BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 461
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 461 (Blakeslee)
As Amended July 13, 2011
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :36-0
EDUCATION 10-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Brownley, Norby, Ammiano, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey, |
| |Buchanan, Butler, Carter, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| |Eng, Beth Gaines, | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| |Wagner, Williams | |Davis, Donnelly, Gatto, |
| | | |Hall, Hill, Lara, |
| | | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, |
| | | |Solorio, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Expands the criteria for the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI) to issue a California high school equivalency
certificate to include any person who has taken and passed the
general educational development test (GED), is at least 17 years
of age, has accumulated fewer than 100 units of high school
credit, and has successfully completed the instructional program
offered by a dropout recovery high school, where that program is
aligned to state standards, offers the opportunity for a high
school diploma and provides services for at least one year.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires the SPI to issue a California high school equivalency
certificate and an official score report, or a score report
only, to an individual who has not completed high school, is a
resident of the state or a member of the armed services
assigned to the state, has taken and passed the GED, and meets
one of the following:
a) Is at least 18 years of age;
b) Would have graduated from high school had he or she
remained in school and followed the usual course of study
toward graduation; or,
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c) Is at least 17 years of age, has accumulated fewer than
100 units of high school credit, and is confined to a state
or county hospital or to an institution maintained by a
state or county correctional agency.
2)Defines a dropout recovery high school to be a high school in
which 50% or more of its pupils have been designated as
dropouts pursuant to the exit/withdrawal codes developed by
the California Department of Education (CDE).
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, General Fund administrative costs to CDE of at least
$225,000 associated with staff to oversee the development of a
memorandum of understanding for the state to participate in the
GED Option Program and a subsequent regulatory process to
implement this program.
COMMENTS : Existing law provides alternatives to pupils who are
unable to meet statutory or local requirements for the high
school diploma; those pupils may alternatively sit for the GED
test or the California High School Proficiency Examination.
These alternatives open future educational and employment
options for youth (e.g., employment by state and local
governmental entities, eligibility to enlist in the military,
eligibility to enroll in a community college) that might
otherwise be closed to individuals who do not receive a high
school diploma. Existing law relating to the GED and the SPI
issuance of a California high school equivalency certificate was
developed by two pieces of legislation. SB 1220 (Dills),
Chapter 783, Statutes of 1989, established these provisions,
except that providing for pupils under the age of 18 to be
eligible to receive the high school equivalency certificate; AB
622 (Mullin), Chapter 269, Statutes of 2007, expanded
eligibility for the issuance of a California high school
equivalency certificate to 17 year olds in a very narrow set of
circumstances. The clear intent in both bills was to provide an
option for pupils who had come to a point, either in terms of
age or in terms of deficiencies relative to high school
graduation, where the high school diploma was no longer the most
viable option. In the case of AB 622 (Mullin), the author's
intent was that there existed no incentive or authorization for
17 year olds to generally opt for the GED/high school
equivalency certificate approach in lieu of the high school
diploma, but that this route was open to pupils for whom,
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because of age, credit deficiency and incarceration, pursuit of
the high school diploma no longer appeared to be viable.
Research has clearly established that there is a need for
programs specifically targeted at K-12 pupils who have left
school; there are a number of schools in the state which meet
the statutory definition of a dropout recovery high school, and
that specifically serve former dropouts. However, it is also
clear from the research that there are insufficient numbers of
these schools, relative to the increasing number of dropouts.
Dropout recovery is a critical function of a state's public
education system. The impacts of successful dropout recovery
programs are obvious for the individual pupil, who would face
improved opportunities in education, employment and quality of
life; it is also clear that providing former dropouts with these
improved opportunities has substantial economic implications for
the society as a whole. For example, the Alliance for Excellent
Education has reported that if 1,000 potential dropouts in
California became high school graduates, they would likely
combine to earn $14 million in additional earnings in an average
year; spend an additional $1.3 million each year purchasing
vehicles and, by the time they reach the midpoint of their
careers, buy homes worth $45 million more than what they would
likely have spent without a diploma; and support 90 new jobs in
the state, increase the gross state product by $19 million, and
pour an additional $1.7 million annually into state coffers, all
through their increased spending and investments. The Alliance
also reported that an estimated 199,400 students dropped out
from the Class of 2010. The need for, and the potential
benefits from, programs and policies aimed at dropout recovery
are clear.
The purpose of this bill is to expand the authority for the SPI
to issue a California high school equivalency certificate to
include any person at least 17 years of age who has taken and
passed the GED, is at least 17 years of age, has accumulated
fewer than 100 units of high school credit, and has successfully
completed the instructional program offered by a dropout
recovery high school, where that program is aligned to state
standards, offers the opportunity for a high school diploma and
provides services for at least one year. The bill opens a GED
pathway to any dropout recovery pupil who is 17 years of age and
has completed the specified program, while first providing the
pupil with the opportunity for completing the high school
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diploma, thus the bill provides an alternative for pupils where
credit recovery or compliance with other graduation requirements
is no longer possible. This approach is consistent with the
legislative intent behind both SB 1220 (Dills) and AB 622
(Mullin).
Analysis Prepared by : Gerald Shelton / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0002172