BILL NUMBER: SB 1354 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Senator Hancock
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
An act to amend Sections 54690, 54691, and 54692 of the Education
Code, relating to instructional programs.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1354, as introduced, Hancock. Partnership academies.
Existing law provides for the establishment of partnership
academies for pupils at risk of dropping out of school by
participating school districts that meet specified eligibility
requirements, and requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
to issue grants to school districts for planning, establishing, and
maintaining the partnership academies. Existing law sets forth
criteria for a pupil to be considered at-risk of dropping out of
school.
This bill would expand the criteria for determining whether a
pupil is at-risk of dropping out of school, and would revise the
requirements for the enrollment of pupils who are not at-risk. The
bill, commencing with the 2011-12 fiscal year, would provide an
annual percentage cost-of-living increase to each partnership academy
in operation for 3 or more years. The bill would require a school
district to provide an assurance that each academy pupil will be
provided with career technical courses in each grade level that are
part of an occupational course sequence that targets comprehensive
skills, and meets certain other requirements. The bill would make
other conforming changes.
This bill would also make technical, nonsubstantive changes.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 54690 of the Education Code is amended to read:
54690. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the
partnership academies program has proven to be a highly effective
state-school-private sector partnership, providing combined academic
and occupational training to high school students
pupils who present a high risk of dropping out of school,
and motivating those students pupils to
stay in school and graduate. Partnership academies are functioning
in 45 high schools spread throughout the state, with occupational
training successfully offered in over 15 different skill fields,
including such diverse skills as electronics, computer technology,
finance, agribusiness, graphic arts and printing, international
business, and space. Partnership academies in San Mateo
County have been honored with two
national awards for excellence, and the California partnership
academies have been given high accolades in various textbooks and
studies addressing vocational career
technical education programs.
(b) The Legislature finds the partnership academies are in the
forefront of school efforts to integrate academic and
vocational career technical education and that
they can be effective in providing an integrated learning program and
high motivation toward pursuing skilled occupational fields to
students pupils at risk of dropping out
of school and to students pupils not
motivated by the regular educational curriculum. Further, the
Legislature finds the partnership academies can make a very positive
contribution towards meeting the needs of the state for a highly
skilled and educated work force workforce
in the 21st century.
(c) Therefore, the Legislature hereby states its intent to expand
the number of partnership academies in this state's high schools,
hereafter to be known as California Partnership Academies; to broaden
the availability of these learning experiences to interested
students pupils who do not meet the
full criteria of "at-risk" students
pupils ; and to encourage the establishment of
academies whose occupational fields address the needs of developing
technologies.
(d) For purposes of this article, an "at-risk"
students pupil means students
a pupil enrolled in high school who are
is at risk of dropping out of school, as
indicated by at least three of the following criteria:
(1) Past record of irregular attendance. For purposes of this
section, "irregular attendance" means absen ce
from school 80 percent or more of the school year.
(2) Past record of underachievement in which the student
pupil is at least one year behind the coursework
for the respective grade level.
(3) Past record of low motivation or a disinterest in the regular
school program.
(4) Disadvantaged economically.
(5) Scoring below basic in Algebra I or English language arts on
the standardized test administered pursuant to Article 4 (commencing
with Section 60640) of Chapter 5 of Part 33.
(6) Maintaining a grade point average of 2.2 or below, or the
equivalent of a C-.
(e) Up to one-half of the pupils enrolled at a partnership academy
may be pupils who do not meet the criteria of "at risk" pupils.
(e)
(f) The State Department of Education
department may expend no more than five
5 percent of the funds received to carry out
this article on administrative expenses.
SEC. 2. Section 54691 of the Education Code is amended to read:
54691. Commencing with the 1993-94 fiscal year, from the funds
appropriated for that purpose, the Superintendent of Public
Instruction shall issue grants to school districts
maintaining high schools that meet the specifications of Section
54692, for purposes of planning, establishing, and maintaining
academies, as follows:
(a) The superintendent Superintendent
may issue a maximum of 155 grants per year for purposes of
planning partnership academies. The Superintendent of Public
Instruction , when issuing the grants to school districts,
shall ensure that the grants are equitably distributed among
high-wealth and low-wealth school districts in urban, rural, and
suburban areas. Each planning grant shall be in the amount of fifteen
thousand dollars ($15,000).
(b) For the 1993-94 fiscal year, and each fiscal year thereafter,
the superintendent Superintendent may
issue grants for the implementation and maintenance of existing
academies or academies planned pursuant to subdivision (a).
Implementation and maintenance grants shall be calculated in
accordance with the following schedule:
(1) Districts operating academies may receive one thousand four
hundred dollars ($1,400) per year for each qualified student
pupil enrolled in an academy during the first
year of that academy's operation, provided that no more than
forty-two thousand dollars ($42,000) may be granted to any one
academy for the initial year.
(2) Districts operating academies may receive one thousand two
hundred dollars ($1,200) for each qualified student
pupil enrolled in an academy during the second
year of that academy's operation, provided that no more than
seventy-two thousand dollars ($72,000) may be granted to any one
academy for the second year.
(3) Districts operating academies may receive nine hundred dollars
($900) for each qualified student pupil
enrolled in an academy during the third and following years of
that academy's operation, provided that no more than eighty-one
thousand dollars ($81,000) may be granted to any one academy for each
fiscal year.
(4) Commencing with the 2011-12 fiscal year, each California
Partnership Academy in operation for three or more years shall
receive an annual percentage cost-of-living adjustment.
