BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1354|
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 1354
Author: Hancock (D)
Amended: 8/19/10
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-1, 4/14/10
AYES: Romero, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Price, Simitian,
Wyland
NOES: Huff
NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 8-2, 5/27/10
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Corbett, Leno, Price, Wolk, Wyland,
Yee
NOES: Denham, Walters
NO VOTE RECORDED: Cox
SENATE FLOOR : 23-12, 6/2/10
AYES: Alquist, Cedillo, Corbett, Correa, DeSaulnier,
Ducheny, Florez, Hancock, Kehoe, Leno, Liu, Lowenthal,
Negrete McLeod, Padilla, Pavley, Price, Romero, Simitian,
Steinberg, Wolk, Wright, Wyland, Yee
NOES: Aanestad, Ashburn, Cogdill, Cox, Denham, Dutton,
Harman, Hollingsworth, Huff, Runner, Strickland, Walters
NO VOTE RECORDED: Calderon, Oropeza, Wiggins, Vacancy,
Vacancy
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 8/23/10 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Partnership academies
CONTINUED
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SOURCE : Superintendent of Public Instruction (source)
DIGEST : This bill revises the criteria for identifying
pupils that are at risk for purposes of enrollment in
California Partnership Academies and requires a school
district to provide an assurance that each CPA pupil will
be provided with career technical education courses that
are part of an occupational course sequence that targets
comprehensive skills and meets specified requirements.
Assembly Amendments
1.Delete the limit on the number of grants the
Superintendent of Public Instruction is authorized to
issue for planning partnership academies.
2.Specify that the bill becomes operative on July 1, 2011,
and requires its provisions to be implemented commencing
with the 2011-12 school year.
3.Make minor technical changes.
ANALYSIS :
Existing Law
1.Establishes California Partnership Academies (CPAs) for
the purpose of providing combined academic and
occupational training to high school students in grades
10-12 inclusive who present a high risk of dropping out
of school. CPAs function as a school within a school and
provide career-themed educational programs that integrate
core academic content and technical education.
2.Establishes funding formulas and requirements for CPA
grants issued by the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI).
3.Requires districts and companies or other private sectors
participating in a partnership academy to provide an
amount equal to 100 percent match of all grants received.
4.Authorizes the SPI to issue a maximum of 155 planning
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grants per year in the amount of $15,000 and authorizes
the SPI to issue implementation and maintenance grants to
academies according to the following schedule:
A. $1,400 for each qualified pupil enrolled in an
academy during the first year of the academy's
operation, up to a maximum of $42,000.
B. $1,200 for each qualified pupil enrolled in an
academy during the second year of the academy's
operation, up to a maximum of $72,000.
C. $900 for each qualified pupil enrolled in an
academy during the third and subsequent years of
operation, up to a maximum of $81,000.
5.Requires at least half of the students enrolled in a
partnership academy be "at risk" as demonstrated by
having a past record of irregular attendance and/or
underachievement, having an economically disadvantaged
background, or demonstrating low motivation or
disinterest in the regular academic program. A school
district that is unable to enroll enough at risk students
may enroll non-at-risk students who meet specified
criteria, including scoring in the 40th percentile or
below in mathematics or English language arts on the
California Standards Test.
This bill:
1.Modifies the criteria for determining "at risk" for
purposes of eligibility to participating in a CPA, as
follows::
A. Defines irregular attendance to mean absence from
school 20 percent or more of the school year.
B. Adds the following to the existing indicators to
be considered in making the determination "at risk:"
(1) Scoring "below basic" or "far below basic"
in mathematics and English language arts on
standardized tests administered pursuant to the
Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program.
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(2) Maintaining a grade point average of 2.2 or
below or the equivalent of a C minus.
2.Deletes provisions that specify the academic criteria
applying to non at risk pupils participating in a CPA,
and deletes the requirement that students be provided a
laboratory class related to the academy's occupational
field.
3.Requires an assurance that each CPA pupil will be
provided with:
A. Instruction in at least three academic subjects
each school term that prepares the pupil for a high
school diploma, and where possible and appropriate,
meets subject requirements for admission to the
California State University (CSU) and the University
of California (UC).
B. Career technical education courses at each grade
level that are part of an occupational course
sequence that targets comprehensive skills, as
specified.
4.Deletes the authority of the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI) to issue a maximum of 155 grants per
year for purposes of planning partnership academies.
