Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

S-1398.1
                      SECOND SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5265
     State of Washington         67th Legislature     2021 Regular Session
     By Senate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Hunt, Das,
     Nguyen, Wellman, and Wilson, C.)
     READ FIRST TIME 02/22/21.
      AN ACT Relating to the creation of a bridge year pilot program;
  amending RCW 28A.600.290 and 28A.600.330; reenacting and amending RCW
  28A.600.310; adding new sections to chapter 28A.630 RCW; providing an
  expiration date; and declaring an emergency.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
     NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.630
 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The bridge year pilot program is established. The office of
 the superintendent of public instruction shall administer the program
 as described in this section. The purpose of the pilot program is to
 provide students in the graduating class of 2021 and 2022 an
 additional year to address the learning loss and missed opportunities
 in extracurricular activities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
     (2)(a) Each high school participating in the pilot program shall
 designate a school staff member as a bridge year liaison to serve as
 the school's central point of contact for students interested in
 pursuing a bridge year and for students participating in a bridge
 year. Nothing in this section requires a school district to hire an
 individual to serve as a bridge year liaison.
     (b)(i) A bridge year liaison shall develop an individual learning
 plan for each student pursuing a bridge year, in consultation with
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 the student. The individual learning plan must define academic and
 cocurricular goals for the bridge year and detail activities and
 strategies for accomplishing those goals including, but not limited
 to, counseling, academic support, coursework, and cocurricular or
 athletic participation.
     (ii) The credits taken by a student in this program must form a
 coordinated sequence of academic content that prepares the student
 for high-skilled, high-wage, or in-demand occupations.
     (iii) At the conclusion of each term of the bridge year, the host
 high school shall update the student's high school transcript to
 reflect any high school credits earned during the bridge year.
     (3)(a) A student who has met all applicable high school
 graduation requirements in the graduating class of 2021 or the
 graduating class of 2022 may defer graduation from high school to
 pursue a bridge year.
     (b)(i) Except as provided in (b)(ii) of this subsection (3), to
 be eligible to participate in the bridge year pilot program a student
 must be 19 years of age or younger and must not turn 20 years of age
 at any time during the bridge year.
     (ii) A student is eligible to participate in the bridge year
 pilot program if the student will turn 20 years of age during the
 bridge year due to services provided pursuant to the student's
 individualized education program plan.
     (c)(i) During the first term of the student's bridge year, the
 student must take between two and four high school credits, or the
 postsecondary equivalent, at the student's host high school, an
 institution of higher education, or a combination thereof.
     (ii) During the second term of the student's bridge year, the
 student must take between nine and 12 quarter credits, or the
 equivalent, at an institution of higher education or through college
 in the high school courses.
     (d) A student participating in this program must maintain a grade
 point average of at least 2.0 in order to remain in the bridge year
 pilot program.
     (4) The host high school shall permit students participating in
 the bridge year pilot program to participate in graduation ceremonies
 with the graduating class of 2021 or class of 2022, as applicable,
 but may not issue diplomas to those students until the conclusion of
 the bridge year. Students that have met all graduation requirements
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 have graduated with their initial graduation cohort for the purpose
 of calculating the four-year graduation rate for that cohort.
     (5) School districts participating in the bridge year pilot
 program shall expunge from a student's transcript any "D" or "F"
 grade, or its equivalent, for a course if the student takes the same
 course during the student's bridge year and completes the course with
 a higher grade than the grade in the student's transcript.
     (6) The institution of higher education at which a student
 attends under this program shall report at least quarterly to the
 bridge year liaison at the student's host high school concerning the
 student's academic progress and performance, in a manner specified by
 the student's individual learning plan developed under subsection (2)
 of this section.
     (7)(a) In the event that a student initially decides to pursue a
 bridge year in the fall term but does not continue in the following
 term, the student's host high school shall release all final
 transcripts and other records as necessary and as may be requested.
