BILL NUMBER: SB 500 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 13, 2011
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 20, 2011
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 31, 2011
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 11, 2011
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 25, 2011
AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 24, 2011
INTRODUCED BY Senator Hancock
FEBRUARY 17, 2011
An act to amend Sections 54690 and 54694 of, and to add
Section Sections 54691.5 and 54697.5 to, the
Education Code, relating to partnership academies.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 500, as amended, Hancock. Partnership academies.
(1) 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.
This bill would request that the State Department of Education,
using data collected from the yearly reports of the California
Partnership Academies, provide an analysis of the partnership
academies program components and make recommendations to the
Legislature, as specified. The bill would also encourage the
department to make recommendations that would be shared with the
Senate Committee on Education and the Assembly Committee on Education
at the beginning of each new 2-year regular session of the
Legislature regarding the various types of partnership academies and
the implications of program oversight by the department of multiple
types of partnership academies.
Existing law authorizes up to one-half of the pupils enrolled at a
partnership academy to be pupils who do not meet the criteria of
"at-risk" pupils.
This bill would, notwithstanding this provision, authorize the
governing board of a school district to elect to approve partnership
academy enrollment at a number greater than 50% of pupils who do not
meet the criteria of "at-risk" pupils, if specified conditions are
met. The bill would require the State Department of Education to
establish guidelines to assist the governing board of a school
district in approving partnership academies with greater than 50%
enrollment of pupils who do not meet the criteria of "at-risk"
pupils, using funds in existence on or before January 1, 2012.
(2) Existing law requires the Superintendent to develop guidelines
with respect to partnership academies, including, but not limited
to, enrollment provisions, application procedures, and pupil
eligibility.
This bill would, for purposes of the guidelines relating to
enrollment, authorize school districts to determine the number of
pupils enrolled in a partnership academy. The bill would also require
the guidelines to include measures
strategies to encourage , establish, and fund
partnership academies serving rural school districts.
(3) Existing law limits the enrollment in partnership academies to
pupils in grades 10 to 12, inclusive.
This bill would additionally authorize a school
district to enroll grade 9 pupils, provided the school district
complies with specified requirements. The bill would prohibit a
school district from receiving partnership academy funding for the
establishment or maintenance of grade 9 partnership academy courses.
(4) The bill would require that, if funds are appropriated for the
support of certain partnership academies in the annual Budget Act or
any other measure, these funds be allocated in accordance with the
provisions of law that govern partnership academies.
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, as amended by
Section 1 of Chapter 650 of the Statutes of 2010, 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 high
schools across the state, with occupational education and skills
development successfully offered in California's 15 different
industry sectors, including 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 that 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 that 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-third of a year behind the coursework for the respective grade
level, or as demonstrated by credits achieved.
(3) Past record of low motivation or a disinterest in the regular
school program.
(4) Disadvantaged economically.
(5) Scoring below basic or far 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) (1) 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.
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in circumstances in which a
school district has made every effort to enroll at-risk pupils and
there are fewer than 50 percent of at-risk pupils enrolled, the
governing board may elect to approve partnership academy enrollment
at a number greater than 50 percent of pupils who do not meet the
criteria of "at-risk" pupils. This determination shall be made on an
annual basis, and, as a condition of receipt of funds, shall be
reported to the department.
(3) The department shall establish guidelines to assist governing
board approval of partnership academies with more than 50 percent of
pupils who do not meet the criteria of "at-risk" pupils pursuant to
paragraph (2). These guidelines shall be developed using funds in
existence on or before January 1, 2012.
(f) The department shall not expend more than 5 percent of the
funds received to carry out this article on administrative expenses.
SEC. 2. Section 54691.5 is a dded to
the Education Code , to read:
54691.5. (a) Using data collected from the yearly reports of the
California Partnership Academies, the department is requested to
provide an analysis of the partnership academies program components
and to make recommendations to the Legislature on ways to improve the
quality of curriculum, the delivery of services, ways to address
enrollment issues, including, but not limited to, pupil eligibility
and performance, professional development for staff, access to and
administration of pupil work experience, and sustainability of the
partnership academies when state support ceases.
(b) The department is encouraged to make recommendations regarding
the various types of partnership academies that have been created by
the Legislature or funded privately by business and industry and the
implications of program oversight by the department of multiple
types of partnership academies. The department is encouraged to share
their findings and recommendations with the Senate Committee on
Education and the Assembly Committee on Education at the beginning of
each new two-year regular session of the Legislature.
SEC. 2. SEC. 3. Section 54694 of the
Education Code is amended to read:
54694. The Superintendent shall develop guidelines with respect
to the California Partnership Academies. The guidelines shall
include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(a) Enrollment provisions. For purposes of this subdivision,
school districts may determine the total number of pupils enrolled in
a partnership academy.
(b) Application procedures.
(c) Pupil eligibility.
(d) Measures Strategies
to encourage , establish, and fund partnership academies
serving rural school districts.
SEC. 3. SEC. 4. Section 54697.5 is
added to the Education Code, to read:
54697.5. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, a school district may
authorize grade 9 pupils to enroll in partnership academies. If a
school district elects to enroll grade 9 pupils, the school district
shall comply with all of the following:
(1) Adopt a policy describing the goals and criteria for grade 9
participation.
(2) Submit an academy program of study to the department
demonstrating how the grade 9 course is integral to the academy.
(3) Submit to the department data on grade 9 participation, as
specified by the department.
(b) A school district shall not receive funding pursuant to this
article for the establishment or maintenance of grade 9 courses
established pursuant to this section. All costs associated with
establishing or maintaining grade 9 courses shall be borne solely by
the school district.
SEC. 4. SEC. 5. If funds are
appropriated in the annual Budget Act or any other measure for the
support of partnership academies funded pursuant to Chapter 352 of
the Statutes of 2005, these funds shall be allocated in the manner
specified in Article 5 (commencing with Section 54690) of Chapter 9
of Part 29 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code.