S-0546.1

SENATE BILL 5088

State of Washington

66th Legislature

2019 Regular Session

BySenators Wellman, Palumbo, and Mullet

Prefiled 01/07/19.Read first time 01/14/19.Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

AN ACT Relating to the awarding of credits for computer science; amending RCW 28A.230.100; adding a new section to chapter 28A.230 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes the benefit of computer science and computational thinking in education, not only with respect to educational development, but also in cultivating the skills needed to compete and excel in our state's career landscape. By providing more opportunities to take courses and earn credit in computer science, Washington can better prepare students to excel both in school and after graduation.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.230 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Beginning no later than the 2022-23 school year, each school district that operates a high school must, at a minimum, provide an opportunity to access an elective computer science course that is available to all students. School districts are encouraged to consider community-based or public-private partnerships in establishing and administering a course.

(2) Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, school districts may award academic credit for computer science to students based on student completion of a competency examination. Each school district board of directors in districts that award credit under this subsection shall develop a written policy for awarding such credit that includes:

(a) A course equivalency approval procedure;

(b) Procedures for awarding competency-based credit for skills learned partially or wholly outside of a course; and

(c) An approval process for computer science courses taken before attending high school under RCW 28A.230.090 (4) and (5).

Sec. 3. RCW 28A.230.100 and 2012 c 229 s 504 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the student achievement council, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the workforce training and education coordinating board, shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 34.05 RCW, to implement the course requirements set forth in RCW 28A.230.090. The rules shall include, as the superintendent deems necessary, granting equivalencies for and temporary exemptions from the course requirements in RCW 28A.230.090 and special alterations of the course requirements in RCW 28A.230.090. In developing such rules the superintendent shall recognize the relevance of vocational and applied courses and allow such courses to fulfill in whole or in part the courses required for graduation in RCW 28A.230.090, as determined by the high school or school district in accordance with RCW 28A.230.097.

(2) The rules ((may))created under subsection (1) of this section must include provisions for:

(a) Competency testing in lieu of such courses required for graduation in RCW 28A.230.090;

(b) Competency testing in lieu of electives, including computer science electives created under section 2 of this act; or

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