BILL NUMBER: AB 1412 CHAPTERED 09/27/02 CHAPTER 988 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 27, 2002 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 27, 2002 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 31, 2002 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 29, 2002 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 28, 2002 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 19, 2002 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 5, 2002 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 18, 2002 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 6, 2002 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 26, 2001 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 15, 2001 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2001 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Wright and Wyland (Coauthor: Assembly Member Wiggins) (Coauthor: Senator McPherson) FEBRUARY 23, 2001 An act to amend Section 51226 of, and to add Sections 51221.5, 52525, and 66205.5 to, the Education Code, relating to adult and career technical education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1412, Wright. Career education. Existing law sets forth the required course of study for schools maintaining grades 7 to 12, inclusive, including, but not limited to, courses in vocational-technical education. This bill would provide that the term "vocational-technical education" shall have the same meaning as "career technical education." Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to coordinate the development of certain model curriculum standards regarding high school graduation requirements and for a vocational education course of study. Existing law also requires the superintendent to develop curriculum standards for education courses and adopt those standards by May 1, 1991. This bill would extend the time for adoption of the curriculum standards to January 1, 2005, and would require the superintendent to work with an advisory group with a specified membership in developing the standards. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature that school districts not be required to make curriculum changes pursuant to these or related provisions. Existing law, known as the Donahoe Higher Education Act, sets forth, among other things, the missions and functions of California's public and independent segments of higher education, and their respective institutions of higher education. Provisions of the act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, act to make a provision applicable. Among other things, the act sets forth legislative intent relating to admission to the University of California and the California State University. This bill would require the California State University, and would request the University of California, to establish model uniform academic standards, develop, by January 1, 2006, a speedy process whereby high schools may obtain approval of their courses as satisfying specified admissions requirements, and develop a simple procedure to evaluate a career technical education course that is submitted by one high school that identifies it as a duplicate of a course offered by another high school that is approved by, and satisfies the admission criteria of, the university, with the duplicate course being approved to the same extent as the original. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 51221.5 is added to the Education Code, to read: 51221.5. For the purposes of this code, the phrase "vocational-technical education" shall have the same meaning as "career technical education" as described in subdivision (i) of Section 51220. SEC. 2. Section 51226 of the Education Code is amended to read: 51226. (a) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall coordinate the development of, and the State Board of Education shall adopt, model curriculum standards for the career technical education course of study permitted pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 51225.3. To assist school districts in complying with subdivision (b) of Section 51228, the model standards shall integrate career technical education with the prescribed course of study pursuant in subdivision (b) of Section 51225.3. However, neither the superintendent nor the board shall adopt regulations on course content or methods of instruction pursuant to this section. (b) In developing the model curriculum standards, the superintendent shall work in consultation and coordination with an advisory group, including, but not limited to, representatives from all of the following: (1) Business and industry. (2) Institutions of higher education, including, but not limited to, the California Community Colleges, the University of California, and the California State University. (3) Classroom teachers. (4) School administrators. (5) Parents and guardians. (6) The Legislature. (c) The superintendent shall, to the extent applicable, incorporate the integration of career technical and academic education into the development of curriculum standards for career technical education courses. The standards for a career technical education course of study shall be adopted by January 1, 2005. (d) Costs incurred by the superintendent in complying with this section shall be covered solely by funds available pursuant to the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act of 1998 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 2301). SEC. 3. Section 52525 is added to the Education Code, to read: 52525. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) A healthy state economy is dependent on an educated and well-prepared workforce. Career technical education plays a critical role in developing the workforce necessary for the economic viability of the state, keeping pupils engaged in the educational process, and providing meaningful skills that translate to productive careers. (b) Data and projections from the Employment Development Department reveal that between the years of 2000 and 2006, approximately 711,290 jobs that do not require a college degree will need to be filled. (c) The United States Department of Labor indicates that only about 20 percent of the jobs in the workforce require a baccalaureate degree. (d) The State Department of Education reports that over 75 percent of the "industrial technology education," which includes, but is not limited to, automotive, construction, and manufacturing programs in California's schools have closed since the mid-1970s. (e) The Employment Development Department and other sources reveal that current course offerings and enrollments are insufficient to fill the projected need of the state's future labor market. Existing courses provide only 65 percent of the projected course requirements. SEC. 4. Section 66205.5 is added to the Education Code, to read: 66205.5. The California State University shall, and the University of California is requested to, do all of the following: (a) Establish a model uniform set of academic standards for high school courses, including career technical courses pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 51220, for the purposes of recognition for admission to the California State University and to the University of California, respectively. In developing the model academic standards, the faculty of the postsecondary segments may work in consultation with administrators and faculty from schools maintaining any of grades kindergarten through 12. Participating schools that maintain any of grades kindergarten through 12 shall consult with an advisory group that shall include, but need not be limited to, representatives from all of the following: (1) The University of California and the California State University. (2) Business and industry, related to career technical programs in any of grades kindergarten through 12, inclusive. (3) Classroom teachers in career technical education. (4) School administrators. (5) Parents. (b) Develop and implement a speedy process whereby high schools may obtain approval of their courses to satisfy specified admissions requirements of the California State University and the University of California, respectively, by January 1, 2006. The approval process shall, by August 1 of each school year, notify applying schools whether the application for approval has been approved or denied. (c) Develop a simple procedure to evaluate a career technical education course submitted by a high school that identifies it as a duplicate of a course offered by another high school that is approved by and satisfies the admissions criteria of the California State University or the University of California. The procedure shall ensure that a duplicated course shall be approved as satisfying the admissions criteria of the California State University or the University of California, respectively, to the same extent as the original course if the review determines that the course successfully duplicates the content and requirements of the original course. If a course is not approved as a duplicate, the California State University or the University of California shall inform the applicant high school of the reasons why the course was not approved and shall provide the applicant with a specific list of requirements that the course must meet in order to be approved as a duplicate. In the event an applicant high school, whose course was not approved as a duplicate, revises the course and resubmits its application, the California State University or the University of California shall respond as expeditiously as possible so that if the course meets the necessary requirements for approval it may be offered in the next fall term. (d) Take into consideration any previous work completed or policies adopted regarding matters related to subdivisions (a) to (c), inclusive, by the California State University or the University of California, respectively. SEC. 5. It is the intent of the Legislature that a school district maintaining any of kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, shall not be required to make changes to existing curriculum pursuant to the amendments made to Section 51226 of the Education Code by this act or by the addition of Section 66205.5 of the Education Code, added by this act.