BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 547| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- CONSENT Bill No: AB 547 Author: Salas (D) Amended: 6/19/13 in Senate Vote: 21 SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 9-0, 6/12/13 AYES: Liu, Wyland, Block, Correa, Hancock, Hueso, Huff, Monning, Torres SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8 ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 5/9/13 (Consent) - See last page for vote SUBJECT : 21st Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens program SOURCE : Children Now Partnership for Children and Youth Superintendent of Public Instruction DIGEST : This bill expands the academic assistance component of the 21st Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs) program to include career exploration. ANALYSIS : Existing law establishes the federally funded 21st Century High School ASSETs program to provide incentives for establishing before and after school enrichment programs that partner with schools and communities to provide academic CONTINUED AB 547 Page 2 support; safe, constructive alternatives for high school students; and assistance in passing the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE). Each program must consist of the following elements: 1. Academic assistance that includes, but not limited to, preparation for the CAHSEE, tutoring, homework assistance, or college preparation. The assistance must be aligned with the regular academic programs of the pupils. 2. Enrichment that may include, but 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: 1. Adds career exploration as one of the criteria that satisfies the academic assistance element under the 21st Century High School ASSETs program. 2. Defines career exploration as activities that help students develop the knowledge and skills that are relevant to their career interests and reinforce academic content. Comments Career exploration is currently not listed as a possible activity that may satisfy the academic assistance element of the 21st Century High School ASSETs program. According to the author's office, having a career exploration component will give low-income students the opportunity to consider a variety of different careers and learn about what skills are needed for future success in those fields. This is particularly important for students who may be unsure of their future career plans and interests because it could expose them to a variety of engaged learning strategies and pathways. After school programs . The 21st Century High School ASSETs program was established by AB 1984 (Steinberg, Chapter 1025, Statutes of 2002), and serves pupils in grades 9 through 12 providing them with academic support and enrichment. Programs may operate after school only, or after school and any CONTINUED AB 547 Page 3 combination of before school, weekends, summer, intersession, and vacation. Any public or private organization is eligible to apply for a five-year grant of up to $250,000 annually, including local educational agencies, nonprofit agencies, and institutions of higher education. According to the CDE for the 2012-13 fiscal year, the program provides $60.921 million in federal funds for 345 sites and approximately 45,800 students. The 21st Century ASSETs program is a component the 21st Century Learning Community Center (21st Century CLCC) program, which was established by SB 1478 (McPherson), Chapter 1036, Statutes of 2002. The 21st Century CLCC program provides federal five-year grants to establish or expand before and after school programs and is similar to the state funded After School Education and Safety program that was established in 2002 through the voter approved initiative, Proposition 49. FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No SUPPORT : (Verified 7/1/13) Children Now (co-sponsor) Partnership for Children and Youth (co-sponsor) Superintendent of Public Instruction (co-sponsor) Aspiranet California School-Age Consortium California State PTA California Teachers Association City of Wasco Community Action Partnership of Kern Corcoran Unified School District Delano Joint Union High School District Semitropic School District THINK Together Vineland School District ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 75-0, 5/9/13 AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom, Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray, CONTINUED AB 547 Page 4 Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mitchell, Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Torres, Wagner, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez NO VOTE RECORDED: Donnelly, Holden, Logue, Waldron, Vacancy PQ:d 7/1/13 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END **** CONTINUED