The Washington fund for innovation and quality in higher education program is established. The student achievement council shall administer the program and shall work in close collaboration with the state board for community and technical colleges and other local and regional entities. Through this program the student achievement council may award on a competitive basis incentive grants to state public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions to encourage programs designed to address specific system problems. Each institution or consortia of institutions receiving the award shall contribute some financial support, either by covering part of the costs for the program during its implementation, or by assuming continuing support at the end of the grant period. Strong priority will be given to proposals that involve more than one sector of education. Institutions are encouraged to solicit nonstate funds to support these cooperative programs.
[ 2012 c 229 § 571; 2010 c 245 § 7; 1999 c 169 § 5; 1996 c 41 § 1; 1991 c 98 § 2; ]
The student achievement council shall have the following powers and duties in administering the program for those proposals in which a four-year institution of higher education is named as the lead institution and fiscal agent:
To adopt rules necessary to carry out the program;
To award grants no later than September 1st in those years when funding is available by June 30th;
To establish each biennium specific guidelines for submitting grant proposals consistent with RCW 28B.120.005 and consistent with the ten-year plan for higher education, the system design plan, the overall goals of the program and the guidelines established by the state board for community and technical colleges under RCW 28B.120.025.
After June 30, 2001, and each biennium thereafter, the council shall determine funding priorities for proposals for the biennium in consultation with the legislature, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and technical colleges, the workforce training and education coordinating board, higher education institutions, educational associations, and business and community groups consistent with statewide needs;
To solicit grant proposals and provide information to the institutions of higher education about the program; and
To establish reporting, evaluation, accountability, monitoring, and dissemination requirements for the recipients of the grants awarded by the office of financial management.
[ 2012 c 229 § 572; 2011 1st sp.s. c 11 § 235; 2010 c 245 § 8; 1999 c 169 § 3; 1996 c 41 § 2; 1991 c 98 § 3; ]
The state board for community and technical colleges has the following powers and duties in administering the program for those proposals in which a community or technical college is named as the lead institution and fiscal agent:
To adopt rules necessary to carry out the program;
To establish one or more review committees to assist in the evaluation of proposals for funding. The review committee shall include individuals with significant experience in higher education in areas relevant to one or more of the funding period priorities and shall include representatives from both the four-year and two-year sectors of higher education;
To award grants no later than September 1st in those years when funding is available by June 30th;
To establish each biennium specific guidelines for submitting grant proposals consistent with the overall goals of the program and consistent with the guidelines established by the student achievement council under RCW 28B.120.020. During the 1999-01 biennium the guidelines shall be consistent with the following desired outcomes of:
Minority and diversity initiatives that encourage the participation of minorities in higher education, including students with disabilities;
K-12 teacher preparation models that encourage collaboration between higher education and K-12 to improve the preparedness of teachers, including provisions for higher education faculty involved with teacher preparation to spend time teaching in K-12 schools;
Collaborative instructional programs involving K-12, community and technical colleges, and four-year institutions of higher education to develop a three-year degree program, or reduce the time to degree;
Contracts with public or private institutions or businesses to provide services or the development of collaborative programs;
Articulation and transfer activities to smooth the transfer of students from K-12 to higher education, or from the community colleges and technical colleges to four-year institutions;
Projects that further the development of learner-centered, technology-assisted course delivery; and
Projects that further the development of competency-based measurements of student achievement to be used as the basis for awarding degrees and certificates;
To solicit grant proposals and provide information to the community and technical colleges and private career schools; and
To establish reporting, evaluation, accountability, monitoring, and dissemination requirements for the recipients of the grants awarded by the state board for community and technical colleges.
[ 2012 c 229 § 573; 1999 c 169 § 4; ]
The student achievement council and the state board for community and technical colleges may solicit and receive such gifts, grants, and endowments from public or private sources as may be made from time to time, in trust or otherwise, for the use and benefit of the purposes of the program and may expend the same or any income therefrom according to the terms of the gifts, grants, or endowments.
[ 2012 c 229 § 574; 1999 c 169 § 6; 1991 c 98 § 4; ]
The Washington career and college pathways innovation challenge program account is hereby established in the custody of the state treasurer. The student achievement council shall deposit in the fund all moneys received for the Washington career and college pathways innovation challenge program. Moneys in the fund may be spent only for the purposes of awarding grants under the Washington career and college pathways innovation challenge program. Disbursements from the fund shall be on the authorization of the student achievement council. The fund is subject to the allotment procedure provided under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for disbursements.
It is the intent of the legislature to update and fund the higher education competitive grant program established by the 1991 legislature, known as the Washington fund for innovation and quality in higher education. Changes are needed so that the goals and priorities set forth for awarding grants reflect the 1999-01 goals and priorities. The legislature also intends to improve the administration of the program by separating responsibilities between the *higher education coordinating board and the state board for community and technical colleges.
[ 1999 c 169 § 1; ]
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The Washington career and college pathways innovation challenge program is established. The purpose of the program is to meet statewide educational attainment goals established in RCW 28B.77.020 by developing local and regional partnerships that foster innovations to:
Increase postsecondary enrollment and completion for students enrolling directly from high school and adults returning to education; and
Eliminate educational opportunity gaps for students of color, English language learners, students with disabilities, and foster and homeless youth.
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The student achievement council shall administer the program and award grants, based on a competitive grant process, to local and regional partnerships that represent cross-sector collaborations among education and higher education agencies and institutions, local education agencies, local government, community-based organizations, employers, and other local entities. The student achievement council must consult, in both the design of the grant program as well as in the administration of the grant program, with stakeholders including representatives of:
The state board for community and technical colleges;
An organization representing the presidents of the public four-year institutions of higher education;
The workforce training and education coordinating board;
An organization representing the private, not-for-profit, four-year institutions of higher education;
The commission on African American affairs;
The commission on Hispanic affairs;
The commission on Asian Pacific American affairs;
The Washington state LGBTQ commission;
ix. The governor's office of Indian affairs; and
The Washington state women's commission.
In awarding the grants, the student achievement council shall consider applications that:
Plan and pilot innovative initiatives to raise educational attainment and decrease opportunity gaps;
Engage community-based organizations and resources;
Expand the use of integrated work-based learning;
Provide financial support to cover expenses beyond educational tuition and fees, and other services and supports for students to enroll and complete education and training; and
Include local matching funds.
In administering the program the student achievement council may hire staff to support grant oversight and provide technical assistance to grantees.
The student achievement council may solicit and receive such gifts, grants, and endowments from public or private sources as may be made from time to time, in trust or otherwise, for the use and benefit of the purposes of the program and may expend the same or any income therefrom according to the terms of the gifts, grants, or endowments.
The student achievement council shall provide a report each year beginning September 1, 2022, to the governor and the education and higher education committees of the legislature in accordance with RCW 43.01.036. The report shall:
Describe grants awarded;
Report the progress of each local and regional partnership by reporting on high school graduation, postsecondary enrollment, and completion for each of the regions that partnerships serve; and
Disaggregate data by income, race, ethnicity, and other demographic characteristics.
[ 2021 c XXX § 1; ]**