BILL NUMBER: SB 1354 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 22, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 1, 2010
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 21, 2010
INTRODUCED BY Senator Hancock
(Coauthor: Senator Romero)
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 amended, 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. The Superintendent is
authorized to issue a maximum of 155 grants per year for purposes of
planning partnership academies. Existing law sets forth
criteria for a pupil to be considered at risk of dropping out of
school.
This bill would delete the limit on the number of grants the
Superintendent is authorized to issue for planning partnership
academies. The 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 would require a school district to provide an
assurance that each academy pupil will be provided with career
technical courses or other appropriate 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 pupils who present a high
risk of dropping out of school, and motivating those pupils to stay
in school and graduate. Partnership academies are functioning in
45 high schools spread throughout high
schools across the state, with occupational training
education and skills development successfully
offered in over more than 15 different
skill fields, including such diverse skills as
electronics, computer technology, finance, agribusiness,
alternative energy, environmental design and construction,
graphic arts and printing, international business, and space.
Partnership academies have been honored with national awards for
excellence, and the California partnership academies have been given
high accolades in various textbooks and studies addressing career
technical education programs.
(b) The Legislature finds the partnership academies are in the
forefront of school efforts to integrate academic and career
technical education and that they can be effective in providing an
integrated learning program and high motivation toward pursuing
skilled occupational fields to pupils at risk of dropping out of
school and to 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 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 pupils
who do not meet the criteria of "at-risk" 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" pupil means a pupil
enrolled in high school who 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 absence from school 20 percent
or more of the school year.
(2) Past record of underachievement in which the pupil is at least
one year behind the coursework for the respective grade level ,
or as demonstrated by level of coursework, credits achieved, or by
test scores .
(3) Past record of low motivation or a disinterest in the regular
school program.
(4) Disadvantaged economically.
(5) Scoring below basic 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.
(6) Maintaining a grade point average of 2.2 or below, or the
equivalent of a C minus.
(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.
(f) The department may expend no more than 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 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 may issue a maximum of 155 grants per year
for purposes of planning partnership academies. The
(a) The Superintendent, 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 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 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 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 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.
(c) For purposes of this section, a qualified pupil is a 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 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 pupil.
(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:
(1) The operation of each academy in accordance with this article,
including Sections 54692 and 54694.
(2) The number of qualified 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.
(e) The 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 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.
(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 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 pupil will be provided with the
following:
(1) Instruction in at least three academic subjects each regular
school term that prepares the pupil for a regular high school diploma
, and, where possible, to meet the A-G University of
California requirements . These subjects should contribute to
an understanding of the occupational field of the academy.
(2) Career technical education or other appropriate technical
courses offered at each grade level at the academy that are
part of an occupational course sequence that targets comprehensive
skills and that does the following:
(A) Provides career technical education in high skill, high
pay 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 Whenever
possible , 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 pupil who
skills. An internship or paid job may be in a school
enterprise program. A 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 pupil and educational information. 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.