     (b) A student who decides not to continue the bridge year is not
 eligible to participate in a sports program or other extracurricular
 activities under this section or section 2 of this act.
     (8) For the purposes of this section:
     (a) "Host high school" means the high school that a student
 pursuing a bridge year attended at the beginning of the student's
 senior year.
     (b) "Institutions of higher education" has the same meaning as in
 RCW 28A.600.300.
     (9) Nothing in this section requires a student to pursue a bridge
 year.
     (10) A private school may elect to participate in the bridge year
 pilot program created under this section.
     (11) For purposes of funding allocations and student enrollment,
 students participating in the bridge year pilot program are running
 start students participating in the running start program under RCW
 28A.600.300.
     (12) Students participating in the bridge year pilot program are
 eligible for college in the high school courses under RCW
 28A.600.290.
     (13) Students participating in the bridge year pilot program are
 eligible recipients for funds distributed under chapter 28A.150 RCW.
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     (14) The office of the superintendent of public instruction may
 adopt rules necessary for the effective and efficient implementation
 of this act.
     NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.630
 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A student who pursues a bridge year pursuant to this act may
 participate    in   activities    sanctioned   by    the   Washington
 interscholastic activities association and extracurricular activities
 at the student's host high school.
     (2) A student participating in a sport or extracurricular
 activity during the student's bridge year shall pay applicable
 student athletic and activities fees and be subject to the host high
 school's student code of conduct, athletic code of conduct, and any
 other applicable codes, rules, or policies required for student
 participation in these activities.
     (3) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, nothing
 in this act supersedes the governance or eligibility rules
 established by a local, state, or national organization with bona
 fide authority over a particular extracurricular activity.
     (4) For students participating in an interscholastic activity
 under this section, the Washington interscholastic activities
 association shall make all participating students aware of the
 eligibility appeal process related to season limitations.
     (5) Notwithstanding the provisions of any law, rule, or
 regulation to the contrary, an insurer doing business in the state
 and issuing liability insurance policies to school districts must
 provide   coverage  for   students   participating  in   a  sport  or
 extracurricular activity under this section as part of a school or
 school district's liability insurance policy.
     (6) For purposes of this section, "host high school" has the same
 meaning as in section 1 of this act.
     Sec. 3. RCW 28A.600.290 and 2015 c 202 s 3 are each amended to
 read as follows:
     (1)(a) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for
 this specific purpose and commencing with the 2015-16 school year,
 funding may be allocated at an amount per college credit for eleventh
 and twelfth grade students ((or)), students who have not yet received
 a high school diploma or its equivalent and are eligible to be in the
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 eleventh or twelfth grade, and students participating in a bridge
 year under section 1 of this act, who are enrolled in college in the
 high school courses under this section as specified in the omnibus
 appropriations act and adjusted for inflation from the 2015-16 school
 year.   The   maximum    annual   number  of   allocated credits   per
 participating    student    shall   be   specified   in  the   omnibus
 appropriations act, which must not exceed ten credits. Funding shall
 be prioritized in the following order:
     (i) High schools offering a running start in the high school
 program in school year 2014-15. These schools shall only receive
 prioritized funding in school year 2015-16;
     (ii) Students whose residence or the high school in which they
 are enrolled is located twenty driving miles or more as measured by
 the most direct route from the nearest eligible institution of higher
 education offering a running start program, whichever is greater; and
     (iii) High schools eligible for the small school funding
 enhancement in the omnibus appropriations act.
     (b)(i) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for
 this specific purpose and commencing with the 2015-16 school year,
 and only after the programs in (a) of this subsection are funded, a
 subsidy may be provided per college credit for eleventh and twelfth
 grade students ((or)), students who have not yet received a high
 school diploma or its equivalent and are eligible to be in the
 eleventh or twelfth grade, and students participating in a bridge
 year under section 1 of this act, who have been deemed eligible for
 free or reduced-price lunch and are enrolled in college in the high
 school courses under this section as specified in the omnibus
 appropriations act and adjusted for inflation from the 2015-16 school
 year.   The   maximum   annual   number  of  subsidized  credits   per
 participating    student   shall    be  specified   in  the    omnibus
 appropriations act, which must not exceed five credits.