(c) For purposes of this article section
, a qualified student pupil is a
student meeting the at-risk criteria specified in
pupil enrolled in a partnership academy pursuant to subdivision
(d) or (e) of Section 54690 and who is enrolled in an academy
for the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade, obtains 90 percent of the credits
each academic year in courses that are required for graduation, and
does any of the following:
(1) Successfully completes a school year during the 10th grade
with an attendance record of no less than 80 percent.
(2) Successfully completes a school year during the 11th grade
with an attendance record of no less than 80 percent.
(3) Successfully graduates after the 12th grade.
A student pupil enrolled in an
academy who successfully completes only one semester with regard to
enrollment, attendance, and credits within the school year is
considered qualified for that semester and the district may receive
one-half of the funds specified under subdivision (b) for that
student pupil .
(d) (1) A school district operating an academy that is unable to
enroll enough at-risk students, as defined in Section 54690, to
constitute one-half of the participating students may enroll
non-at-risk students that meet any of the following criteria:
(A) Scoring in the 40th percentile or below in mathematics or
English language arts on the standardized test administered pursuant
to Article 4 (commencing with Section 60640) of Chapter 5 of Part 33.
(B) Maintaining a grade point average of 2.2 or below, or the
equivalent of a C-.
(C) Meeting any three of the four criteria set forth in
subdivision (d) of Section 54690.
(D) Fulfilling any of the actions described in paragraphs (1),
(2), or (3) of subdivision (c).
(2) Non-at-risk students enrolled pursuant to paragraph (1) may
not exceed one-half of the students enrolled in an academy.
(e)
(d) At the end of each school year, school districts
that have been approved to operate academies pursuant to this article
shall certify the following information to the Superintendent
of Public Instruction :
(1) The operation of each academy in accordance with this article,
including Sections 54692 and 54694.
(2) The number of qualified students
pupils enrolled during the just completed school year, by grade
level, for each academy operated by the district.
(3) The amount of matching funds and the dollar value of in-kind
support made available to each academy in accordance with
subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 54692.
(f)
(e) The superintendent
Superintendent shall adjust each school district's grant in
accordance with the certification made to him or her pursuant to
subdivision (d) or in accordance with any discrepancies to the
certification that may be revealed by audit. Notwithstanding the
provisions of this section, the superintendent
Superintendent may advance up to 50 percent of the funds
as he or she deems appropriate to districts that are approved to
operate, or plan to operate partnership academies.
(g)
(f) Funds granted to school districts pursuant to this
article may be expended without regard to fiscal year. However, the
funds must be expended for the maintenance and operation of
academies.
SEC. 3. Section 54692 of the Education Code is amended to read:
54692. In order to be eligible to receive funding pursuant to
this article, a school district shall provide all of the
following:
(a) An amount equal to a 100 percent match of all funds received
pursuant to this article in the form of direct and in-kind support
provided by the district.
(b) An amount equal to a 100 percent match of all funds received
pursuant to this article in the form of direct and in-kind support
provided by participating companies or other private sector
organizations.
(c) An assurance that state funds provided by the partnership
academies program shall be used only for the development, operation,
and support of partnership academies.
(d) An assurance that each academy will be established as a
"school within a school." Academy teachers shall work as a team in
planning, teaching, and troubleshooting program activities. Classes
in the academy program shall be limited to academy students
pupils as specified in subdivision (d). Each
participating school district shall establish an advisory committee
consisting of individuals involved in academy operations, including
school district and school administrators, lead teachers, and
representatives of the private sector.
(e) Assurance that each academy student
pupil will be provided with the following:
(1) Instruction in at least three academic subjects each regular
school term that prepares the student pupil
for a regular high school diploma. These subjects should
contribute to an understanding of the occupational field of the
academy.
(2) A "laboratory class" related to the academy's occupational
field.
(2) Career technical education courses offered at each grade level
at the academy that are part of an occupational course sequence that
targets comprehensive skills that does the following:
(A) Provides career technical education in occupations of regional
and local economic need.
(B) Focuses on occupations requiring comprehensive skills leading
to higher than entry-level wages, or the possibility of significant
wage increases after a few years on the job, or both.
(C) Provides a sequence of courses that build upon each other in
knowledge, skill development, and experience, and ends in a capstone
course that includes an internship component.
(D) Prepares pupils for employment and postsecondary education.
Sequenced courses shall be linked to certificate and degree programs
in the region, where possible.
(E) Whenever possible, prepares pupils for industry-recognized
certifications.
(F) Where appropriate, offers career technical education courses
that also meet A-G University of California requirements, or seeks
A-G status for appropriate existing courses.
(3) A class schedule that limits the attendance to the classes
required in paragraphs (1) and (2) to pupils of the academy. Whenever
possible, these classes should be block scheduled in a cluster to
provide flexibility to academy teachers. During the 12th grade the
number of academic classes may vary.
(4) A mentor from the business community during the pupil's 11th
grade year.
(5) An internship or paid job related to the academy's
occupational field or work experience to improve employment skills,
during the summer following the 11th grade. A student that
pupil who must attend summer school for purposes
of completing graduation requirements is exempt from this paragraph.
(6) Additional motivational activities with private sector
involvement to encourage academic and occupational preparation.
(f) Assurance that academy teachers have a common planning period
to interchange student pupil and
educational information. Whenever practical, the
A second planning period should be provided
for the lead teacher in addition to the normal planning
period for full-time teachers and be supported as a part of the
school district's matching funds , whenever practical
.