BILL NUMBER: SB 532	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 12, 2011
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 26, 2011
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MARCH 21, 2011

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Hernandez
   (Coauthor: Senator Price)

                        FEBRUARY 17, 2011

   An act to amend Section 52240 of the Education Code, relating to
pupil instruction.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 532, as amended, Hernandez. Pupil instruction: high school
curriculum.
   (1) Existing law contains legislative findings and declarations
stating that advanced placement courses, among other things, help to
improve the overall curriculum at schools where they are provided and
provide a cost-effective means for high school pupils to obtain
college-level coursework experience.
   This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction
annually to update the information on advanced placement available on
the Internet Web site of the State Department of Education to
include current information on the various means available to school
districts to offer or access advanced placement courses, including
online courses, and annually to communicate with high schools that
offer advanced placement courses in fewer than 5 subjects and inform
them of the various options for making advanced placement courses and
other rigorous courses available to pupils who may benefit from
them.
   (2) Existing law authorizes a system of incentives to encourage
high schools to operate International Baccalaureate Diploma Programs,
and to encourage pupils in these schools to enroll in, attempt, and
pass the International Baccalaureate course of study and examinations
that lead to the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
   This bill would encourage the Academic Senate for the California
Community Colleges, the Academic Senate of the California State
University, and the Academic Senate of the University of California
to continue their efforts to adopt consistent systemwide guidelines
for the acceptance and granting of credit for International
Baccalaureate Diploma Program courses taken by students while they
are in high school.
   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 52240 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   52240.  (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:
   (1) Advanced placement courses, for which school credit is
awarded, provide rigorous academic coursework opportunities for high
school pupils and help to improve the overall curriculum at schools
where those courses are provided.
   (2) The successful completion of advanced placement courses and
the subsequent advanced placement examinations, which are conducted
by the College Entrance Examination Board and for which college
credit is awarded, provide a cost-effective means for high school
pupils to obtain college-level coursework experience.
   (3) To the extent that economically disadvantaged pupils are
provided financial assistance to take advanced placement
examinations, they will be provided with successful college-level
experience and be encouraged to pursue postsecondary education
opportunities. 
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature, therefore, that certain
state funding that currently is provided to school districts be made
available to provide financial assistance to economically
disadvantaged pupils for the payment of advanced placement
examination fees. It is further the intent of the Legislature that a
competitive grant program also be established for the purpose of
awarding grants to economically disadvantaged pupils to cover the
costs of advanced placement examination fees, thereby creating a
second source of financial assistance for economically disadvantaged
pupils taking advanced placement examinations.  
   (c) 
    (b)  The Superintendent annually shall update the
information on advanced placement available on the department's
Internet Web site to include current information on the various means
available to school districts to offer or access advanced placement
courses, including online courses. The Superintendent annually shall
communicate with high schools that offer advanced placement courses
in fewer than five subjects, and inform them of the various options
for making advanced placement courses and other rigorous courses
available to pupils who may benefit from them.
  SEC. 2.  The Legislature encourages the Academic Senate for the
California Community Colleges, the Academic Senate of the California
State University, and the Academic Senate of the University of
California to continue their efforts to adopt consistent systemwide
guidelines for the acceptance and granting of credit for
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program courses taken by students
while they are in high school.