BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                      



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   SB 611|
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                              UNFINISHED BUSINESS


          Bill No:  SB 611
          Author:   Steinberg (D)
          Amended:  7/13/11
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE  :  7-3, 4/27/11
          AYES:  Lowenthal, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Price, Simitian, 
            Vargas
          NOES:  Runner, Blakeslee, Huff
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Vacancy

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  6-2, 5/26/11
          AYES:  Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Pavley, Price, Steinberg
          NOES:  Walters, Runner
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Emmerson

           SENATE FLOOR  :  26-11, 6/1/11
          AYES:  Alquist, Anderson, Calderon, Corbett, Correa, De 
            León, DeSaulnier, Evans, Gaines, Hancock, Hernandez, 
            Kehoe, Leno, Lieu, Liu, Lowenthal, Negrete McLeod, 
            Pavley, Price, Simitian, Steinberg, Vargas, Wolk, Wright, 
            Wyland, Yee
          NOES:  Berryhill, Blakeslee, Cannella, Dutton, Emmerson, 
            Fuller, Harman, Huff, La Malfa, Strickland, Walters
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Padilla, Rubio, Runner

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  58-20, 8/31/11 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    University of California:  Curriculum 
          Integration Institute

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           SOURCE  :     University of California


           DIGEST  :    This bill requests the Regents of the University 
          of California, subject to the availability of funds in the 
          annual Budget Act, to establish and maintain the University 
          of California Curriculum Integration Institute to be 
          administered by the President of the University of 
          California.

           Assembly Amendments  (1) removes elementary educators from 
          the scope of the bill, requires the President of UC to 
          determine the priority among industry sectors in 
          consultation with specified entities, and makes technical 
          clarifying changes.

           ANALYSIS  :    The University of California (UC) and the 
          California State University (CSU) have established common 
          high school course requirements for undergraduate 
          admissions to ensure that potential university students are 
          prepared to engage and be successful in university-level 
          coursework.  Students who follow the articulated sequence 
          of courses in each of the subject areas listed below and 
          who meet other specified criteria are eligible to apply and 
          be considered for admission.  The following list is 
          commonly referred to the "a-g" subject area requirements:  

          A.   Two years of history/social science
          B.   Four years of college preparatory English or language 
          instruction
          C.   Three years of college preparatory mathematics
          D.   Two years of laboratory science 
          E.   Two years of the same language other than English
          F.   One year visual and performing art
          G.   One year college preparatory electives

          Existing law requires the Board of Governors of the 
          California Community Colleges (CCC) to assist economic and 
          workforce regional development centers and consortia, 
          including middle and junior high schools or high schools 
          and regional occupational centers and programs to improve 
          linkages and career-technical education pathways between 
          high schools and community colleges, as specified. 


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          This bill:

          1. Makes findings and declarations regarding California's 
             high pupil dropout rate and the educational challenges 
             faced by pupils; the opportunity for the state's public 
             system of education to contribute to the state's job 
             growth and economic recovery by aligning middle and high 
             school curricula more closely to emerging and growing 
             industry sectors; and the number of jobs that will 
             require training or education beyond high school.

          2. Makes additional findings regarding the need for a 
             stronger and more integrated approach to learning that 
             combines rigorous academics with career education that 
             can create more options for students after high school, 
             whether they choose college or career and that can 
             better prepare pupils for entry directly into the 
             workforce after high school.  

          3. Finds that the existing University of California 
             Curriculum Integration Institute (UCCII):

             A.    Brings together secondary level teachers and 
                experts from across the state and nation to develop 
                new, model courses that provide pupils with rigorous 
                academic content linked to real world applications. 
              
             B.    Has begun developing coursework that can 
                accelerate significant and needed changes in the way 
                California pupils learn in the classroom and can keep 
                more pupils engaged in school through applied 
                learning opportunities. 

             C.    Connects secondary level educators with faculty 
                and instructors in a number of disciplines from the 
                UC, CSU, and CCC, private higher education 
                institutions, and statewide career technical 
                education associations to develop high school 
                curriculum based on career-oriented, integrated 
                academic and technical education content.  These 
                newly designed, fully integrated "a-g" approved 
                courses will serve to enhance pupil prospects for 
                postsecondary education and employment.  


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          4. Finds that through the UCCII, California has a 
             significant opportunity to leverage existing 
             infrastructure to better align middle and high school 
             curricula more closely to the needs of growing and 
             emerging sectors of the California economy by providing 
             teachers with the support and tools necessary to design 
             career-oriented, integrated academic and technical 
             education content.  In doing so, the UCCII can 
             contribute significantly to engaging and retaining 
             at-risk pupils in the early years of high school as well 
             as job creation, economic development, and sustained 
             economic growth in California.  

