(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must create methodologies for implementing equivalency crediting on a broader scale across the state and facilitate its implementation including, but not limited to, the following:
(a) Implementing statewide career and technical education course equivalency frameworks authorized under RCW
28A.700.070 and
28A.230.097 for high schools and skill centers. This may include development of additional equivalency course frameworks in core subject areas, course performance assessments, and development and delivery of professional development for districts and skill centers implementing the career and technical education frameworks;
(b) Providing competitive grant funds to school districts to increase the integration and rigor of academic instruction in career and technical education equivalency courses. The grant funds must be used to support teams of general education and career and technical education teachers to convene and design course performance assessments, deepen the understanding of integrating academic and career and technical education in student instruction, and develop professional learning modules for school districts to plan implementation of equivalency crediting; and
(c) Conducting a review of implementation requirements of RCW
28A.230.097 and providing technical assistance to districts to ensure state course equivalencies are being consistently offered for academic credit for students at high schools and skill centers.
(2) Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, school districts shall annually report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction the following information:
(a) The annual number of students participating in state-approved equivalency courses; and
(b) The annual number of state approved equivalency credit courses offered in school districts and skill centers.
(3) Beginning December 1, 2018, and every December 1st thereafter, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall annually submit the following information to the office of the governor, the state board of education, and the appropriate committees of the legislature:
(a) The selected list of equivalent career and technical education courses and their curriculum frameworks that the superintendent of public instruction has approved under RCW
28A.700.070;
(b) A summary of the school district information reported under subsection (2) of this section; and
(c) A summary of implementation efforts and review findings determined under subsection (1) of this section, including recommendations for increasing access to equivalency coursework.