Washington § 28A.600.280 - Dual credit programs — Annual report.

(1) The education data center established in RCW 43.41.400, in collaboration with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board of education, the state board for community and technical colleges, the Washington state apprenticeship and training council, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the student achievement council, and the public four-year institutions of higher education, shall prepare the dual credit report required by this section.

(2) Annually, by September 1st, the education data center must submit the report to the appropriate committees of the legislature, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036.

(3) The report must include:

(a) Data about student participation rates, award of high school credit, award of postsecondary credit at an institution of higher education, and academic performance for each dual credit program; and

(b) Data on the total unduplicated head count and percentage of students enrolled, students who have been awarded high school credit, and students who have been awarded postsecondary credit at an institution of higher education, in at least one dual credit program course.

(4) Data described in subsection (3) of this section must be disaggregated by dual credit program, by the student categories and subcategories described in RCW 28A.300.042 (1) and (3), and by:

(a) Gender;

(b) Students who are dependent pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW;

(c) Students who are homeless as defined in RCW 43.330.702; and

(d) Multilingual/English learners.

(5)(a) The report must also recommend additional categories of data reporting and disaggregation. For each additional category, the report must describe:

(i) The purpose for reporting on, or disaggregating by, the category;

(ii) The specific metric or indicator to be used;

(iii) Whether the specific metric or indicator is a new data point; and

(iv) Which educational entities should be responsible for collecting the data.

(b) The 2022 report must recommend whether to require: (i) Reporting of data related to the application of postsecondary credits earned through a dual credit program towards postsecondary credentials and degrees; and (ii) comparison of postsecondary credential and degree attainment between students who did or did not participate in a dual credit program, and between students who participated in different dual credit programs.

(6) For the purposes of this section, "dual credit program" means running start under RCW 28A.600.300, college in the high school under RCW 28A.600.287, career and technical education dual credit, Cambridge international, international baccalaureate, advanced placement, and other programs in which a student qualifies for postsecondary and high school credit upon either successfully completing the course or passing an exam.

Effective date—2012 c 229 ss 101, 117, 401, 402, 501 through 594, 601 through 609, 701 through 708, 801 through 821, 902, and 904: See note following RCW 28B.77.005.

Findings—Intent—2009 c 450: "(1) The legislature finds that the economy of the state of Washington requires a well-prepared workforce. To meet the need, more Washington students need to be prepared for postsecondary education and training. Further, the personal enrichment and success of Washington citizens increasingly relies on their ability to use the state's postsecondary education and training system. To accomplish those ends, the legislature desires to increase the number of students who begin earning college credits while still in high school.

(2) The legislature further finds that dual credit programs introduce students to college-level work, provide a jump start on getting a college degree, and, perhaps most importantly, show students that they can succeed in college. Dual credit programs also provide another avenue of student financial aid, since many programs are offered for little or no cost to students.

(3) The legislature also finds that students must be provided a choice when selecting a dual credit program that is right for them. Options should be available for the student who wants to learn on a college campus and the student who wants to stay at the high school and take college-level courses. Options must also be available for the hands-on learner who seeks to complete an apprenticeship program.

(4) The legislature intends to blur the line between high school and college by articulating a vision to dramatically increase participation in dual credit programs. It is for this reason that the legislature should call on all education stakeholders to come together to coordinate resources, track outcomes, and improve program availability.

(5) The legislature further intends to provide high schools, colleges, and universities with a set of tools for growing and coordinating dual credit programs. Institutions should be given some flexibility in determining the best methods to secure long-term, ample financial support for these programs, while students should be given some help in offsetting instructional costs." [ 2009 c 450 s 1.]