          5. Expresses the intent of the Legislature to see rapid 
             implementation and scaling of the UCCII.  Expresses the 
             intent of the Legislature, subject to availability of 
             funds in the annual Budget Act, the availability of 
             federal or private funds, or any combination thereof, 
             that the UCCII accomplish the following:  

              A.     Facilitate no less than 10 convenings annually. 
              B.     Serve at least 500 educators each year. 
              C.     Develop no less than 250 courses by January 1, 
                 2015.  

          6. Requests the Regents of the UC, subject to the 
             availability of funds in the annual Budget Act, to 
             establish and maintain the UCCII to be administered by 
             the President of the UC.  Requires the UCCII to 
             accomplish all of the following:  

             A.    Facilitate statewide collaboration and innovation 
                among secondary level teachers, faculty, and 
                instructors form various disciplines form the UC, 
                CSU, the CCC, private higher education institutions, 
                and statewide career technical education associations 
                in providing California pupils career-oriented, 
                integrated academic and technical education content 
                in a manner that provides pupils with opportunities 
                to experience the application of subject matter 
                content within high-priority industry sectors among 
                those identified in the California Career Technical 
                Education Model Curriculum Standards, as adopted by 
                the State Board of Education (SBE).  

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             B.    Develop, disseminate, and promote career-oriented, 
                integrated academic and technical education courses 
                that meet course requirements for admission to the UC 
                and the CSU, and align with high-priority industry 
                sectors among those identified in the California 
                Career Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards 
                as adopted by the SBE.  

          7. Requires the President of the UC to determine the 
             priority among the industry sectors in consultation 
             with, but not limited to, educators, industry leaders, 
             representatives of organized labor, and appropriate 
             state entities.

          8. Requires, notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
             the Regents to establish procedures and forms to 
             administer the UCCII only if the Regents, by resolution, 
             make the provisions applicable.  

           Comments
           
           Need for the Bill  :  According to the California Department 
          of Education (CDE), there were 8,389 high school career 
          technical education (CTE) courses in December 2010 meeting 
          "a-g" course requirements for admission to the UC.  Since 
          2001-02, the number of CTE courses deemed "a-g" eligible 
          has grown dramatically, with the strongest growth in the 
          (f) Visual and Performing Arts, (g) electives and (d) 
          laboratory science subject areas.  Almost all (95%) of the 
          8,389 approved CTE courses are in one of these categories.  
          Notwithstanding the increase in the number of a-g courses 
          approved by UC in recent years, the author maintains that 
          the concentration of the approved CTE courses in just a few 
          content areas, suggests that "hands-on, career-oriented 
          academic and technical learning opportunities that meet 
          "a-g" requirements have yet to become part of the core set 
          of learning options available to California high school 
          students."  

           A-G Approval Process  .  In order for high school courses to 
          satisfy the a-g requirements, they must be approved by UC's 
          Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS), 
          which is a standing committee of the UC Academic Senate.  

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          Courses must have a strong academic component to be 
          approved by BOARS, something that can be challenging for 
          some CTE courses.   

           Career Technical Education Pathways Initiative  .  In 2005, 
          SB 70 (Scott), Chapter 352, Statutes of 2005, appropriated 
          $20 million to fund the Career Technical Education Pathways 
          and Workforce Development Program to align K-12 career 
          technical education with local community colleges, based on 
          models consistent with the CCC Economic and Workforce 
          Development Program.  Subsequent legislation allocates $20 
          million plus $32 million each year through the 2013-14 
          fiscal years.  Funds appropriated for this program are used 
          to support the work of the Board of Governors to improve 
          linkages and career technical education pathways between 
          high schools and community colleges.  The CCC is assisting 
          K-12 in building and aligning coordinated CTE pathways that 
          lead to postsecondary programs of study to prepare students 
          for high-skill jobs with high wages.  Among the projects 
          funded through this initiative is UC's Curriculum 
          Integration Institute, which received $600,000 in 2009-10, 
          to help high school faculty create "a-g" approved courses 
          and to prepare faculty groups as a cadre of experts who can 
          further the development of integrated courses.  The goal of 
          the UCCII is to prepare faculty groups as a cadre of 
          experts who will then further the development of integrated 
          courses.  

          The first UCCII, held in May 2010, focused on mathematics 
          as integrated with finance and business sectors.  A total 
          of 38 high school teachers participated in the institute.  
          The fall 2010 institute focused on history/social studies 
          and English in conjunction with six media sectors, 
          including arts, media, and entertainment; and health 
          science and medical technology.  In its December 2010 
          annual report on the CTE Pathways Initiative, the CCC 
          Chancellor's Office noted that by 2011-12, UC expects the 
          number of a-g approved CTE courses will increase to 10,000, 
          which will be approximately 43% of all CTE courses 
          currently offered.  

