Dual credit program access

AN ACT Relating to improving student access to dual credit 1
programs including career and technical education dual credit 2
programs; amending RCW 28B.50.531; adding a new section to chapter 3
28A.310 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.150 RCW; adding a 4
new section to chapter 28A.245 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 5
28A.300 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.10 RCW; and creating 6
new sections. 7
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:8
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that students 9
who participate in dual credit programs have higher rates of college 10
enrollment, persistence, and completion. Dual credit programs are an 11
important economic development for Washington because they equip 12
students with the skills needed for high-skill, high-wage employment 13
and continued education in high-demand sectors.14
(2) Career and technical education (CTE) dual credit is the most 15
commonly accessed form of dual credit in Washington and has 16
significant potential to improve equitable access to postsecondary 17
pathways for students from all backgrounds. However, it lags behind 18
other course-based dual credit programs in ensuring that students 19
receive a transcripted credit while in high school, and that the 20
H-0340.2
HOUSE BILL 1273
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Paul, Eslick, Salahuddin, Bergquist, Reed, Nance,
Timmons, Pollet, Fey, and Simmons
Read first time 01/14/25. Referred to Committee on Postsecondary
Education & Workforce.
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credit they earn will transfer to the postsecondary institution of 1
their choice. 2
(3) Therefore, the legislature intends to streamline regional 3
efforts that support students' dual credit access and attainment by 4
increasing the collaboration between state and local partners, study 5
the feasibility of improving the state's dual credit administrative 6
data management system, create and encourage the use of statewide 7
articulation agreements for CTE dual credit courses, and receive 8
recommendations on future amendments to state dual credit policies.9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.310 10
RCW to read as follows: 11
(1) Each educational service district shall collaborate with the 12
following entities to streamline regional efforts that support 13
students' dual credit access and attainment: The office of the 14
superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community 15
and technical colleges, regional participating institutions of higher 16
education, regional skill centers established under chapter 28A.245 17
RCW, regional registered apprenticeship programs approved under 18
chapter 49.04 RCW, local public high schools, and each school 19
district operating within the educational service district.20
(2) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 21
specific purpose, the regional efforts required by subsection (1) of 22
this section must include the following activities:23
(a) Developing, and updating annually, a comprehensive catalog of 24
dual credit courses and programs offered to students enrolled in each 25
local public high school; 26
(b) Aligning career and technical education dual credit programs 27
available within the educational service district with regional 28
postsecondary credential pathways and apprenticeships leading to in-29
demand career fields; 30
(c) Providing technical assistance to public high schools and 31
institutions of higher education to improve the accuracy and speed of 32
awarding and transcripting dual credits; 33
(d) Providing professional development for staff of the public 34
high schools and the institutions of higher education to develop, 35
align, and articulate dual credit courses; and 36
(e) Supporting public high school staff in the following 37
activities: 38
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(i) Outreach to prospective students and students who have 1
completed career and technical education dual credit courses and are 2
eligible for postsecondary credit about how to receive and where to 3
apply the credit; 4
(ii) Providing technical assistance to public high school staff 5
in course curriculum alignment for career and technical education 6
dual credit courses; 7
(iii) Providing technical assistance to staff of the public high 8
schools and the institutions of higher education in the development 9
of articulation agreements for career and technical education dual 10
credit courses; and 11
(iv) Awarding equipment and supplies grants for career and 12
technical education dual credit courses that meet emerging needs in 13
high-demand, high-paying industries. 14
(3) For the purposes of this section: 15
(a) "Institution of higher education" has the same meaning as in 16
RCW 28A.600.287. 17
(b) "Public high school" means a public school as defined in RCW 18
28A.150.010 with any of grades nine through 12. 19
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The state board for community and 20
technical colleges shall develop a plan for improving or replacing 21
its online, statewide enrollment and reporting system for career and 22
technical education dual credit. The plan must include an estimated 23
timeline and cost estimates, including the cost of technical 24
assistance and training, technology updates, and ongoing maintenance 25
requirements, that may be needed to, among other things:26
(a) Improve cross-system compatibility with the community and 27
technical college administrative system, as well as the comprehensive 28
education data and research system of the office of the 29
superintendent of public instruction; 30
(b) Create tracking of, and alerts for, articulation agreement 31
updates; 32
(c) Create searchable fields for course titles;33
(d) Improve student account verification; and 34
(e) Add data validation features. 35
(2) In developing the plan, the state board for community and 36
technical colleges shall: 37
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(a) Review its June 2022, Washington career and technical 1
education dual credit final report, including the interim report and 2
appendices; 3
(b) Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of moving to a single, 4
statewide system for administering either all dual credit programs or 5
only the career and technical education dual credit program; and6
(c) Consult with other states that have adopted a single, 7
