WSBEA - Washington State Business Education Association

Legislative Agenda
[Download WA-ACTE 2006 Legislative Agenda]

WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

2006 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

POLICY ISSUES

Issue: Improved Career and Technical Education (CTE) Options for Students

Rationale: In response to the full implementation of the WASL, many high schools are adding academic coursework and removing CTE options. The Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) is also proposing additional academic coursework as a requirement for postsecondary admissions. Double dosing of academic classes and additional course requirements will reduce the number of electives students can take, including CTE. Yet, for many students, the applied learning found in CTE coursework is what captures their interest and furthers their academic success. Research shows that a concentration of rigorous CTE coursework provides an effective alternative to pure academic studies in helping students stay in school, succeed academically, and continue their education beyond high school, particularly for at-risk students. Students should not have to fail the WASL twice before demonstrating mastery of standards through an alternative assessment.

WA-ACTE supports statutory language that builds the capacity of high schools throughout the state to offer CTE courses that provide a sequence of study in high-demand occupational fields. We also support putting language in state statute that would allow local school districts to determine the academic content of CTE courses equivalent to core academic coursework and award equivalency credit for purposes of high school graduation and the HECB admission standards. And we encourage the development of state-wide articulation agreements and dual credit options that link secondary CTE curriculum to postsecondary Career and Technical Education programs.

Issue: Support for a Simple Majority

Rationale: A "Simple Majority Coalition" has been formed by a multitude of educational organizations in an effort to provide a united voice for the removal of the 60% super majority vote needed to pass local levies and bonds. The coalition would like to see the issue put to a vote of the people for a constitutional change to a simple majority vote. Sixty years ago the constitution was amended to take 60% of the vote to pass a school levy and/or bond. A great deal has changed since then. It is time to give the people the opportunity to amend the constitution. Before the people can vote the legislature must provide that opportunity. Why require 60% approval when it only takes 50% to elect legislators, approval for sports stadiums, libraries, etc.? Why should 40.l% of the voters have more power than 59.9%?

RESOURCE ISSUES

Issue: Updated Equipment and Technology

Investment: 2006 - $25M

Rationale: Equipment and technology needs are intensive in Career and Technical Education classrooms. Students must be trained on up-to-date, quality equipment to meet the demands of business and industry. The last time secondary CTE received funding for equipment was in 1996 in the amount of $5M or $91 per FTE. When districts pass technology levies, Career and Technical Education does not always have access to funds. An equipment survey conducted by Litzenberger Consulting, LLC, during the fall of 2004 shows a tremendous gap in the equipment necessary to effectively train students and the funding available for this purpose. The need is in excess of $75M over the next five years. The survey was completed by 135 school districts representing 75% of the total student population statewide. This request is to phase-in the funding to bring programs up to date. In 2006, year one, $25M with the balance requested in the following biennium. The funds should be appropriated solely for the purpose of upgrading equipment and technology in public secondary Career and Technical Education programs.

Issue: Enhanced Incentive for Comprehensive School Districts Sending Students to Skills Centers

Investment: $0

Rationale: Add the word "maintain" to the language in the budget. The language from the 2005 legislative session will not work as intended. Adding the word "maintain" will allow the money to go to districts making good efforts to maintain the number of students attending skills centers during times of high numbers of students being retained at high school for remediation classes for WASL retakes.

Issue: Restore and Increase Skills Center Summer School Programs

Investment: $262,000 - Restore $53,000 - Increase FTE 10% $209,000

Rationale : For over 20 years the legislature has funded the skills centers summer school program in recognition of the value the program adds to Washington's workforce, economy, and students. The ten centers serve approximately 459 FTE or 4,100 students each summer and turned away approximately 1,500 students in 2004. Skills centers assist in closing the skills gap to meet the demand for skilled workers by Washington employers. Skills center summer school programs enhance and expand Washington's Essential Learning Requirement and the summer programs give students opportunities for industry certification, career internships, and advanced studies. In addition, summer school increases student retention by keeping them in school and engaging them in hands-on-learning in preparation for work.

C o n n e c t i n g E d u c a t i o n a n d C a r e e r s

WASHINGTON LEARNS AND THE JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE

ON HIGH SCHOOL REDESIGN ISSUES

The Washington Association for Career and Technical Education Executive Board has agreed to submit the following issues directly to Washington Learns and the Joint Select Committee on High School Redesign for consideration as they deliberate their work for the next few months. These issues are in addition to the issues on our 2006 Legislative Agenda.

Issue: On-time Graduation Rates

Rationale : WA-ACTE encourages the legislature to create better systems and methods of collecting, analyzing, and reporting graduation and dropout rates. We support the National Governors Association's recommendation to adopt and begin taking steps to implement a standard four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate using the following formula:

Graduation Rate = (on-time graduates in year x) /

(first-time entering ninth graders in year x -4) + (transfers in) - (transfers out)

Special education students and recent immigrants with limited English proficiency may need more time to complete high school diploma requirements; they may be placed in different cohorts early in high school to allow for those differences. On-time can include those completing graduation requirements in the summer of a given year. The graduation rate then is a measure of on-time completion, with most students, but not all, expected to finish in four years.

Transfers by students from one school to another must be documented with a transcript request from the receiving school. Death or incarceration should also be documented and incarcerated students should be counted as transfer students as they move out of and back into the system. A student for whom there is no information should be documented as a dropout. This creates an incentive for schools to seek out students and accurately determine their status.

In addition, WA-ACTE encourages the legislature to adopt a definition of what constitutes a "dropout."

Issue: Career-Focused Education and Work-Readiness in High School Redesign

Rationale: Career and Technical Education can be a viable pathway for high school students with different academic backgrounds to meet rigorous academic and work-readiness standards. We support policies that would provide incentives to drive out low performance and reward higher performance on academic achievement, work-related, and technical skills development. The following questions must be addressed in any discussion of improving high schools:

How should academic and career and technical learning be balanced, sequenced, and integrated?
What models have promise for accelerating both academic and career-related learning for broad groups of students?
Are current policies to raise academic achievement flexible enough to address the needs and realities of career-focused programs?
Can the state's core curriculum leave sufficient time and opportunity for quality CTE concentrations?
Do state policies encourage high schools to assist students to meet high standards without stifling innovations and different pathways to achieving the same standards?

The legislature should look at issues of quality, cost, leadership, and capacity to improve and to assess the approaches to help less academically successful students succeed.