This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.600. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall administer a program to subsidize certain dual credit course costs for low-income students.
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For low-income students enrolled in running start courses, the program must subsidize:
Any student-voted fees, technology fees, course fees, laboratory fees, or other fees required for enrollment, up to 18 credits per quarter, that were not waived by the institution of higher education under RCW 28A.600.310; and
Textbooks and other course materials required by the institution of higher education.
To subsidize the costs required by (a) of this subsection, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must transmit to each institution of higher education $1,000 per full-time equivalent low-income running start student per academic year. At the end of the academic year, each institution of higher education must return any unused funds to the office of the superintendent of public instruction.
For low-income students enrolled in college in the high school program courses, the program must subsidize tuition fees permitted under RCW 28A.600.287.
For low-income students enrolled in career and technical education dual credit courses, the program must subsidize transcription fees assessed by the institution of higher education.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction, school districts, institutions of higher education, and other recipients of program funds under this section may not use the funds to supplant federal funds that cover dual credit course costs for low-income students.
The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
"Institution of higher education" has the same meaning as in RCW 28B.10.016, and also means a public tribal college located in Washington and accredited by the northwest commission on colleges and universities or another accrediting association recognized by the United States department of education.
"Low-income students" means students who demonstrate the financial need to qualify to receive the maximum Washington college grant under RCW 28B.92.205.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.600. Here is the modified chapter for context.
Each quarter or trimester, public schools that serve students in any of grades nine through 12 must provide, via email and other methods, to students and their parents or legal guardians information on each available dual credit program. To the extent feasible, the dual credit program information must be translated into the primary language of each parent or legal guardian. As used in this section, "public school" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.150.010.
This section modifies existing section 28A.600.287. Here is the modified chapter for context.
College in the high school is a dual credit program located on a high school campus or in a high school environment in which a high school student is able to earn both high school and college credit by completing college level courses with a passing grade. A college in the high school program must meet the accreditation requirements in RCW 28B.10.035 and the requirements in this section.
A college in the high school program may include both academic and career and technical education.
Ninth, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students, and students who have not yet received a high school diploma or its equivalent and are eligible to be in the ninth, 10th, 11th, or 12th grades, may participate in a college in the high school program.
A college in the high school program must be governed by a local contract between an institution of higher education and a school district, charter school, or state-tribal compact school, in compliance with the rules adopted by the superintendent of public instruction under this section. The local contract must include the qualifications for students to enroll in a program course.
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An institution of higher education may charge tuition fees per credit to each student enrolled in a program course as established in this subsection (5).
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(B) For low-income students, as defined in section 1 of this act, the maximum per college credit tuition fee for a program course is $42.50 per college credit adjusted for inflation using the implicit price deflator for that fiscal year, using fiscal year 2021 as the base, as compiled by the bureau of labor statistics of the United States department of labor for the state of Washington.
ii. Annually by July 1st, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must calculate the maximum per college credit tuition fee and post the fee on its website.
c. The funds received by an institution of higher education under this subsection (5) are not tuition or operating fees and may be retained by the institution of higher education.
Enrollment information on persons registered under this section must be maintained by the institution of higher education separately from other enrollment information and may not be included in official enrollment reports, nor may such persons be considered in any enrollment statistics that would affect higher education budgetary determinations.
Each school district, charter school, and state-tribal compact school must award high school credit to a student enrolled in a program course if the student successfully completes the course. If no comparable course is offered by the school district, charter school, or state-tribal compact school, the chief administrator shall determine how many credits to award for the successful completion of the program course. The determination must be made in writing before the student enrolls in the program course. The awarded credit must be applied toward graduation requirements and subject area requirements. Evidence of successful completion of each program course must be included in the student's high school records and transcript.
An institution of higher education must award college credit to a student enrolled in a program course if the student successfully completes the course. The awarded college credit must be applied toward general education requirements or degree requirements at the institution of higher education. Evidence of successful completion of each program course must be included in the student's college transcript.
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A high school that offers a college in the high school program must provide general information about the program to all students in grades eight through 12 and to the parents and guardians of those students.