           Why is statutory authorization necessary  ?  In recent years, 
          the UC has expended considerable effort to grant "a-g" 
          status to more CTE courses, increase the transparency of 

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          its BOARS review process, and improve the level of 
          technical assistance provided to schools seeking a-g 
          approval for their courses.  Because the completion of a-g 
          courses signals to university admission officials that a 
          student is prepared to do college level work, the UC has 
          established the UCCII as a pilot program to provide an 
          opportunity for school and university faculty to work 
          together to develop model courses that meet BOARS criteria 
          for a-g approval, particularly in core subject areas such 
          as (c) mathematics and (a) social science.  

          The UCCII has been funded through a grant made available 
          through funds made available by the SB 70 Career Technical 
          Education Pathways Initiative, which are scheduled to 
          sunset on June 30, 2014.  Although the UC could continue 
          UCCII without benefit of legislation, establishing the 
          program in statute will give the UC a framework that could 
          lead to more CTE courses that will satisfy a-g 
          requirements.  Notwithstanding the importance of continuing 
          this important work, the rapid scaling and deliverables 
          proposed by this measure could create cost pressure in 
          future budget years, and it is unclear whether UC will have 
          the capacity to scale up as rapidly as proposed by this 
          bill.  Even if additional funds are secured to fund the 
          UCCII, will school districts have the resources to support 
          teacher participation in the institutes or implement the 
          model curriculum that comes out of the institutes?  

           Related and Prior Legislation  

          SB 275 (Hancock), 2011-12 Session, proposes to consolidate 
          funding for regional occupational centers and programs, 
          partnership academies, specialized secondary programs, and 
          agricultural vocational education programs into a CTE block 
          grant.  (In Assembly Education Committee)  

          SB 612 (Steinberg), 2011-12 Session, expands the California 
          Subject Matter Projects (CSMP) to include art, physical 
          education and health, and foreign languages and expands the 
          responsibilities of the CSMP to provide teachers with 
          instructional strategies for integrated courses, as 
          specified.  (On Senate Third Reading File)

          AB 251 (Fuentes), 2011-12 Session, provides that a school 

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          district with an integrated academic and workforce approach 
          to high school reform, or a work-based learning initiative 
          eligible to apply to receive state funding based on minimum 
          weekly attendance instead of average daily attendance.  (In 
          Assembly Education Committee)

          AB 790 (Furutani), 2011-12 Session, declares the intent of 
          the Legislature to enact legislation that would help expand 
          and enhance the delivery of linked learning in California 
          public elementary and secondary schools.  (On Senate Third 
          Reading File)

          AB 1304 (Block), 2011-12 Session, defines linked learning 
          programs and authorizes the Commission on Teacher 
          Credentialing to convene a workgroup to develop program 
          standards for the issuance of a "recognition of study in 
          linked learning" as defined.  Passed the Senate with a vote 
          of 27-12 on August 18, 2011.  (To Governor)

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes   
          Local:  No

                          Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions             2011-12             2012-13         
              2013-14           Fund

           Continues UCCII         -- Cost pressure; up to $4,000 
          annually --     General*

          *Specifies Budget Act funds, federal or private funds, "or 
          any combination thereof"

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  8/31/11)

          University of California (source)
          America's Edge
          Association of Independent California Colleges and 
          Universities
          CIOCOM
          California Chamber of Commerce
          California Community Colleges Board of Governors
          California Department of Education
          California Postsecondary Education Commission

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          California State PTA
          California State University
          California Teachers Association
          Campaign for College Opportunity
          Children Now
          Genentech
          Hispanas Organized for Political Equality
          Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
          Los Angeles Unified School District
          North State Building Industry Association

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    According to the author's office, 
          "the purpose of SB 611 is to begin to address this 
          deficiency by establishing a robust, centralized mechanism 
          for high school teachers, university faculty, and other 
          experts to develop and disseminate model courses that 
          provide students rigorous academic content linked to real 
          world applications and are relevant to the needs of the 
          industries that California seeks to grow."  


           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  58-20, 8/31/11
          AYES:  Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, 
            Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford, 
            Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos, 
            Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Davis, Dickinson, Eng, Feuer, 
            Fletcher, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Gatto, 
            Gordon, Hall, Hayashi, Roger Hernández, Hill, Huber, 
            Hueso, Huffman, Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, 
            Mitchell, Monning, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel 
            Pérez, Portantino, Skinner, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, 
            Valadao, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
          NOES:  Conway, Cook, Donnelly, Beth Gaines, Garrick, Grove, 
            Hagman, Halderman, Harkey, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, 
            Logue, Mansoor, Miller, Morrell, Nielsen, Silva, Smyth, 
            Wagner
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Gorell, Norby


          CPM:cm  8/31/11   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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