BILL NUMBER: SB 381 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 16, 2009
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 4, 2009
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 16, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Senator Wright
(Coauthor: Senator Wyland)
( Coauthors: Assembly Members
Adams, Anderson, Bill Berryhill,
Tom Berryhill, Cook, Conway,
Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Furutani,
Gaines, Garrick, Hagman,
Hall, Harkey, Jeffries, Logue,
Miller, Nestande, Nielsen,
Portantino, Silva, Smyth, Tran,
and Torlakson )
FEBRUARY 26, 2009
An act to amend Sections 51224 and 51225.3
, 51225.3, and 51228 of the Education Code, relating to
high school instruction.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 381, as amended, Wright. High school instruction:
Instruction: course of study.
Existing law prescribes the course of study a pupil is required to
complete while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a
diploma of graduation. Existing law authorizes the governing board of
a school district to adopt rules specifying additional coursework
requirements. Existing law requires each school district
maintaining any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer to all
otherwise qualified pupils in those grades a course of study that
provides an opportunity for those pupils to attain entry-level
employment skills in business or industry upon graduation from high
school.
This bill would prohibit a school district from adopting a
graduation requirement that commences with the 2010-11 school
year and requires the completion of additional coursework to
meet or exceed the requirements and prerequisites for admission to a
4-year California public university unless the district also
adopts a prescribed optional graduation requirement that requires
the completion of an equal amount of coursework to attain entry-level
employment skills in business or industry upon graduation from high
school. The requires the completion of a sequence of
at least 3 career and technical education courses. However, this
provision would not apply to a school district that, by June 30,
2009, has adopted graduation requirements that require the completion
of all minimum coursework necessary to meet the requirements and
prerequisites for admission to a 4-year California public university.
The bill also would make conforming and
clarifying changes.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 51224 of the Education Code is amended to read:
51224. The governing board of any school district maintaining a
high school shall prescribe courses of study designed to provide
the skills and knowledge required for adult life to pupils attending
schools within the district, including providing every pupil
with the opportunity to be prepared to enter the world of work with
sufficient marketable skills and knowledge for legitimate
remunerative employment, as described in Section 51004. The governing
board shall prescribe courses of study, including, but not limited
to, a course of study designed to prepare prospective pupils for
admission to state colleges and universities and a course of study
for career technical training pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) of
Section 51228.
SEC. 2. Section 51225.3 of the Education Code is amended to read:
51225.3. (a) Commencing with the 1988-89 school year, no pupil
shall receive a diploma of graduation from high school who, while in
grades 9 to 12, inclusive, has not completed all of the following:
(1) At least the following numbers of courses in the subjects
specified, each course having a duration of one year, unless
otherwise specified.
(A) Three courses in English.
(B) Two courses in mathematics.
(C) Two courses in science, including biological and physical
sciences.
(D) Three courses in social studies, including United States
history and geography; world history, culture, and geography; a
one-semester course in American government and civics, and a
one-semester course in economics.
(E) One course in visual or performing arts or foreign language.
For the purposes of satisfying the requirement specified in this
subparagraph, a course in American Sign Language shall be deemed a
course in foreign language.
(F) Two courses in physical education, unless the pupil has been
exempted pursuant to the provisions of this code.
(2) Other coursework as the governing board of the school district
may by rule specify, except as provided in subdivision (c).
(b) The governing board, with the active involvement of parents,
administrators, teachers, and pupils, shall adopt alternative means
for pupils to complete the prescribed course of study which may
include practical demonstration of skills and competencies,
supervised work experience or other outside school experience, career
technical education classes offered in high schools, courses offered
by regional occupational centers or programs, interdisciplinary
study, independent study, and credit earned at a postsecondary
institution. Requirements for graduation and specified alternative
modes for completing the prescribed course of study shall be made
available to pupils, parents, and the public.
(c) (1) In order to maintain a balance of
course offerings for all pupils pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b)
of Section 51228, a school district shall not adopt a graduation
requirement pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) that
commences with the 2010-11 school year and requires the
completion of additional coursework to meet or exceed the
requirements and prerequisites for admission to a four-year
California public university unless the district also adopts
an optional graduation requirement that requires the completion of
an equal amount of coursework to attain entry-level employment skills
in business or industry upon graduation from high school. This
optional graduation requirement shall include the coursework required
in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 51225.3 and a
sequence unless the district also requires the
completion of a sequence of at least three career and technical
education courses. The governing board of the school district shall
ensure that the sequence of career and technical education courses is
aligned with the curriculum content standards for career and
technical education adopted by the State Board of Education
state board pursuant to Section 51225, that
preserves a pupil's full array of options after high school.
(2) This subdivision shall not apply to a school district that, by
June 30, 2009, has adopted graduation requirements that require the
completion of all minimum coursework necessary to meet the
requirements and prerequisites for admission to a four-year
California public university.
SEC. 3. Section 51228 of the Education
Code is amended to read:
51228. (a) Each school district maintaining any of grades 7 to
12, inclusive, shall offer to all otherwise qualified pupils in those
grades a course of study fulfilling the requirements and
prerequisites for admission to the California public institutions of
postsecondary education and shall provide a timely opportunity to
each of those pupils to enroll within a four-year period in each
course necessary to fulfill those requirements and prerequisites
prior to graduation from high school.
(b) Each school district maintaining any of grades 7 to 12,
inclusive, shall offer to all otherwise qualified pupils in those
grades a course of study that provides an opportunity for those
pupils to attain entry-level employment skills in business or
industry upon graduation from high school , and shall
offer to each of those pupils the opportunity to enroll within a
four-year period in each course necessary to fulfill this requirement
prior to graduation from high school . Districts are
(c) A school district is
encouraged to provide all pupils with a rigorous academic curriculum
that integrates academic and career skills, incorporates applied
learning in all disciplines, and prepares all pupils for high school
graduation and career entry.
(c)
(d) A school district that adopts a required curriculum
that meets or exceeds the model standards developed and adopted by
the state board pursuant to Section 51226 shall be deemed to have
fulfilled its responsibilities pursuant to subdivision (b).
(d)
(e) A school district that adopts a required curriculum
pursuant to subdivision (c) (d) that
meets or exceeds the model standards developed by the state board
pursuant to Section 51226, or that adopts alternative means for
pupils to complete the prescribed course of study pursuant to
subdivision (b) of Section 51225.3, may substitute pupil
demonstration of competence in the prescribed subjects through a
practical demonstration of these skills in a regional occupational
center or program, work experience, interdisciplinary study,
independent study, credit earned at a postsecondary institution, or
other outside school experience, as prescribed by Section 51225.3.