A high school that offers a college in the high school program must include the following information about program courses in the high school catalogue or equivalent:
There is no fee for students to enroll in a program course to earn only high school credit. Fees apply for students who choose to enroll in a program course to earn both high school and college credit;
A description and breakdown of the fees charged to students to earn college credit;
A description of fee payment and financial assistance options available to students; and
A notification that paying for college credit automatically starts an official college transcript with the institution of higher education offering the program course regardless of student performance in the program course, and that college credit earned upon successful completion of a program course may count only as elective credit if transferred to another institution of higher education.
Full-time and part-time faculty at institutions of higher education, including adjunct faculty, are eligible to teach program courses.
Students enrolled in a program course may pay college in the high school fees with advanced college tuition payment program tuition units at a rate set by the advanced college tuition payment program governing body under chapter 28B.95 RCW.
The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules for the administration of this section. The rules must be jointly developed by the superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and technical colleges, the student achievement council, and the public baccalaureate institutions. The association of Washington school principals must be consulted during the rules development. The rules must outline quality and eligibility standards that are informed by nationally recognized standards or models. In addition, the rules must encourage the maximum use of the program and may not narrow or limit the enrollment options.
The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section.
"Charter school" means a school established under chapter 28A.710 RCW.
"High school" means a public school, as defined in RCW 28A.150.010, that serves students in any of grades nine through 12.
"Institution of higher education" has the same meaning as in RCW 28B.10.016, and also means a public tribal college located in Washington and accredited by the northwest commission on colleges and universities or another accrediting association recognized by the United States department of education.
"Program course" means a college course offered in a high school under a college in the high school program.
"State-tribal compact school" means a school established under chapter 28A.715 RCW.
This section modifies existing section 28A.630.600. Here is the modified chapter for context.
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the state board for community and technical colleges, shall establish the running start summer school program as described in this section.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the state board for community and technical colleges, must select up to six community colleges that choose to participate in the summer program . Two community colleges must be located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains and another must be located in a county with a population between 115,000 and 150,000.
Participating community colleges must establish agreements with the school districts of eligible students about data sharing, credit transfer, funds transfer, and other administrative matters.
Under the summer program, an eligible student may enroll in a participating community college tuition-free. Students who are eligible under subsection (7)(a)(ii) of this section may enroll for a maximum of 10 college credits per summer academic term. Provisions in RCW 28A.600.310 (2) and (3), which describe fees paid by running start students and fee waivers for low-income running start students, apply to eligible students participating in the summer program.
The school district of an eligible student must transmit to the participating community college an amount per each full-time equivalent college student at statewide uniform rates for vocational and nonvocational students. The superintendent of public instruction shall separately calculate and allocate amounts appropriated for this specific purpose under the omnibus operating appropriations act to school districts for purposes of making such payments and for granting school districts seven percent thereof to offset summer program related costs. The calculations and allocations must be based upon the estimated statewide annual average per full-time equivalent high school student allocations under RCW 28A.150.260, excluding small high school enhancements, and rules adopted under RCW 28A.600.390. The funds received by the community college from the school district are not tuition or operating fees and may be retained by the community college. A student enrolled under this section must be counted for the purpose of meeting enrollment targets in accordance with terms and conditions specified in the omnibus operating appropriations act.
By November 1, 2024, and in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the state board for community and technical colleges shall jointly report to the appropriate committees of the legislature with findings from and recommendations regarding the summer program, including recommending whether to expand the summer program to include more community colleges.
The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
"Eligible student" means:
A student attending a participating high school who will be eligible to enroll in grade 11 or 12 in the subsequent school year; or
A student who graduated from a participating high school in the current school year and who has five or fewer college credits to earn before meeting associate degree requirements.
"Participating community college" means a community college selected, as described in subsection (2) of this section, to participate in the summer program.
"Participating high school" means a high school in a school district that has an agreement, as described under subsection (3) of this section, with a participating community college.
"Summer program" means the running start summer program established in this section.
"Running start program" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.600.300.
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Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, and unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the requirements established in RCW 28A.600.300 through 28A.600.400 apply to the running start summer school program.
The provisions of RCW 28A.600.310(4) relating to calculation, allocation, and distribution of funds and RCW 28A.600.385 relating to cooperative agreements with community colleges in Oregon and Idaho do not apply to this section.