BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 547
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 547 (Salas)
As Amended June 19, 2013
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |75-0 |(May 9, 2013) |SENATE: |38-0 |(September 6, |
| | | | | |2013) |
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Original Committee Reference: ED.
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. Defines "career
exploration" as activities that help pupils develop the
knowledge and skills that are relevant to their career interests
and reinforce academic content. Makes technical corrections to
the statutory citations of the high school exit exam and the Cal
Grant Program.
The Senate amendments strike the provision authorizing the
California Department of Education (CDE), in awarding the
grants, to consider other criteria the CDE may identify as
critical for a high quality program.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS : The state receives approximately $130 million
annually in federal funds for the 21st Century Community
Learning Centers (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 After
School Education and Safety (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
(Education Code Section 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
AB 547
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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 of 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.
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. Career exploration is defined as activities that help
pupils develop the knowledge and skills that are relevant to
their career interests and reinforce academic content.
Applicants would be encouraged to devise programs that
incorporate math, science, or other subject area within a career
component.
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. Adding
career exploration may increase the interest of high school
students in participating in after school programs.
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State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson is the
sponsor of this bill.
Analysis Prepared by : Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0001393