Current through Register Vol. 24-06, March 15, 2024
School districts may accept worksite learning in lieu of either
required or elective high school credits if such worksite learning meets the
standards under subsections (1) through (4) of this section. Comprehensive
guidelines are available on the OSPI website in the worksite learning
manual.
(1) Definitions:
(a) "Work based learning" means sustained
interactions with industry or community professionals in real workplace
settings, to the extent practicable, or simulated environments at an
educational institution that foster in-depth, firsthand engagement with the
tasks required in a given career field, that are aligned to curriculum and
instruction.
(b) "Worksite
learning" means a learning experience that occurs at a qualified worksite
outside the classroom in fulfillment of a student's educational or career plan
through the coordination of a worksite learning certified teacher. Direct
instruction and supervision is provided by a qualified worksite
supervisor.
(c) "Worksite learning
coordinator" means a certified school district employee responsible for
coordinating worksite learning experiences. For career and technical education
programs, the coordinator must possess a worksite learning certificate in
accordance with WAC
181-77-068. For noncareer and
technical education programs, the coordinator must successfully demonstrate
competencies related to coordination techniques as verified by a professional
educator standards board approved program.
(d) "Worksite supervisor" means a qualified
adult from the worksite responsible for overseeing the worksite learning
experience and acting as liaison between the worksite and school
district.
(e) "Worksite learning
agreement" means a contract that specifies the terms and conditions under which
the worksite learning experience shall occur. It is agreed to and signed by the
school district, worksite supervisor, student, and the student's
parents/guardians.
(f) "Program
orientation" means a meeting conducted by a worksite learning coordinator
giving information to a worksite supervisor about the worksite learning program
of the school. The orientation clarifies program objectives, establishes
support systems, and delineates the responsibilities and rights of the various
parties-school/district, worksite, students, and parents/guardians. The
worksite learning coordinator qualifies the worksite and the worksite
supervisor.
(g) "Employee
orientation" means training for the student facilitated by a worksite
supervisor or designee (e.g., human resources). This is necessary for students
in cooperative worksite learning and instructional worksite learning
experiences. The orientation includes worksite safety procedures and practices,
workers' rights and responsibilities, issues related to harassment, and
employer policies, procedures and expectations. The orientation shall also
include a description of the formal accident prevention program of the
worksite.
(h) "Instructional
worksite learning" means a learning experience that takes place in the
community (or school if the experience is comparable to that in a community
setting) as part of a specific course content where the student performs tasks
in order to gain desired skills, competencies, qualifications or industry
certifications through direct instruction.
(i) "Cooperative worksite learning" means a
learning experience where a student practices in the community (or school if
the experience is comparable to that in a community setting) the skills and
knowledge learned in the classroom. An employer/employee relationship must
exist if the work performed by the student results in a net increase in
productivity or profitability for the business or organization.
(j) "Qualifying class" means any high school
class previously passed or concurrently taken that directly connects the
knowledge and skills learned in the class to opportunities provided by the
worksite learning experience. For career and technical education funding,
"qualifying classes" mean classes approved for career and technical education
in the district offering worksite learning credit.
(2) The student shall be placed in a worksite
that is appropriate to his or her previous learning experience and educational
goals which shall be formalized through a worksite learning agreement and
worksite learning plan. The worksite learning experience shall be connected to
the student's high school and beyond plan in accordance with WAC
180-51-220. The student must have
taken or be concurrently enrolled in a qualifying class.
(a) The worksite learning plan shall
articulate the connection between the education plan of the student and the
worksite learning experience.
(b)
Evaluation of learning progress related to the worksite learning plan shall
occur during the worksite learning experience.
(i) Learning objectives shall be evaluated
and updated on a regular basis as outlined in the worksite learning
agreement.
(ii) Documentation of
progress shall be on file in the district as outlined in the worksite learning
agreement.
(3)
The worksite learning experience shall be supervised by the school. A worksite
learning coordinator shall be responsible for:
(a) Aligning the worksite learning experience
to the education plan of the student;
(b) Identifying and developing worksite
learning sites, establishing worksite learning agreements and worksite learning
plans, orienting and coordinating with a worksite supervisor on the worksite,
and assessing and reporting student progress;
(c) Ensuring that a worksite supervisor:
(i) Has received an orientation on the
worksite learning program of the school prior to placement of the student on
the worksite;
(ii) Has provided the
student with a new-employee orientation upon placement;
(iii) Applies legal requirements of the
employment of minors in accordance with chapters 296-125 and 296-131 WAC,
particularly on issues of occupational health and safety, discrimination,
harassment, worker/employer rights and responsibilities, and work rules for
minors;
(d) Possessing a
valid Washington state secondary teaching certificate in accordance with
chapter 181-79A or 181-77 WAC;
(e)
Successfully demonstrating competencies related to coordination techniques as
verified by a professional educator standards board approved program;
and
(f) Supervising the experience
and communicating with the worksite supervisor when not on-site.
(4) A 1.0 credit may be granted
for no less than 180 hours for instructional worksite learning experience, and
not less than 360 hours of cooperative worksite learning experience, or one
credit may be granted on a competency basis as provided under WAC
180-51-050(1)(b).
(a) A student participating in an
instructional worksite learning experience shall receive instruction supervised
by the school. The worksite learning coordinator oversees the experience but
does not need to be on-site with the student during the entire experience
unless specific accommodations and a plan to address those accommodations are
on file with the district requiring direct supervision of the student at the
worksite. The student shall be 16 years of age or older unless under direct
supervision of a school district employee.
Career and technical education approved instructional worksite
learning shall be coordinated by a certificated worksite learning coordinator
who is also certificated in the program area where credit is offered.
(b) A student participating in a
cooperative worksite learning experience shall be legally employed if the work
being performed by the student results in a net increase in productivity or
profitability for the business or organization. The student shall be 16 years
of age or older.
(i) Career and technical
education approved cooperative worksite learning shall be coordinated by a
certificated worksite learning coordinator.
(ii) The cooperative worksite learning
experience shall be a direct extension of a qualifying class.
(iii) For cooperative worksite learning, the
learning experience must be reported using the specific worksite placement
state course code and course designation code per OSPI guidance.
Statutory Authority:
RCW
28A.305.130. 08-12-094, § 392-410-315,
filed 6/4/08, effective 7/5/08; 08-04-074, § 392-410-315, filed 2/4/08,
effective 3/6/08. Statutory Authority: 2006 c 263. 06-14-009, recodified as
§ 392-410-315, filed 6/22/06, effective 6/22/06. Statutory Authority:
RCW
28A.305.130(8), (9), and
28A.230.100. 03-04-054, §
180-50-315, filed 1/29/03, effective 3/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW
28A.04.120. 00-19-106, § 180-50-315, filed 9/20/00, effective 10/21/00.
Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.04.120(6) and (8) and 28A.05.060. 85-12-037 (Order
13-85), § 180-50-315, filed 6/3/85. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.04.120(6)
and (8). 84-21-004 (Order 12-84), § 180-50-315, filed
10/4/84.