BILL NUMBER: AB 547 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Salas
FEBRUARY 20, 2013
An act to amend Sections 8421 and 8423 of the Education Code,
relating to after school programs.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 547, as introduced, Salas. 21st Century High School After
School Safety and Enrichment for Teens program.
Existing law, the 21st Century High School After School Safety and
Enrichment for Teens program, provides for the establishment of a
high school after school program that consists of an academic
assistance element and an enrichment element. Existing law specifies
that the academic assistance element is required to include, but is
not limited to, one of these specified activities: preparation for
the high school exit examination, tutoring, homework assistance, or
college preparation. In selecting grantees to participate in the
program, existing law requires the State Department of Education to
consider specified criteria, including, among others, the strength of
the education element and alignment with state academic standards,
and the strength of the enrichment element.
This bill would add career exploration to the list of possible
activities that may satisfy the academic assistance element, and
would require the department to consider the strength of career
exploration, and other criteria the department may identify as
critical to the provision of high quality after school programs, in
selecting grantees to participate in the program. The bill would make
technical changes by updating cross-references and would make other
nonsubstantive changes.
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 8421 of the Education Code is amended to read:
8421. There is hereby established the 21st Century High School
After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens program. The purpose of
the program is to create incentives for establishing locally driven
after school enrichment programs that partner schools and communities
to provide academic support and safe, constructive alternatives for
high school pupils in the hours after the regular schoolday, and that
may assist pupils in passing the high school exit examination
required for high school graduation pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing
with Section 60850) of Part 33 of Division 4 of Title 2
for public school programs.
(a) High school after school programs shall serve pupils in grades
9 to 12, inclusive.
(b) A high school after school program established pursuant to
this article shall consist of the following two elements:
(1) An academic assistance element that shall include, but need
not be limited to, at least one of the following: preparation for the
high school exit examination, tutoring, career exploration,
homework assistance, or college preparation, including
information about the Cal Grant Program established pursuant to
Article 3 Chapter 1.7 (commencing with
Section 69530) 69430) of
Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3 .
The assistance shall be aligned with the regular academic programs of
the pupils.
(2) An enrichment element that may include, but need not be
limited to, community service, career and technical education, job
readiness, opportunities for mentoring and tutoring younger pupils,
service learning, arts, computer and technology training, physical
fitness, and recreation activities.
(c) A program shall operate for a minimum of 15 hours per week.
(d) An entity may operate programs on one or multiple sites. If an
entity plans to operate programs at multiple sites, only one
application is required.
(e) A program may operate on a schoolsite or on another site
approved by the department during the grant application process. A
program located off school grounds shall not be approved unless both
of the following criteria are met:
(1) Safe transportation is available to transport participating
pupils if necessary.
(2) The program is at least as available and accessible as similar
programs conducted on schoolsites.
(f) Applicants for grants pursuant to this article shall ensure
that all of the following requirements are fulfilled, if applicable:
(1) The application includes a description of the activities that
will be available for pupils and lists the program hours.
(2) The application includes an estimate of the following:
(A) The number of pupils expected to attend the program on a
regular basis.
(B) The average hours of attendance per pupil.
(C) The percentage of pupils expected to attend the program less
than three days a week, three days a week, and more than three days a
week, for each quarter or semester during the grant period.
(3) The application documents the commitments of each partner to
operate a program at a location or locations that are safe and
accessible to participating pupils.
(4) The application certifies that pupils were involved in the
design of the program and describes the extent of that involvement.
(5) The application identifies federal, state, and local programs
that will be combined or coordinated with the high school after
school program for the most effective use of public resources, and
describes a plan for implementing the high school after school
program beyond federal grant funding.
(6) The application has been approved by the school district, or
the charter school governing board body
, and the principal of each participating school for each schoolsite
or other site.
(7) The application includes a certification that the applicant
has complied with the requirement in subdivision (b) of Section 8422.
(8) The application includes a certification that each applicant
or partner in the application agrees to do all of the following:
(A) Assume responsibility for the quality of the program.
(B) Follow all fiscal reporting and auditing standards required by
the department.
(C) Provide the following information on participating pupils to
the department:
(i) Schoolday attendance rates.
(ii) Pupil test scores from the Standardized Testing and Reporting
Program established under Section 60640, reflecting achievement in
the areas addressed by required program elements, if assessments have
been established in that area.
(iii) Pupil achievement on the high school exit exam
examination as applicable.
(iv) Program attendance.
(D) Acknowledge that program evaluations will be based upon the
criteria in Section 8427.
(9) Certify that the applicant has complied with all federal
requirements in preparing and submitting the application.
(g) The department shall not establish minimum attendance
requirements for individual pupils.
(h) It is the intent of the Legislature, that to the extent
possible, the department require applicants to submit the information
required by this section in a short and concise manner.
SEC. 2. Section 8423 of the Education Code is amended to read:
8423. (a) The department shall select grantees to participate in
the 21st Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment for
Teens program from among applicants that apply on forms and in a
manner prescribed by the department. To the extent possible, the
selection of applicants by the department shall result in an
equitable distribution of grant awards to applicants in northern,
southern, and central California, and in urban, suburban, and rural
areas of the state.
(b) The department shall consider the following criteria in
awarding grants:
(1) Strength of the educational element and alignment with state
academic standards, preparation for the high school exit examination,
and other academic interventions.
(2) Strength of the enrichment element.
(3) Strength of career exploration.
(3)
(4) Evidence of community collaboration, including
demonstrated support of the principal and staff from participating
schools.
(4)
(5) A description of the manner in which programs will
provide a safe physical and emotional environment and opportunities
for relationship building, and promote active pupil engagement.
(5)
(6) A description of the manner in which the program
design will be periodically reexamined in order to maintain strong
pupil interest.
(6)
(7) A description of plans to attract pupils,
particularly pupils considered at risk or in need of academic
support, on a regular basis.
(8) Other criteria that the department may identify as critical to
the provision of high quality after school programs.
(c) The application shall certify all of the following:
(1) Completion of an assessment of pupils' preferences for program
activities.
(2) Access to, and availability of, computers and technology.
(3) Inclusion of a nutritional snack and a physical activity
element.
(4) That the program will meet all of the evaluation requirements.
(5) Fiscal accountability.