statewide system for administering one or more dual credit programs.8
(3) By October 1, 2026, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the 9
state board for community and technical colleges must report to the 10
appropriate committees of the legislature with the results of its 11
study and its recommendations for improving dual credit 12
administrative data management, with particular focus on the 13
management of administrative data for career and technical education 14
dual credit programs. 15
Sec. 4. RCW 28B.50.531 and 2008 c 170 s 108 are each amended to 16
read as follows: 17
(1) It is the legislature's intent to recognize and support the 18
work of community and technical colleges, high schools, and skill 19
centers in creating articulation and dual credit agreements for 20
career and technical education students, in part by codifying current 21
practice. 22
(2) Community and technical colleges shall create agreements with 23
high schools and skill centers to offer dual high school and college 24
credit for secondary career and technical courses. Agreements shall 25
be subject to approval by the chief instructional officer of the 26
college and the principal and the career and technical education 27
director of the high school or the executive director of the skill 28
center. 29
(3) Community and technical colleges may create dual credit 30
agreements with high schools and skill centers that are located 31
outside the college district boundary or service area.32
(4) If a community or technical college has created an agreement 33
with a high school or skill center to offer college credit for a 34
secondary career and technical course, all community and technical 35
colleges shall accept the course for an equal amount of college 36
credit. 37
(5)(a)(i) The state board for community and technical colleges 38
shall create, and publish on its website, statewide articulation 39
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agreements for career and technical education dual credit courses. A 1
multiyear workplan must be published on its website and updated 2
annually. These activities must be conducted in collaboration with 3
the office of the superintendent of public instruction and other 4
relevant stakeholders. 5
(ii) The statewide articulation agreements for the five most 6
common career and technical education dual credit courses must be 7
created and published by December 1, 2026.8
(b) Community and technical colleges, high schools, and skill 9
centers are strongly encouraged to use available statewide 10
articulation agreements.11
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) In compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the 12
office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board 13
for community and technical colleges, and the association of 14
educational service districts shall jointly report to the appropriate 15
committees of the legislature on the implementation of this act and 16
with recommendations for additional improvements to state dual credit 17
policies. The preliminary report is due by December 10, 2025, and the 18
final report is due by December 10, 2026.19
(2) One or both reports must include the following information:20
(a) Findings regarding the initial streamlining of regional 21
efforts to support dual credit access and attainment as required 22
under section 2 of this act; 23
(b) Findings regarding the creation of statewide articulation 24
agreements as required under RCW 28B.50.531; and 25
(c) Recommendations to the legislature and relevant state 26
agencies for: 27
(i) Improving career and technical education course articulation 28
and for the development of statewide articulation agreements;29
(ii) Improving data collection and reporting methods;30
(iii) Credit transcription and transfer processes;31
(iv) Ensuring college and career counseling for high school 32
students includes robust and accurate information about dual credit 33
pathways, including career and technical education dual credit, and 34
their alignment to postsecondary credential and apprenticeship 35
opportunities; 36
(v) Further alignment of career and technical education dual 37
credit with career-connected learning, apprenticeship, and credential 38
pathways; and 39
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(vi) Identification of additional priority career and technical 1
education dual credit courses for statewide articulation, 2
considering, but not limited to, the targeted industry sectors under 3
RCW 43.330.090. 4
(3) The final report must provide recommendations for future 5
amendments to state dual credit policies. These recommendations must 6
include potential statutory changes, suggestions for administrative 7
rule improvements, and approaches for supporting equitable student 8
access to, and the effectiveness of, a variety of dual credit 9
programs statewide. 10
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 11
RCW to read as follows: 12
School districts and public high schools shall collaborate with 13
the educational service districts and other specified entities to 14
streamline regional efforts that support students' dual credit access 15
and attainment as required by section 2 of this act.16
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. A new section is added to chapter 28A.245 17
RCW to read as follows: 18
The skill centers shall collaborate with the educational service 19
districts and other specified entities to streamline regional efforts 20
that support students' dual credit access and attainment as required 21
by section 2 of this act. 22
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 23
RCW to read as follows: 24
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall 25
collaborate with the educational service districts and other 26
specified entities to streamline regional efforts that support 27
students' dual credit access and attainment as required by section 2 28
of this act. 29
NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 30
RCW to read as follows: 31
The state board for community and technical colleges and 32
institutions of higher education participating in dual credit 33
programs shall collaborate with the educational service districts and 34
other specified entities to streamline regional efforts that support 35
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students' dual credit access and attainment as required by section 2 1
of this act. 2
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