CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1424

Chapter 221, Laws of 2019

66TH LEGISLATURE

2019 REGULAR SESSION

HIGH SCHOOL CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION COURSE EQUIVALENCIES--ACCESS

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 28, 2019

SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1424

AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

ByHouse Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Steele, Paul, Eslick, Lekanoff, Tarleton, Frame, Jinkins, Tharinger, Ormsby, Riccelli, and Stonier; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction)

AN ACT Relating to increasing access to state career and technical course equivalencies; amending RCW 28A.230.010; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.230.097; and creating a new section.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 28A.230.010 and 2018 c 177 s 302 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) School district boards of directors shall identify and offer courses with content that meet or exceed: (a) The basic education skills identified in RCW 28A.150.210; (b) the graduation requirements under RCW 28A.230.090; (c) the courses required to meet the minimum college entrance requirements under RCW 28A.230.130; and (d) the course options for career development under RCW 28A.230.130. Such courses may be applied or theoretical, academic, or vocational.

(2) Until September 1, 2021, school district boards of directors must provide high school students with the opportunity to access at least one career and technical education course that is considered ((equivalent to a mathematics course or at least one career and technical education course that is considered equivalent to a science course))a statewide equivalency course as determined by the office of the superintendent of public instruction ((in))under RCW 28A.700.070.

(4) Students may access ((such))statewide equivalency courses at high schools, interdistrict cooperatives, skill centers or branch or satellite skill centers, or through online learning or applicable running start vocational courses.

(((3)(a) Until January 1, 2019, school district boards of directors of school districts with fewer than two thousand students may apply to the state board of education for a waiver from the provisions of subsection (2) of this section.

(b)))(5) On and after January 1, 2019, school district boards of directors of school districts with fewer than two thousand students may apply to the superintendent of public instruction for a waiver from the provisions of subsections (2) and (3) of this section under RCW 28A.230.015.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.230.097 and 2018 c 177 s 301 and 2018 c 73 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) Each high school or school district board of directors shall adopt course equivalencies for career and technical high school courses offered to students in high schools and skill centers. A career and technical course equivalency may be for whole or partial credit. Each school district board of directors shall develop a course equivalency approval procedure. Boards of directors must approve AP computer science courses as equivalent to high school mathematics or science, and must denote on a student's transcript that AP computer science qualifies as a math-based quantitative course for students who take the course in their senior year. ((Beginning no later than the 2015-16 school year))

(2) Until September 1, 2021, a school district board of directors must, at a minimum, grant academic course equivalency ((in mathematics or science for a))for at least one statewide equivalency high school career and technical course from the list of courses approved by the superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.700.070((, but is not limited to the courses on the list)).

(3)(a) If the list of courses is revised after the 2015-16 school year, the school district board of directors must grant academic course equivalency based on the revised list beginning with the school year immediately following the revision.

(((2)))(b) Each high school or school district board of directors may additionally adopt local course equivalencies for career and technical education courses that are not on the list of courses approved by the superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.700.070 as local equivalency courses in support of RCW 28A.700.070.

(5) Career and technical courses determined to be equivalent to academic core courses, in full or in part, by the high school or school district shall be accepted as meeting core requirements, including graduation requirements, if the courses are recorded on the student's transcript using the equivalent academic high school department designation and title. Full or partial credit shall be recorded as appropriate. The high school or school district shall also issue and keep record of course completion certificates that demonstrate that the career and technical courses were successfully completed as needed for industry certification, college credit, or preapprenticeship, as applicable. The certificate shall be part of the student's high school and beyond plan. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop and make available electronic samples of certificates of course completion.

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