BILL NUMBER: AB 428 CHAPTERED 10/12/07 CHAPTER 527 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 12, 2007 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 12, 2007 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 10, 2007 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 11, 2007 AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 6, 2007 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 31, 2007 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 18, 2007 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2007 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 1, 2007 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 18, 2007 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Carter (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Bass) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Dymally and Price) (Coauthor: Senator Romero) FEBRUARY 16, 2007 An act to amend Section 48980 of, and to add Section 51229 to, the Education Code, relating to high school curriculum. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 428, Carter. High school curriculum: notification regarding college preparatory courses. (1) Existing law prohibits, except as specified, a pupil from receiving a diploma of graduation from high school if that pupil, while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, has not completed specified academic requirements. Existing law requires school districts maintaining any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer a course of study satisfying the prerequisites for admission to the California public institutions of postsecondary education, and a course of study that provides an opportunity for pupils to attain entry-level employment skills in business or industry upon graduation from high school. Existing law requires the governing board of each school district at the beginning of the first semester or quarter of the regular school term to notify parents or guardians of minor pupils of specified rights and responsibilities of the parent or guardian. This bill would require each school district offering any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, each school year, as part of the specified annual notification, to provide the parent or guardian of each minor pupil enrolled in any of those grades in the district with written notification that, to the extent possible, would not exceed one page in length. The notification contents would relate to the courses offered by the district that satisfy the subject requirements for admission to the California State University and the University of California and also would include information on career technical education, including a brief description of it, as defined by the State Department of Education. The bill also would make conforming and technical, nonsubstantive changes, including, but not limited to, the correction of obsolete references to the provisions governing the existing, specified annual notification. (2) By requiring each school district offering any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to provide parents and guardians of minor pupils enrolled in any of those grades in the district with additional written information as part of a specified notification, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 48980 of the Education Code is amended to read: 48980. (a) At the beginning of the first semester or quarter of the regular school term, the governing board of each school district shall notify the parent or guardian of a minor pupil regarding the right or responsibility of the parent or guardian under Sections 35291, 46014, 48205, 48207, 48208, 49403, 49423, 49451, 49472, and 51938 and Chapter 2.3 (commencing with Section 32255) of Part 19. (b) The notification also shall advise the parent or guardian of the availability of individualized instruction as prescribed by Section 48206.3, and of the program prescribed by Article 9 (commencing with Section 49510) of Chapter 9. (c) The notification also shall advise the parents and guardians of all pupils attending a school within the school district of the schedule of minimum days and pupil-free staff development days, and if any minimum or pupil-free staff development days are scheduled thereafter, the governing board of the district shall notify parents and guardians of the affected pupils as early as possible, but not later than one month before the scheduled minimum or pupil-free day. (d) The notification also may advise the parent or guardian of the importance of investing for future college or university education for their children and of considering appropriate investment options including, but not limited to, United States Savings Bonds. (e) The notification shall advise the parent or guardian of the pupil that each pupil completing grade 12 is required to successfully pass the high school exit examination administered pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 60850) of Part 33. The notification shall include, at a minimum, the date of the examination, the requirements for passing the examination, and shall inform the parents and guardians regarding the consequences of not passing the examination and shall inform parents and guardians that passing the examination is a condition of graduation. (f) Each school district that elects to provide a fingerprinting program pursuant to Article 10 (commencing with Section 32390) of Chapter 3 of Part 19 shall inform parents or guardians of the program as specified in Section 32390. (g) The notification shall also include a copy of the written policy of the school district on sexual harassment established pursuant to Section 231.5, as it relates to pupils. (h) The notification shall advise the parent or guardian of all existing statutory attendance options and local attendance options available in the school district. This notification component shall include all options for meeting residency requirements for school attendance, programmatic options offered within the local attendance areas, and any special programmatic options available on both an interdistrict and intradistrict basis. This notification component also shall include a description of all options, a description of the procedure for application for alternative attendance areas or programs, an application form from the district for requesting a change of attendance, and a description of the appeals process available, if any, for a parent or guardian denied a change of attendance. The notification component also shall include an explanation of the existing statutory attendance options including, but not limited to, those available under Section 35160.5, Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 46600) of Part 26, and subdivision (b) of Section 48204. The department shall produce this portion of the notification and shall distribute it to all school districts. (i) It is the intent of the Legislature that the governing board of each school district annually review the enrollment options available to the pupils within their districts and that the districts strive to make available enrollment options that meet the diverse needs, potential, and interests of the pupils of California. (j) The notification shall advise the parent or guardian that a pupil shall not have his or her grade reduced or lose academic credit for any absence or absences excused pursuant to Section 48205 if missed assignments and tests that can reasonably be provided are satisfactorily completed within a reasonable period of time, and shall include the full text of Section 48205. (k) The notification shall advise the parent or guardian of the availability of state funds to cover the costs of advanced placement examination fees pursuant to Section 52244. (l) The notification to the parent or guardian of a minor pupil enrolled in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, also shall include the information required pursuant to Section 51229. SEC. 2. Section 51229 is added to the Education Code, to read: 51229. (a) Each school year, as part of the annual notification required pursuant to Section 48980, a school district offering any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, shall provide the parent or guardian of each minor pupil enrolled in any of those grades in the district with written notification that, to the extent possible, shall not exceed one page in length and that includes all of the following: (1) A brief explanation of the college admission requirements. (2) A list of the current University of California and California State University Web sites that help pupils and their families learn about college admission requirements and that list high school courses that have been certified by the University of California as satisfying the requirements for admission to the University of California and the California State University. (3) A brief description of what career technical education is, as defined by the department. (4) The Internet address for the portion of the Web site of the department where pupils can learn more about career technical education. (5) Information about how pupils may meet with school counselors to help them choose courses at their school that will meet college admission requirements or enroll in career technical education courses, or both. (b) For purposes of this section, "college admission requirements" means the list of courses that satisfy the subject requirements for admission to the California State University and the University of California. SEC. 3. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.