BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 547
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 3, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Joan Buchanan, Chair
AB 547 (Salas) - As Amended: February 20, 2013
SUBJECT : 21st Century High School After School Safety and
Enrichment for Teens Program
SUMMARY : Expands the academic assistance component of the 21st
Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens
Program (ASSETs) to include career exploration and requires the
California Department of Education (CDE), in awarding the
grants, to consider an application's strength in career
exploration activities and other criteria the CDE may identify
as critical for a high quality program. Makes technical
corrections to the statutory citations of the high school exit
exam and the Cal Grant Program.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the ASSETs Program to create incentives for
establishing locally driven after school enrichment programs
between schools and local community organizations serving
pupils in high school from grades 9 through 12. Requires the
program to have the following components:
a) An academic element that includes, but need not be
limited to, preparation for the high school exit exam,
tutoring, homework assistance, or college preparation.
Requires the assistance to be aligned with the regular
academic programs of the pupils.
b) 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. (Education Code (EC) Section 8421)
2)Establishes the After School Education and Safety (ASES)
Program through the 2002 voter approved initiative,
Proposition 49. The ASES program funds the establishment of
local after school education and enrichment programs which are
created through partnerships between schools and local
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community resources to provide literacy, academic enrichment
and safe constructive alternatives for students in
kindergarten through ninth grade (EC 8482).
3)Establishes the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC)
contained within the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
to complement the ASES program. Specifies that the
requirements of the ASES program apply to the 21st CCLC
program with specified exceptions. (EC 8484.7)
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : 21st CCLC program . The state receives approximately
$130 million annually in federal funds for the 21st CCLC
program, which provides funding for before and after school
activities. The state has chosen to implement this program
almost identical to the state's ASES program, passed by voters
through Proposition 49 in 2002, which provides almost $550
million for before and after school programs for 400,000
students in kindergarten through grade 9. Existing law (EC
8484.8) specifies that 40% of the 21st CCLC funds shall be
allocated for programs serving elementary and middle school
pupils and 50% shall be allocated for direct grants to community
learning centers serving high school pupils. The remaining 10%
is used for direct grants to community learning center programs
to provide equitable access and to provide family literacy
services. Federal requirements give priority for funding to
programs serving Title 1 kids (low-income kids eligible for free
and reduced-priced meals).
The High School ASSETs program provides grants up to $250,000
per school site based on $10 per student per day, to serve
pupils in grades 9 through 12. The program may operate after
school only, or after school and during any combination of
before school, weekends, summer, intersession, and vacation, for
at least 15 hours per week, and may operate on one or multiple
sites. According to the CDE, in fiscal year 2012-13, $60.9
million of the $128 million in federal funds was directed to the
ASSETs program, allocated to 345 sites serving 45,817 students.
The program must contain the following elements:
1)An academic assistance element that includes at least one of
the following: preparation for the high school exit exam,
tutoring, homework assistance, or college preparation; and,
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2)An enrichment element that may include, but is not 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.
This bill adds career exploration to the academic assistance
element. According to the CDE, career exploration is intended
to link academic work with a skill or profession. Applicants
would be encouraged to devise programs that incorporate math,
science, or other subject area within a career component. Staff
recommends establishing a definition to clarify that "career
exploration" doesn't simply mean a job fair or a speaker's
series to introduce students to what various jobs entail.
Under current law, to the extent possible, the CDE is required
to select grantees that result in an equitable distribution of
awards to applicants in northern, southern and central
California, and in urban, suburban, and rural areas of the
state. The CDE is required to 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)Evidence of community collaboration, including demonstrated
support of the principal and staff from participating schools.
4)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)A description of the manner in which the program design will
be periodically reexamined in order to maintain strong pupil
interest.
6)A description of plans to attract pupils, particularly pupils
considered at risk or in need of academic support, on a
regular basis.
This bill adds two new criteria to the list: strength of career
exploration and any other criteria that the CDE identifies as
critical to the provision of high quality after school programs.
Strength of the academic and enrichment elements are already in
the criteria for selection. It is not necessary to add career
exploration as an additional criterion. Staff recommends
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striking "strength of career exploration" from this provision of
the bill.
According to the author, "By incorporating career exploration,
it will allow students, among other things, to build an
awareness of the variety of careers available, begin to identify
areas of interest, and provide opportunities to understand how
school relates to the world of work. This is an important tool
in keeping students engaged and sparking their interest."
Anecdotally, after school program advocates indicate that there
is less interest in after school programs from high school
students compared with elementary school students. Many high
school students participate in sports activities and some have
jobs. Adding career exploration may increase the interest of
high school students in participating in after school programs.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson is the
sponsor of this bill.
Arguments in support . The Partnership for Children and Youth
states, "Many expanded learning programs recognize the
importance of engaging high school students in a variety of
career pathways and interests as a key component of high-quality
programs. This bill further supports career and college
readiness opportunities for students throughout the state."
Prior related legislation . AB 1831 (Solorio), would have
required an application for ASES program funding to include in
the program plan a description of how the program will support
English learners if English learners comprise 25% or more of the
pupils enrolled in the program. The bill was held in the
Assembly Appropriations Committee's suspense file in 2010.
AB 2843 (Karnette), vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger in 2008,
would have expanded the educational enrichment component of the
ASES program to include foreign language and revise the term
"fine arts" to "visual and performing arts."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson (sponsor)
AB 547
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Bay Area Community Resources
California School-Age Consortium
Children Now
Partnership for Children and Youth
Pro-Youth/HEART
THINK Together
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087