Barbara McLain (360) 786-7383
House Committee on Education
February 05, 2013 (6:46 PM)
PSHB 1472 - DRAFT #2
Prepared for Rep. Drew Hansen
CHANGES SHOWN IN RED
1
AN ACT Relating to initiatives to improve and expand access to
2 computer science education; amending RCW 28A.230.097; adding a new
3 section to chapter 28A.630 RCW; and creating new sections.
4
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
6
7
NEW SECTION.
Sec. 1.
(1) The legislature finds that:
8
(a) Through such initiatives as grants for high-demand career and
9 technical education programs and participation in the microsoft IT
10 academy, the state has previously supported K-12 computer science
11 education;
12
(b) However, even though there were nearly sixty-five thousand
13 student enrollments in high school computer science courses in the
14 2011-12 school year, more than half of those enrollments were in
15 beginning or exploratory courses.
Fewer than twelve hundred students
16 enrolled in AP computer science courses;
17
(c) National studies of K-12 computer science education indicate
18 that, in part because computer science is not treated as an academic
19
Draft
p.1
1 subject,
students
may
not
perceive
advanced
computer
science
as
2 relevant to their future academic or career success; and
3
(d) Public institutions of higher education have expanded capacity
4 to grant certificates and degrees in computer science and related
5 fields in response to high employer demand and high student demand.
6 Additional
expansion
and
improvement
will
be
dependent
on
new
7 resources, updated equipment, and the availability of expert faculty;
8
(e)
Information technology job vacancies exist at all levels of
9 training and education and across all industries that are critical to
10 Washington's economy; and
11
(f)
Strategies are needed to support additional opportunities for
12 Washington students to have careers in the innovative, technology13 based or technology-enhanced industries located in our state.
14
(2) Therefore the legislature intends to take additional steps to
15 improve and expand access to computer science education, particularly
16 in advanced courses that could prepare students for careers in the
17 field.
18
19
Sec. 2.
RCW 28A.230.097 and 2008 c 170 s 202 are each amended to
20 read as follows:
21
(1) Each high school or school district board of directors shall
22 adopt
course
equivalencies
for
career
and
technical
high
school
23 courses offered to students in high schools and skill centers.
A
24 career and technical course equivalency may be for whole or partial
25 credit.
26 course
Each school district board of directors shall develop a
equivalency
approval
procedure.
Boards
of
directors
must
27 approve AP computer science courses as equivalent to high school
28 mathematics or science, and must denote on a student's transcript that
29 AP computer science qualifies as a math-based quantitative course for
30 students who take the course in their senior year.
In order for a
31 board to approve AP computer science as equivalent to high school
32 mathematics, the student must be concurrently enrolled in or have
33 successfully completed Algebra II, including for purposes of meeting
34 the third credit of mathematics required for graduation.
Draft
p.2
1
(2) Career and technical courses determined to be equivalent to
2 academic core courses, in full or in part, by the high school or
3 school
district
shall
be
accepted
as
meeting
core
requirements,
4 including graduation requirements, if the courses are recorded on the
5 student's
transcript
using
the
6 department designation and title.
7 recorded as appropriate.
equivalent
academic
high
school
Full or partial credit shall be
The high school or school district shall
8 also issue and keep record of course completion certificates that
9 demonstrate that the career and technical courses were successfully
10 completed as needed for industry certification, college credit, or
11 preapprenticeship, as applicable.
The certificate shall be either
12 part of the student's high school and beyond plan or the student's
13 culminating project, as determined by the student.
The office of the
14 superintendent of public instruction shall develop and make available
15 electronic samples of certificates of course completion.
16
17
NEW SECTION.
Sec. 3.
A new section is added to chapter 28A.630
18 RCW to read as follows:
19
(1)
Subject to funds appropriated specifically for the purpose of
20 this section, the office of the superintendent of public instruction
21 shall allocate, on a competitive basis, grants to school districts
22 that to increase the capacity of high schools to offer AP computer
23 science courses.
In making grant allocations, the office must give
24 priority to rural school districts, school districts with limited
25 local
access
to
technology-based
industries,
high
schools
with
26 substantial enrollment of low-income students, and high schools that
27 do not offer computer science courses.
28
(2)
School districts may apply to receive either or both of the
29 following grants:
30
(a)
A grant to establish partnerships with technology businesses,
31 business organizations, or other nonprofit organizations to support
32 computer science professionals from private industry serving on a
33 voluntary basis as coinstructors along with a certificated teacher for
34 high school AP computer science and computer programming courses. The
Draft
p.3
1 computer science professional may coinstruct the course from a remote
2 location using synchronous video technology.
Grant recipients must
3 work with a provider of in-service training to create a complimentary
4 professional development opportunity that qualifies for clock hours of
5 continuing education under RCW 28A.415.020, for the classroom teacher
6 to
increase
their
instructional
knowledge
and
skills
in
advanced
7 computer science. In making grant awards, the office must take steps
8 to assure that the funds are used to increase the number of AP courses
9 coinstructed by computer science professionals and are not used to
10 supplant
funding
for
courses
coinstructed
under
partnerships
11 established before the effective date of this section; or
12
(b)
A grant to purchase or upgrade technology and curriculum
13 needed for AP computer science, as well as provide opportunities for
14 professional development and training for classroom teachers to have
15 the requisite knowledge and skills to teach an AP computer science
16 course.
In making grant awards, the office must take steps to assure
17 that the funds are used to increase the number of AP computer science
18 courses available and are not used to supplant funding for courses
19 offered before the effective date of this section.
20
(3)
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall
21 develop an evaluation and reporting component for the grants awarded
22 under this section, to include input data such as increases in the
23 number of AP computer science courses and course enrollments, as well
24 as
outcome
data
such
as
scores
on
AP
computer
science
exams,
25 postsecondary follow-up for participating students, and indicators of
26 teacher professional development.
27
28
NEW SECTION.
Sec. 4.
(1) The workforce training and education
29 coordinating board shall convene and provide staff support for a
30 computer science professional shortage task force as provided in this
31 section.
32 businesses
The task force must include representatives from technology
and
business
organizations;
state
education
agencies
33 including the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the
34 Washington
Draft
student
achievement
council,
p.4
and
the
state
board
for
1 community and technical colleges; education providers such as school
2 districts,
skill
centers,
public
and
private
colleges
and
3 universities, and technical schools; and computer science teachers and
4 faculty.
5
(2) The purpose of the task force is to develop a strategic plan
6 with specific short and longer-term strategies to increase the number
7 of graduates from high schools, community and technical colleges, and
8 four-year colleges and universities who are prepared to enter the
9 workforce or continue their education in computer science.
10
(3)
The task force must consider at least the following issues:
11
(a) The status and potential for improvement of computer science
12 education at the secondary and postsecondary level, including issues
13 of capacity and barriers for increased numbers of students to enroll
14 in advanced courses;
15
(b) Strategies to increase access to and success in computer
16 science education and careers for disadvantaged students and students
17 living in rural communities; and
18
(c) Strategic opportunities for public and private investment in
19 increasing computer science education, including employer coinvestment
20 options; and
21
(d)
Opportunities for collaboration among education providers,
22 public agencies, and businesses at the local, regional, and state
23 level.
24
(4) The task force must submit a report with recommendations to
25 the education, higher education, and labor and workforce committees of
26 the legislature by September 15, 2014 December 15, 2013.
27
28
STRIKE ALL OF SECTION 5.
(OSPI Office of Online Learning &
29 computer courses)
30
31
--- END ---
32
33
34
Draft
p.5