BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2211
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           CORRECTED  - 06/02/2010 Technical change (Member name)

          ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
          AB 2211 (Fuentes)
          As Amended  April 13, 2010
          2/3 vote.  Urgency 

           EDUCATION           8-0         APPROPRIATIONS      17-0        
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Brownley, Nestande,       |Ayes:|Fuentes, Conway, Ammiano, |
          |     |Ammiano, Arambula,        |     |                          |
          |     |Carter, Chesbro, Norby,   |     |Bradford, Charles         |
          |     |Torlakson                 |     |Calderon, Coto,           |
          |     |                          |     |Davis, Monning, Ruskin,   |
          |     |                          |     |Harkey,                   |
          |     |                          |     |Miller, Nielsen, Norby,   |
          |     |                          |     |Skinner, Solorio,         |
          |     |                          |     |Torlakson, Torrico        |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |     |                          |     |                          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
           SUMMARY  :  Allows school districts to provide work-based learning  
          opportunities for pupils through existing programs such as  
          partnership academies, regional occupational programs (ROPs), and  
          other career technical education (CTE) programs and states that  
          high quality work-based learning experiences may include, but are  
          not limited to, specified components and characteristics.   
          Specifically,  this bill  : 

          1)Makes various findings and declarations related to work-based  
            learning, and defines "work-based learning" as an educational  
            approach or instructional methodology that uses the workplace or  
            real work to provide pupils the knowledge and skills that help  
            them connect school experiences to real-life work activities and  
            future career opportunities. 

          2)Authorizes school districts that maintain high schools to  
            establish work-based learning programs, and requires districts  
            that choose to offer work-based learning opportunities to ensure  
            that pupils are afforded the same statutory and regulatory  
            safeguards as pupils in work experience programs, and authorizes  
            districts to purchase liability insurance for pupils enrolled in  
            programs of study involving work-based learning off school  
            grounds and to arrange, approve coordinate and award credit for  







                                                                  AB 2211
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            work-based learning.

          3)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), in  
            conjunction with specified education stakeholders, to develop  
            principles and guidelines for the establishment of work-based  
            learning programs and consider existing guidelines or  
            regulations relative to relevant programs and the most current  
            academic and career technical education standards.

          4)Authorizes the State Board of Education (SBE) and the SPI for  
            purposes of completing these principles and guidelines to use  
            existing federal and state funds or to apply for and accept  
            grants and receive donations, or other financial support from  
            public or private sources.

          5)Encourages school districts offering work-based learning to  
            provide information to local transportation agencies regarding  
            existing schools offering work-based learning opportunities and  
            participating industry worksites and to submit to the California  
            Department of Education (CDE) work-based learning best practices  
            and specific examples of work-based learning offered by the  
            district.

          6)Encourages school districts to work with local workforce  
            investment board youth councils to maximize the use of available  
            resources for youth employment opportunities.

          7)Adds an urgency clause allowing this measure to become effective  
            immediately upon enactment.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations  
          Committee, General Fund administrative costs, likely between  
          $125,000 and $200,000, to the SPI to develop principles and  
          guidelines for the establishment of work-based learning programs.   
          This measure authorizes the SPI to use grant funding or public  
          donations to complete the principles and guidelines, as specified.

           COMMENTS  :  This bill authorizes programs such as partnership  
          academies and regional occupational centers and programs to  
          deliver work-based learning opportunities for pupils.  Work-based  
          learning is defined in this bill as an educational approach or  
          instructional methodology that uses the workplace or real work to  
          provide pupils the knowledge and skills that help them connect  
          school experiences to real-life work activities and career  
          opportunities.  The objective is for work-based learning to  







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          systematically reinforce both academic and technical content, and  
          the approach requires active involvement of industry partners and  
          teachers to coordinate the curriculum.  Work-based learning can  
          take the form of internships, apprenticeships, workplace  
          simulations, and other opportunities in the business or nonprofit  
          arena.

          Previous bills relative to work-based learning have been vetoed by  
          the Governor.  The last veto message notes the lack of "sufficient  
          protections to ensure that students are not solely enrolled in job  
          opportunities that are not combined with sufficient academic  
          coursework."  This bill is different from the prior bills in that  
          it includes a requirement for the SPI to develop principles and  
          guidelines for the delivery of work-based learning, as specified,  
          and to consider existing guidelines and regulations that have been  
          developed for similar programs. 

          Prior legislation:  AB 332 (Fuentes) of 2009 would have allowed  
          school districts to provide work-based learning opportunities for  
          pupils through existing programs such as partnership academies and  
          ROPs.  AB 332 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger with the  
          following veto message: 

               While I am very supportive of the intent of this bill of  
               providing students with opportunities to receive  
               rigorous and relevant career technical education linked  
               to real world experiences, I am concerned that this bill  
               lacks sufficient protections to ensure that students are  
               not solely enrolled in job opportunities that are not  
               combined with sufficient academic coursework.

               However I am directing my Administration to work with  
               the author so that I can consider a measure that is more  
               tightly crafted and would accomplish the goal of  
               promoting a balanced approach towards work-based  
               learning.

          AB 2078 (Fuentes) of 2008 would have provided that work-based  
          learning opportunities for pupils may be delivered through  
          existing programs such as partnership academies and regional  
          occupational programs (ROPs).  AB 2078 was vetoed by Governor  
          Schwarzenegger.  

          The veto message read:  "The historic delay in passing the  
          2008-2009 State Budget has forced me to prioritize the bills sent  







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          to my desk at the end of the year's legislative session.  Given  
          the delay, I am only signing bills that are the highest priority  
          for California.  This bill does not meet that standard and I  
          cannot sign it at this time."

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Marisol Avina / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN:  
          0004557