation requirements. These frameworks are required to be developed in consultation with technical working groups and with public comment.

Equivalency Course Waivers. Beginning January 1, 2019, districts with fewer than 2000 students may apply to OSPI for a waiver from provisions relating to CTE course equivalencies. The State Board of Education is authorized to adopt rules establishing the criteria for evaluating these waivers.

Summary of Amended Bill: Course Equivalences. Until September 1, 2021, school districts must provide high school students with the opportunity to access at least one CTE course that is considered a statewide equivalency course, as determined by OSPI. Each high school or district may additionally adopt local course equivalencies for CTE courses that are not on OSPI's list of approved courses.

Beginning September 1, 2021, any statewide equivalency course offered by a school district or accessed at a skill center must be offered for academic credit.

EFFECT OF EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION COMMITTEE AMENDMENT(S):

Removes provisions relating to rule-making authority with respect to waivers from CTE equivalency provisions.

Appropriation: The bill contains a null and void clause requiring specific funding be provided in an omnibus appropriation act.

Fiscal Note: Available. New fiscal note requested on April 2, 2019.

Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Second Substitute House Bill (Early Learning & K-12 Education): The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard. PRO: The bill creates flexibility and honors student choice as they meet their graduation requirements.

OTHER: Changes in rulemaking should be amended.

Persons Testifying (Early Learning & K-12 Education): PRO: Becky Wallace, OSPI, Executive Director, CTE. OTHER: Randy Spaulding, Washington State Board of Education, Executive Director.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying (Early Learning & K-12 Education): No one.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on the Bill as Amended by Early Learning & K-12 Education (Ways & Means): PRO: This bill will expand the current CTE course equivalency program for math and science into other courses as well such as English. If you are trying to learn geometry there are two ways to do it. There is the traditional way where you are in geometry class and you have geometry proofs and you sit in class and we also have residential carpentry class, that through OSPI's work, has now an equivalency for at a statewide level for geometry. By expanding the program statewide it will make sure when students transfer they can receive credits for the classes they took and have it count as math regardless of the school they are moving to.

Persons Testifying (Ways & Means): PRO: Dave Mastin, OSPI.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying (Ways & Means): No one.