5.Requires districts, whenever practical, to provide a
second planning period for the CPA teacher.
6.Specifies that a CPA pupils shall be provided with an
employer-based internship or work experience that occurs
in the summer following the 11th grade or during the 12th
grade year.
7.Makes provisions of this bill operative on July 1, 2011,
and requires implementation of this bill commending with
the 2011-12 school year.
8.Makes various technical non-substantive amendments to the
CPA provisions.
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Comments
The CPA model is a three-year programs in grades 10-12,
structured as a school-within-a-school. CPAs serve at-risk
pupils and the program requires that no less than one half
of each new class must meet the specified at-risk criteria.
The criteria used for student eligibility includes:
irregular attendance, past record of underachievement, low
motiviation or disinterest in the regular academic program,
and economical disadvantages. The curriculum of CPAs is
focused on a career them and is coordinated with related
academic classes. The integration of a standards based
academic and career technical curriculum is a key component
of this program. The career technical focus for a CPA is
determined by an analysis of the local labor market and
considering fields that have companies willing to support
the program. Each CPA is focused in one of the 15 industry
sectors established for career technical education through
the Career Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards.
According to information on the California Department of
Education's Internet Web site, there are 480 CPA's current
operating in the state.
This bill updates several CPA program provisions. The most
significant changes include the requirement for CPAs to
provide sequences of courses, changing the criteria for
identifying at-risk pupils, deleting academic criteria for
non at-risk pupils, and further specifying the design and
curriculum of CPA courses.
The bill requires that CPAs provide sequences of courses
that target comprehensive skills and meet the specified
requirements. According to the author's office, "While
many academies have sequences in place, there is a lack of
consistency across the programs. By requiring sequences,
students will be able to provide certificates of skills
attained while in the academy - to employers or to
community colleges/higher education." In career technical
education, sequences of courses are important to ensure
that pupils build upon skills learned as they take a series
of career technical education courses. According to the
Career Academy Support Network, "A well developed course
sequence helps students succeed in high school, think about
their career goals, while preparing for post-secondary
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education and careers. The course sequence is also
valuable to teachers, especially teacher teams, for
planning and delivering integrated instruction across
disciplines and grade levels."
The bill also makes changes to the criteria for identifying
at-risk pupils for purposes of eligibility to participate
in a CPA and deletes provisions in current law that limit
enrollment of non at-risk students to low-achieving
students who meet specified criteria. The changes to the
criteria for identification of at-risk pupils delete
outdated student performance measures and provide
indicators that local education agencies can use to
identify students who might benefit form participating in a
CPA program. The changes proposed by this bill could
result in greater consistency across partnership academies
and they may also result in the identification of more
at-risk students and potentially expand the number of
pupils currently participating in CPAs.
The CPA model has demonstrated to be a promising model that
provides rigorous academic and career technical education
opportunities to pupils. A study conducted on CPAs showed
that the graduation rate for partnership academy seniors
during the 2004-05 school year was higher than those of the
statewide population, and that CPA students passed the high
school exit exam at higher rates than did the general
student population. It can be suggested that there is some
evidence that the concept of combining preparation for both
college and careers is a promising instructional approach.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12
2012-13 Fund
CPA
No/minor costs General*
*Counts towards meeting the Proposition 98 minimum funding
guarantee
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SUPPORT : (Verified 8/24/10)
Superintendent of Public Instruction (source)
California Association of Leaders of Career Preparation
California Association of Regional Occupational Centers and
Programs
State Building and Construction Trades Council
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
"There are local inconsistencies in the academy program
which need to be addressed. With nearly two decades of
experience, it is time to enhance and upgrade the technical
education component by requiring sequences of courses.
Students who complete a sequenced certificate program are
able to demonstrate skill proficiency for entry into higher
education career technical education programs and for
employment in related industry fields. By requiring
sequences of courses, Partnership Academies would be in
alignment with Regional Occupational Centers/Program."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield,
Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles
Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De
La Torre, De Leon, DeVore, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher,
Fong, Fuentes, Fuller, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gatto,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Lieu, Logue,
Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava,
Nestande, Niello, Nielsen, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino,
Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio,
Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico,
Tran, Villines, Yamada, John A. Perez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Furutani, Norby, Vacancy, Vacancy
CPM:cm 8/24/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****
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