     (ii) Districts wishing to participate in the subsidy program must
 apply to the office of the superintendent of public instruction by
 July 1st of each year and report the preliminary estimate of eligible
 students to receive the subsidy and the total number of projected
 credit hours.
     (iii) The office of the superintendent of public instruction
 shall notify districts by September 1st of each school year if the
 district's students will receive the subsidy. If more districts apply
 than funding is available, the office of the superintendent of public
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 instruction   shall   prioritize   the  district   applications.   The
 superintendent shall develop factors to determine priority including,
 but not limited to, the number of dual credit opportunities available
 for low-income students in the districts.
     (c) Districts shall remit any allocations or subsidies on behalf
 of participating students under (a) and (b) of this subsection to the
 participating institution of higher education and those students
 shall not be required to pay for the credits.
     (d) The minimum allocation and subsidy under this section is
 sixty-five   dollars    per   quarter   credit   for    credit-bearing
 postsecondary coursework. The office of the superintendent of public
 instruction, the student achievement council, the state board for
 community and technical colleges, and the public baccalaureate
 institutions shall review funding levels for the program every four
 years beginning in 2017 and recommend changes.
     (e) Students 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.
     (2) For the purposes of funding students enrolled in the college
 in the high school program in accordance with subsection (1) of this
 section, college in the high school is defined as a dual credit
 program located on a high school campus or in a high school
 environment   in  which   a  high   school  student,   or  a   student
 participating in a bridge year under section 1 of this act, is able
 to earn both high school and postsecondary credit by completing
 postsecondary level courses with a passing grade.
     (3) College in the high school programs may include both academic
 and career and technical education.
     (4) College in the high school programs shall each be governed by
 a local contract between the district and the participating
 institution of higher education, in compliance with the rules adopted
 by the superintendent of public instruction under this section.
     (5) The college in the high school program must include the
 provisions in this subsection.
     (a) The high school and participating institution of higher
 education together shall define the criteria for student eligibility.
 The institution of higher education may charge tuition fees to
 participating students. If specific funding is provided in the
 omnibus appropriations act for the per credit allocations and per
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 credit subsidies under subsection (1) of this section, the maximum
 per credit fee charged to any enrolled student may not exceed the
 amount of the per credit allocation or subsidy.
     (b) The funds received by the participating institution of higher
 education may not be deemed tuition or operating fees and may be
 retained by the institution of higher education.
     (c) 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.
     (d) A school district must grant 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, the school district superintendent shall determine how many
 credits to award for the course. The determination shall be made in
 writing before the student enrolls in the course. The credits shall
 be   applied  toward   graduation   requirements  and   subject  area
 requirements. Evidence of successful completion of each program
 course shall be included in the student's secondary school records
 and transcript.
     (e) A participating institution of higher education must grant
 college credit to a student enrolled in a program course if the
 student successfully completes the course. The college credit shall
 be   applied   toward   general   education   requirements   or  degree
 requirements at institutions of higher education. Evidence of
 successful completion of each program course must be included in the
 student's college transcript.
     (f) Tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students or students who
 have not yet received a high school diploma or its equivalent and are
 eligible to be in the tenth, eleventh, or twelfth grades, and
 students participating in a bridge year under section 1 of this act,
 may participate in the college in the high school program.
     (g)   Participating    school   districts   must   provide  general
 information about the college in the high school program to all
 students in grades nine through twelve and to the parents and
 guardians of those students.
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     (h) Full-time and part-time faculty at institutions of higher
 education, including adjunct faculty, are eligible to teach program
 courses.
     (6) The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules
 for the administration of this section. The rules shall 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 nationa