BILL NUMBER: AB 717 CHAPTERED 10/11/01 CHAPTER 709 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 11, 2001 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 10, 2001 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 13, 2001 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 13, 2001 AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 12, 2001 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 20, 2001 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 20, 2001 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 30, 2001 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 2, 2001 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Wiggins (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Liu) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alquist, Bogh, Cedillo, Chan, Chavez, Cogdill, Cohn, Correa, Diaz, Havice, Horton, Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, Pavley, Reyes, Shelley, Strom-Martin, Vargas, Washington, Wyland, and Wyman) (Coauthors: Senators McPherson and Perata) FEBRUARY 22, 2001 An act to add and repeal Chapter 8.8 (commencing with Section 52290) of Part 28 of the Education Code, relating to education technology. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 717, Wiggins. Information Technology Career Academy Grant Initiative. Existing law, the Digital High School Education Technology Grant Act of 1997, establishes a program to provide high school pupils with basic computer skills including, but not limited to, Internet search and retrieval tools, so as to, among other things, improve pupil achievement in all academic subjects. This bill would, until January 1, 2003, establish the California Information Technology Career Academy Grant Initiative to establish a partnership between the state and the National Academy Foundation and would provide grants to create up to 100 information technology career academies in public high schools. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) California is currently experiencing a growing workforce gap due largely in part to the lack of workers equipped with the necessary skills to meet the demands of the state's high-tech industries. While the shortage has mainly affected the high-tech cluster regions of the state, the lack of skilled workers has hindered other regions of the state trying to attract high-tech industries to bolster their local economies. (b) California's high school population is the most promising pipeline to meet the workforce needs of the technology-driven economy. Unfortunately, high school achievement is low, especially in math and science which are the most important skills needed in the high-tech industry. In fact, pupil awareness of high-tech careers is lower than most other industry sectors. (c) Due to the lack of a skilled high-tech workforce, new educational approaches will be required to support young people to cross and eliminate the digital divide and acquire the skills that will enable them to succeed in the 21st century economy. (d) Career oriented academies in our high schools have proven to be a highly effective approach to raising academic achievement and job preparedness for all pupils. By providing instruction that combines academic and occupational rigor through the integration of career mentoring and school-and work-based learning to the formal academic curriculum, pupils are better prepared for high-skilled careers or postsecondary education, including four-year colleges and universities. (e) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature to increase the availability of information technology career academies in high schools throughout the state to improve academic achievement and supply California's high-tech industry with a skilled workforce. SEC. 2. Chapter 8.8 (commencing with Section 52290) is added to Part 28 of the Education Code, to read: CHAPTER 8.8. THE CALIFORNIA INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CAREER ACADEMY GRANT INITIATIVE 52290. (a) The state shall establish a partnership with the National Academy Foundation to create up to 100 Information Technology Career Academies in public high schools throughout the state in the 2001-02 school year. (b) Under the partnership between the state and the National Academy Foundation, the state will allocate funds as specified in Section 52291, if the National Academy Foundation provides at least four of the following: (1) An Information Technology Career Academy model that is based on the nationally validated model developed by the National Academy Foundation and supported by industry leaders. (2) Teaching methods and tools that support preservice and in-service training around academy tenets. (3) Program design and rigorous industry adopted curriculum that are reviewed and revised by the National Academy Foundation periodically to ensure relevance and current practices. (4) Technical assistance for academy implementation and opportunities to share best practices, curriculum training for teachers, and mentoring support for intern sponsors and other industry participants. (5) Assistance in establishing college partnerships by developing articulation agreements between secondary schools and two- and four-year colleges in California. (6) In-kind support including, but not limited to, transportation and lodging for designated teachers to attend the Annual Institute for Staff Development and assistance to schools in accessing funding from public and private sources. 52291. Pursuant to funds appropriated for these purposes in the Budget Act or other enactment the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall select up to 100 high schools from applicants that meet the eligibility criteria set forth in Section 52292. The National Academy Foundation and the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop a memorandum of understanding with regard to application approval and program implementation. