BILL NUMBER: AB 2216 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 28, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Muratsuchi
FEBRUARY 20, 2014
An act relating to career technical education.
An act to add Section 52335.7 to the Education Code, relating to
regional occupational centers and programs.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2216, as amended, Muratsuchi. Career technical
education: programs. Regional occupational centers and
programs: funding.
Existing law authorizes the county superintendent of schools of
each county, with the consent of the State Board of Education, to
establish and maintain a regional occupational center, or regional
occupational program, in the county to provide education and training
in career technical courses. Existing law also authorizes the
governing boards of any school district maintaining high schools in
the county, with the consent of the state board and county
superintendent of schools, to cooperate in the establishment and
maintenance of a regional occupational center or program, except as
specified, and authorizes the establishment and maintenance of a
regional occupational center or program by 2 or more school districts
to be undertaken pursuant to a joint powers authority. Existing law
also requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to calculate a
revenue limit for each regional occupational center or program, as
specified, and requires the Superintendent to apportion funds to the
regional occupational center or program based on that calculation.
This bill would express findings and declarations regarding career
technical education, and would require a regional occupational
center or program established and maintained by local educational
agencies or a joint powers authority, as specified, to receive an
annual appropriation from the General Fund for purposes of providing
high-quality career technical education services. The bill would
require the appropriated funds to be apportioned directly to the
regional occupational center or program based on a formula agreed
upon by the local educational agencies participating in the regional
occupational center or program.
Existing law establishes various career technical education
programs, including, but not limited to, regional occupational
centers or programs, linked learning, partnership academies, and
career pathways programs.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that would promote and support high quality career
technical education, including, but not limited to, regional
occupational centers or programs, linked learning, partnership
academies, and career pathway programs, to help prepare and engage
pupils for transition to higher education and the workforce.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no
yes . State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. (a) The
Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) A foundational principle in the Education Code is that all
pupils shall have access to equitable educational opportunities and
resources.
(2) The future of California is dependent upon minimizing, if not
entirely alleviating, inequities in public schools so that all pupils
will have equitable opportunities to learn skills needed for entry
into the workforce, pursue postsecondary educational goals, and
contribute to the social cohesion of the state.
(3) High-quality career technical education (CTE) programs
contribute to pupils' academic and career achievement by allowing
pupils to smoothly enter the workforce or postsecondary education.
(4) Current law authorizes CTE courses as an option for pupils to
satisfy the high school graduation requirement to complete a course
in visual or performing arts or foreign language.
(5) High-quality CTE programs, including regional occupational
centers and programs (ROCPs) have served as a major component to
California's workforce preparation system for the past 35 years.
(6) Studies have shown that pupils who participate in ROCPs have
improved high school grade point averages, have higher 12th grade
attendance rates, and have enrolled in postsecondary educational
programs in greater numbers.
(7) Regionalization and coordination with local educational
agencies, community colleges, and industry allow CTE programs to
efficiently use limited resources to provide pupils with a broad
array of training opportunities, use of expensive technical
equipment, and specially trained and experienced instructors.
(8) Despite the long-standing priority the Legislature has given
to CTE programs, in last year alone, high school CTE program
enrollment has dropped by over 100,000 pupils, which is over 12
percent, and California has lost 19.6 percent of its high school CTE
instructors.
(9) High-quality CTE programs are one of the most difficult
programs to rebuild if they are dismantled.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that
would promote and support high-quality CTE programs, including, but
not limited to, ROCPs, linked learning, partnership academies, and
career pathway programs, to help prepare and engage pupils for
transition to postsecondary educational opportunities and the
workforce.
SEC. 2. Section 52335.7 is added to the
Education Code , to read:
52335.7. Notwithstanding any other law, a regional occupational
center or program established and maintained by local educational
agencies or a joint powers authority pursuant to Section 52301 shall
receive an annual appropriation from the General Fund for purposes of
providing high-quality career technical education services. The
appropriated funds shall be apportioned directly to the regional
occupational center or program based on a formula agreed upon by the
local educational agencies participating in the regional occupational
center or program.
SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature
to enact legislation that would promote and support high quality
career technical education, including, but not limited to, regional
occupational centers or programs, linked learning, partnership
academies, and career pathway programs, to help prepare and engage
pupils for transition to higher education and the workforce.