Educational Service Districts.
Washington has nine regionally-based educational service districts (ESDs) that provide cooperative informational services to local school districts and assist the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the State Board of Education (SBE) in the performance of their duties.  Among other duties, the ESDs serve as a depository and distribution center for instructional materials, and assist school districts in the preparation of their budgets.  The OSPI and the SBE are authorized to delegate assigned programs, projects, and services to the ESDs, and ESDs are obligated to comply with the rules of those agencies.
 
The ESDs are governed by seven or nine-member boards that are elected by school directors within each of the ESDs.  The ESD boards have powers and duties established in statute, including the authority to provide school districts with cooperative and informational services that provide for the development and implementation of programs, activities, services, or practices that support the education of public school students or that meet other requirements.
 
Career Connected Learning Cross-Agency Work Group.
The Career Connected Learning Cross-Agency Work Group (Work Group) was established in 2019 to expand high quality career connected learning opportunities for high school and postsecondary students in communities across the state. 
 
Among numerous other duties and responsibilities, the Work Group must annually make budget recommendations to the Office of Financial Management to direct resources to education programs for career connected learning to:

• support the kindergarten through grade 12 system and the OSPI to increase student participation in career connected learning and work-integrated learning programs that include career awareness and exploration, career preparation, and career launch;
• support expansion of innovative program design in registered apprenticeships, year-round and summer programs, and equitable access to dual credit;
• expand the number of portable credits and credit for prior learning to ensure that career launch programs transfer for high school or college credit to the maximum extent possible; and
• support the registered apprenticeship system and the Department of Labor and Industries to build capacity to expand registered apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs.

Each ESD must establish regional apprenticeship programs (programs) in two or more industries or professions.  In implementing the programs, the ESDs must coordinate with:

• local stakeholders to identify industries or professions best suited for apprenticeship opportunities and develop curricula.  The stakeholders may include community colleges, local labor unions, local apprenticeship programs, and local industry groups.  The ESDs, when creating the programs, may enter into interlocal agreements with stakeholder entities; and
• local school districts, charter schools, and state-tribal compact schools to make programs available to high school students.  The ESDs may enter into inter-district agreements to address enrollment reporting, pupil transportation, or other terms necessary to enroll students in the programs.

 
The ESDs must collaborate with the OSPI and the Work Group in establishing and implementing the programs.  If the programs are not approved by the Work Group, the ESDs must seek that approval.
 
The OSPI must allocate:  funding for two full-time equivalent certificated instructional staff per ESD to oversee the programs; and other program establishment funding provided in the omnibus appropriations act.
 
Student enrollments in the programs may be funded up to 1.2 full-time equivalents.  The OSPI must develop procedures to ensure that school districts do not report any student for more than 1.2 full-time equivalent students, combining both the student's high school enrollment and regional apprenticeship enrollment.