BILL ANALYSIS
SB 1143
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 1143 (Liu)
As Amended August 17, 2010
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :Vote not relevant
HIGHER EDUCATION 5-3 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Block, Fuller, Galgiani, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Conway, |
| |Portantino, Ruskin | |Bradford, Huffman, Coto, |
| | | |Davis, De Leon, Gatto, |
| | | |Hall, Harkey, Miller, |
| | | |Nielsen, Norby, Skinner, |
| | | |Solorio, Torlakson, |
| | | |Torrico |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Norby, Adams, Chesbro | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Establishes legislative findings that the California
Community Colleges (CCC) Board of Governors (BOG) shall adopt a
plan for promoting and improving CCC student success after
convening a taskforce to examine best practices within the
colleges and effective models throughout the nation that
accomplish this objective. Specifically, this bill:
1)Establishes Legislative findings that the CCC BOG shall adopt
a plan for promoting and improving CCC student success after
convening a taskforce to examine best practices within the
colleges and effective models throughout the nation that
accomplish this objective and requires the focus of the task
force to include, but not be limited to:
a) Multiple measures for assessing completion and success,
including, but not limited to, attaining college-level
skills, accumulating college-level course credits, earning
a degree or certificate, or transferring to a four-year
college or university;
b) Effective programs for ensuring student completion and
success;
SB 1143
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c) Statutory and regulatory barriers to student success;
d) Best practices for promoting student success and
completion, including, but not limited to, basic skills;
e) Alternative funding options for promoting best practices
in student completion and providing necessary services to
students;
f) Alternative funding options instituted in other states;
and
g) The effective use of technology for CCC colleges and
districts to promote, evaluate and improve student success.
2)Specifies that the task force shall include a broad
representation of stakeholders, including but not limited to
faculty.
3)Requires the task force and the CCC BOG, prior to presenting
its recommendations, as specified, to facilitate discussions
with key community college stakeholders and others to provide
input on the findings and recommendations of the task force.
4)Requires the CCC BOG, prior to implementation of this plan, to
report its recommendations to the Senate Education Committee
and the Assembly Higher Education Committee at a joint hearing
to be convened no later than March 1, 2012.
FISCAL EFFECT :
1)The Chancellor's Office indicates that costs to support the
task force and CCC BOG in preparing and adopting a plan will
be absorbable within the scope of ongoing CCC activities
related to shared governance, research, academic affairs, and
policy development related to basic skills.
2)Implementation of any plan adopted by CCC BOG could initially
create significant Proposition 98 cost pressure. Absent any
specifics about the plan, such costs are unknown but could
easily be several million dollars per year or more. To the
extent implementing any plan leads to improvements in overall
student success, including course completion, the offsetting
savings to the system would greatly exceed any costs.
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COMMENTS : The Institute for Higher Education Leadership &
Policy (IHELP) has issued several reports in the last few years
calling on California to make CCC student completion, as well as
access, a state priority, particularly in light of the need for
a more highly skilled workforce. According to IHELP, less than
one-fourth of the students who enroll in CCC intending to
complete a college program do so, and much of the reason lies
with the state's policies.
IHELP identifies the current financing system, which funds CCC
based on the number of FTES it reports at a date set early in
the term, as a policy that disproportionately emphasizes the
front end of the student's college pathway and does not
encourage support or reward for the student's success. Thus,
IHELP recommends funding completions along with enrollments,
with bonus funding for completions by disadvantaged and
under-prepared students.
In addition to funding changes, IHELP recommends the following
policy changes, among others:
1)Increase flexibility in hiring in order to meet student
demand;
2)Provide CCC more flexibility in the use of its funds;
3)Allow CCC to keep fee revenues;
4)Remove restrictions on campus-based fees;
5)Develop an affordability policy based on the total cost of
college attendance;
6)Revise assessment and placement policies; and,
7)Revise campus matriculation policies to provide clear guidance
that students can follow to progress quickly toward completion
of their selected programs.
Analysis Prepared by : Sandra Fried / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0006093