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall award grants to the high schools selected by the partnership for the purpose of establishing and maintaining an Information Technology Career Academy. (b) Grants in the amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) shall be distributed to high schools selected to receive the award and that demonstrate an ability to meet or exceed the criteria set forth in Section 52292. (c) For the 2001-02 fiscal year, grant recipients shall be selected through a competitive process with the grants awarded to those applicants that best meet the criteria specified under Section 52292. (d) When selecting the high schools eligible to receive grants pursuant to this chapter, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall give first priority to applicants aimed at establishing the academies in high schools ranked in the bottom half of the Academic Performance Index pursuant to Section 52056. Second priority shall be given to applicants that demonstrate the ability to create a highly integrated system involving multiple funding sources. Additionally, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall, to be best of his or her ability, select high schools so that grants are equitably distributed among urban, rural, and suburban areas. (e) Grants shall be awarded only to school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools that maintain grades 9 to 12, inclusive. However, a school district, county office of education, or charter school that maintains grades 9 to 12, inclusive may contract with a nonprofit organization for the purposes of administering the academy. 52292. In order to be eligible for grants, applicants shall meet or exceed all of the following criteria: (a) The ability to build on and integrate at least one or more other relevant and beneficial workforce development and educational programs currently operating in the local area that will support and maximize the effectiveness of the academy including, but not limited to, technical preparation and vocational education programs provided through the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 2301), programs provided through the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 2801), local school-to-career partnerships as provided through School-to-Career Initiatives (commencing with Section 53080) of Chapter 17 of Part 28, and Regional Occupational Centers and Programs established pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 52300) of Chapter 9. Building upon and integrating these programs and entities shall, in addition to the assistance from the National Academy Foundation, help strengthen the academy by providing additional resources and infrastructure needed for long-term sustainability. (b) The ability to demonstrate an amount equal, at a minimum, to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) leveraged from existing programs or entities as set forth in subdivision (a). (c) An amount equal to fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) in the form of direct or in-kind support, or both, provided by participating companies or other private sector organizations or nonprofit entities. (d) An assurance that the state funds are used for the development, operation, and support of the Information Technology Career Academy. This includes, but is not limited to, upgrading or providing new equipment, providing support services for special population pupils, purchasing new instructional materials, developing or increasing postsecondary articulation, increasing the use of new technology, integrating academic curriculum into the vocational courses, developing industry certifications, innovating new courses or any other uses necessary to operate the academy. (e) An assurance that each academy will be established as a "school within a school." (f) Assurance that each academy will, at a minimum, provide all of the following: (1) Instruction containing coursework that prepares the pupil for a regular high school diploma. (2) A "laboratory" class related to the academy's occupational field. (3) A mentor from the business community during the pupil's 10th, 11th, or 12th grade year. (4) An internship or paid job related to information technology. This may be offered during the grade 11, grade 11 summer, or grade 12 year. If summer school is required during summer after the 11th grade, a pupil may be exempted from this requirement. (5) Additional motivational activities with private sector involvement to encourage academic and occupational preparation. (6) An assurance that at least 50 percent of the pupils selected to the academy are "at-risk." However, the grantee may request, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction may waive, this requirement. (g) The establishment of a local business advisory board for the purpose of securing quality internships for academy pupils, supporting mentoring and job observation experiences for both pupils and teachers, sponsoring fundraising events for pupils activities and scholarships, assisting in curriculum development and revision, raising awareness of the academy, and building community support. 52292.5. For the purposes of this chapter "at-risk pupil" means a pupil who meets at least two of the five following criteria: (a) Has a record of irregular attendance. (b) Has a record of underachievement. (c) Has a record of low motivation or a disinterest in the regular school program. (d) Disadvantaged economically. (e) Comes from an economically disadvantaged family. 52293. In any fiscal year, this chapter shall be implemented only to the extent that funds are specifically appropriated for that fiscal year for the purposes of this chapter in the annual Budget Act or other measure. 52294. This chapter shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2003, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2003, deletes or extends that date. SEC. 3. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall contract for an independent review of the effectiveness of the California Information Technology Career Academy Grant Initiative set forth in Chapter 8.8 (commencing with Section 52290) of Part 28 of the Education Code and shall submit a report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by May 1, 2003. The independent review shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following: (a) The level of participation by the National Academy Foundation as specified in subdivision (b) of Section 52290 of the Education Code. (b) The ability of each high school participating in the program to meet or exceed the criteria as specified under Section 52292 of the Education Code. (c) The level of academic performance of academy pupils compared to the rest of the pupil population at the high school. The measurements shall include, but not be limited to, grade point average, attendance rates, dropout rates, graduation rates, and measurements of pupil, parent, and employer satisfaction. (d) The level of business and industry engagement including, but not limited to, in-kind contributions, mentor services, work-based learning opportunities, and summer jobs. (e) The academic level of the pupil prior to, and after, placement in the academy. The measurements shall include, but not be limited to, grade point average, attendance rates, decreased dropout rates, and graduation rates.