BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-12 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 1316
AUTHOR: Hancock
INTRODUCED: February 23, 2012
FISCAL COMM: No HEARING DATE: March 28, 2012
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill
SUBJECT : School attendance: Early college high schools.
SUMMARY
This bill exempts early college high schools from the
240-minute requirement for a minimum school day and
establishes a day of attendance as 180 minutes for pupils
enrolled in these programs if they are also enrolled in
part time in classes at the University of California,
California State University, or a community college as
specified to be 180 minutes.
BACKGROUND
Existing law specifies that the minimum schoolday in any
high school is 240 minutes. Evening high schools, regional
occupational centers, opportunity schools and opportunity
classes, continuation high schools and occupationally
organized vocational training programs are exempt from the
240-minimum day requirement. (Education Code § 46141)
Existing law establishes the minimum school day for pupils
engaged in vocational training and work experience to be
180 minutes per day and establishes 180 minutes as the
minimum day for pupils attending school in a regional
occupational center or program (ROCP). (EC § 46144 and §
52325)
Existing law provides that a day of attendance in grades 11
and 12 is 180 minutes if the pupil is also enrolled part
time in classes of the California State University (CSU) or
the University of California (UC). A day of attendance for
a pupil who is also a special part-time student enrolled in
a community college and who will receive academic credit
upon satisfactory completion of enrolled courses is 180
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minutes. For purposes of computing average daily
attendance (ADA) for these pupils, current law specifies
that the 180-minute minimum is computed as three-quarters
of a full 240 day. (EC § 47146)
ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Exempts early college high schools from the 240-minute
minimum schoolday.
2) Provides that a day of attendance for an early college
high school student is 180 minutes if the pupil is
enrolled part time in classes of the CSU or the UC and
will earn academic credit upon satisfactory completion
of those courses.
3) Provides that a day of attendance for an early college
high school student is 180 minutes if the pupil is
also a special part-time student enrolled in a
community college as specified, and who will earn
academic credit upon satisfactory completion of
enrolled courses.
4) Makes findings and declarations regarding early
college high school programs and their benefits and
specifies required key elements of an early college
high school.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill : Many career-focused educational
programs and alternative high schools have a
180-minute threshold for ADA purposes. Yet for
purposes of ADA, early college high schools are held
to the same 240-minute minimum as other comprehensive
high schools. According to the author, the 240-minute
requirement creates logistical problems for school
schedules that are also trying to accommodate pupils'
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college schedules and creates long days for students.
Presumably, students would be able to use the extra
time this bill would provide to take more college
courses or make more efficient use of their time while
meeting their high school graduation requirements.
2) Early College High Schools . Early College High
Schools (ECHS) are small, autonomous schools that
blend high school and college into a coherent
educational program. Programs operate as partnerships
between a high school and community college and are
designed so that students can, within four to five
years of entering ninth grade, attain a high school
diploma and earn two years of college credit.
Students start college work based on their performance
to ensure that the program meets the student's
developmental and intellectual needs. Learning takes
place in a personalized environment where rigorous
work is demanded and supported. Proponents maintain
that ECHS programs help ease the transition between
high school and college. According to the author,
there are more than 40 ECHS programs in California.
These programs can be organized in a variety of ways
depending on the needs of the school district, school
site and partnering postsecondary institution. Some
ECHS were established as charter high schools.
Early College High Schools are different from Middle
College Programs, which have a career preparation/work
experience component to their program. Both programs
focus on students from communities underrepresented in
postsecondary education, first generation college
goers, and English learners. Given the similar
objectives of both programs, should Middle College
Programs be included in the exemption and 180-minute
schoolday requirements this bill proposes?
Given that students enrolled in these programs do not begin
taking college courses until they are ready, staff
recommends the bill be amended to clarify that the
240-minute exemption only applies to ECHS students who
satisfy provisions (a) or (b) of EC § 46146.5.
3) Impact on ADA . Although current law provides for a
180-minute minimum day for 11th and 12th grade
students who are also concurrently enrolled in a CSU,
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UC, or community college, school districts earn only
75% of a full ADA for these students. By exempting
ECHS programs from the current 240-minute minimum day
requirement and by specifying that a day of attendance
for early high school students taking college courses
is 180 minutes this bill would enable early college
high schools to earn full ADA for their students.
According to the author, the support system for ECHS
students enrolled in college is an important component
of an ECHS. Unlike individual students who choose to
enroll in college classes while still in high school,
taking college courses is an integral part of the
early college educational program. ECHS students work
closely with teachers and counselors from both the
high school and the community college to ensure they
get the necessary support for their college courses.
While it could be argued that changing the minimum
requirement to 180 minutes may reduce the number of
courses these schools may need to staff, it can also
be argued that the coordination and support systems
needed to ensure a successful educational experience
for ECHS students effectively offsets any workload
reduction associated with eliminating course
offerings.
Although it is believed that most, if not all ECHS students
are meeting the 240-minute schoolday requirement, this
bill would have the effect of increasing per pupil
funding for any ECHS that currently allows their 11th
and 12th grade students to attend a minimum of 180
minutes (where the district is only getting .75% of a
full ADA).
SUPPORT
Tulare County Office of Education
University Preparatory High School
OPPOSITION
None received.