Academic reengagement

AN ACT Relating to increasing the accessibility of academic 1
reengagement opportunities for eligible students; and amending RCW 2
28A.175.100, 28A.175.105, and 28A.175.115. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 28A.175.100 and 2010 c 20 s 2 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) This section and RCW 28A.175.105 through 28A.175.115 provide 7
a statutory framework for a statewide dropout reengagement system to 8
provide appropriate educational opportunities and access to services 9
for eligible students ((age sixteen to twenty-one who have dropped 10
out of high school or are not accumulating sufficient credits to 11
reasonably complete a high school diploma in a public school before 12
the age of twenty-one)) as defined in RCW 28A.175.105.13
(2) Under the system, school districts may: 14
(a) Enter into the model interlocal agreement developed under RCW 15
28A.175.110 with an educational service district, community or 16
technical college, or other public entity to provide a dropout 17
reengagement program for eligible students of the district; or18
(b) Enter into the model contract developed under RCW 28A.175.110 19
with a community-based organization to provide a dropout reengagement 20
program for eligible students of the district. 21
H-0056.1
HOUSE BILL 1020
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Shavers, Reed, Fosse, Pollet, and Davis
Prefiled 12/09/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Education.
p. 1 HB 1020
(3) If a school district does not enter an interlocal agreement 1
or contract with an educational service district, community or 2
technical college, other public entity, or community-based 3
organization to provide a dropout reengagement program for eligible 4
students residing in the district, the educational service district, 5
community or technical college, other public entity, or community-6
based organization may petition a school district other than the 7
resident school district to enroll the eligible students under RCW 8
28A.225.220 through 28A.225.230 and enter the interlocal agreement or 9
contract with the petitioning entity to provide a dropout 10
reengagement program for the eligible students. 11
(4) This section does not affect the authority of school 12
districts to contract for educational services under RCW 28A.150.305 13
and 28A.320.035. This section also does not affect the authority of 14
school districts to offer dropout reengagement programs or other 15
educational services for eligible students directly.16
Sec. 2. RCW 28A.175.105 and 2021 c 164 s 7 are each amended to 17
read as follows: 18
The definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 28A.175.100 19
through 28A.175.110 unless the context clearly requires otherwise:20
(1) "Dropout reengagement program" means an educational program 21
that offers at least the following instruction and services:22
(a) Academic instruction, including but not limited to 23
preparation to earn a high school equivalency certificate as provided 24
in RCW 28B.50.536 in accordance with rules adopted under RCW 25
28A.305.190, academic skills instruction, and college and work 26
readiness preparation, that generates credits that can be applied to 27
a high school diploma from the student's school district or from a 28
community or technical college under RCW 28B.50.535 and has the goal 29
of enabling the student to obtain the academic and work readiness 30
skills necessary for employment or postsecondary study. A dropout 31
reengagement program is not required to offer instruction in only 32
those subject areas where a student is deficient in accumulated 33
credits. Academic instruction must be provided by teachers certified 34
by the Washington professional educator standards board or by 35
instructors employed by a community or technical college whose 36
required credentials are established by the college;37
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(b) Case management, academic and career counseling, and 1
assistance with accessing services and resources that support at-risk 2
youth and reduce barriers to educational success; and3
(c) If the program provider is a community or technical college, 4
the opportunity for qualified students to enroll in college courses 5
that lead to a postsecondary degree or certificate. The college may 6
not charge an eligible student tuition for such enrollment.7
(2) "Eligible student" means a student who: 8
(a) Is ((at least sixteen but )) eligible to be enrolled in high 9
school and is less than ((twenty-one)) 21 years of age at the 10
beginning of the school year; 11
(b) Is not accumulating sufficient credits toward a high school 12
diploma to reasonably complete a high school diploma from a public 13
school before the age of ((twenty-one)) 21, or is recommended for the 14
program by case managers from the department of social and health 15
services or the juvenile justice system; and 16
(c) Is enrolled or enrolls in the school district in which the 17
student resides, or is enrolled or enrolls in an institutional 18
education program as defined in RCW 28A.190.005 or a nonresident 19
school district under RCW 28A.225.220 through 28A.225.230.20
(3) "Full-time equivalent eligible student" means an eligible 21
student whose enrollment and attendance meet criteria adopted by the 22
office of the superintendent of public instruction specifically for 23
dropout reengagement programs. The criteria shall be:24
(a) Based on the community or technical college credits generated 25
by the student if the program provider is a community or technical 26
college; and 27
(b) Based on a minimum amount of planned programming or 28
instruction and minimum attendance by the student rather than hours 29
of seat time if the program provider is a community-based 30
organization. 31
Sec. 3. RCW 28A.175.115 and 2010 c 20 s 5 are each amended to 32
read as follows: 33
(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall 34
adopt and amend as necessary rules to implement RCW 28A.175.100 35
through 28A.175.110. 36
(2) When adopting rules under this section and developing model 37
interlocal agreements and contracts under RCW 28A.175.110, the office 38
of the superintendent of public instruction shall consult with the 39
p. 3 HB 1020
state board for community and technical colleges, the workforce 1
training and education coordinating board, colleges and community-2
based organizations that have previously offered dropout reengagement 3
programs, providers of online courses and programs approved under RCW 4
28A.250.020, school districts, and educational service districts.5
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p. 4 HB 1020