BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 835
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 835 (Mitchell)
As Amended April 26, 2011
Majority vote
HIGHER EDUCATION 8-0 EDUCATION 10-0
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Ayes:|Block, Donnelly, |Ayes:|Brownley, Norby, Ammiano, |
| |Achadjian, Fong, | |Buchanan, Bonilla, |
| |Galgiani, Lara, Miller, | |Carter, Eng, Hagman, |
| |Portantino | |Halderman, Williams |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY : Authorizes, for programs developed under the Career
Technical Education (CTE) Pathways Initiative (SB 70 (Scott)
Chapter 352, Statutes of 2005), a California Community College
(CCC) district to enroll a high school pupil who is not a
resident of that CCC district and provides that the CCC district
shall not be subject to any other geographic limitations for the
program.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the CTE Pathways Initiative, requiring the Board
of Governors (BOG) of the CCC to assist economic and workforce
regional development centers and consortia to improve CTE
education pathways between high schools and CCC and requiring
the CCC Chancellor to develop, implement and report on a
strategy for CTE Pathway Initiative program objectives and
outcomes.
2)Establishes several requirements and parameters for high
school students wishing to enroll in CCC courses (concurrent
and dual enrollment), including requiring principal
recommendation and parental consent, establishing limitations
on the number of students enrolled during summer school and in
physical education courses, providing that in order for CCCs
to receive state funding courses must be open to the public,
and requiring reporting on concurrent and dual enrollment
students from the CCC Chancellor's Office.
3)Establishes, through state law and implementing regulations,
AB 835
Page 2
the CCC BOG as the entity responsible for approval of CCC
academic programs and setting minimum standards for credit and
noncredit courses.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : The CTE Pathways Initiative, established by SB 70
(Scott) in 2005, provided funding to be dispersed by the CCC
Chancellor's Office and the California Department of Education
(CDE) to CCC and K-12 districts to support programs that
strengthen students' academic and career readiness. As of July
30, 2010, CTE Pathways Initiative funding totaled approximately
$188 million. All regions of the state have received grant
support. Based on available data, this funding has helped
create or enhance at least 5,134 CTE partner organizations,
342,957 skills training or upgrades to students, and 16,806
teachers, counselors and staff have participated in trainings or
externships.
Over the past five years, grants have been awarded in two broad
categories:
1)Coordinated regional or local implementation grants that
support linkages as well as capacity building between and
among middle schools, high schools, Regional Occupational
Center Programs, CCCs, industry and other organizations to
develop coordinated programs serving students, faculty and or
other stakeholders.
2)Statewide infrastructure grants that strengthen California's
CTE infrastructure and support capacity building, including
research and development.
Among the various programs supported by the CTE Pathways
Initiative funding are California Partnership Academies (CPAs),
the state's longstanding pathways model to provide students in
grades 10-12 with integrated academic and career technical
instruction, including mentoring and internships, by way of
school district and business partnerships. Under existing law,
at least half of the students in a CPA must be at-risk youth.
CPAs are structured as a school within a school, each CPA
creates a close, family-like atmosphere with an emphasis on
student achievement and goals of postsecondary education and
AB 835
Page 3
refined career plans. Students must apply, be interviewed and
selected on the basis of need and interest. CTE Pathways
Initiative Grants have supported the continuation and expansion
of existing CPAs as well as the creation of new CPAs. Currently
there are close to 500 CPAs throughout the state.
The author has introduced this bill in response to concerns
raised by the sponsor, the Environmental Academy Boosters.
According to the sponsor, this bill seeks to remove statutory
and regulatory barriers in order to permit high school students
to participate in intensive workshops that serve and bring
together diverse student populations in geographically diverse
locations for training that may not fit the traditional concept
for CTE Pathways programs.
This bill would authorize, for purposes of specified CTE
Pathways Initiative programs, a CCC district to enroll a high
school pupil who is not a resident of that CCC district and
would exempt the CCC district from any other geographic
limitations. The sponsor indicates that these provisions are
necessary to ensure that CCCs can participate in CTE Pathways
Initiative programs that include statewide students at courses
held at locations throughout the state.
Analysis Prepared by : Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0000371