SB 173, Liu. Education funding: adult education.
(1) Existing law establishes the State Department of Education, under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to execute numerous statutes and policies relating to the funding and governance of public elementary and secondary schools throughout the state. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district maintaining secondary schools to establish and maintain classes for adults, as specified.
Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the State Department of Education, pursuant to funding made available in the annual Budget Act, to jointly provide 2-year planning and implementation grants to regional consortia of community college districts and school districts for the development of regional plans for adult education. Existing law requires the chancellor and the department to submit a joint report relating to this adult education consortium program to the Legislature and the Governor on or before March 1, 2015.
This bill would require the department, in conjunction with the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, as part of a report that is required under existing law, to jointly develop and issue assessment policy recommendations regarding assessments to be used by school districts and community college districts for purposes of placement in adult education courses offered by those districts as part of an adult education consortium. The bill would also require the department and the chancellor’s office, as a part of the report required under the adult education consortium program, to jointly develop and issue policy recommendations to the Legislature regarding a comprehensive accountability system for adult education courses offered by school districts and community college districts in accordance with prescribed requirements.
The bill would require the chancellor’s office and the department to coordinate and issue recommendations, including recommendations as to whether or not fees should be assessed, and fee policy guidelines to be used by school districts and community college districts regarding the authority to charge fees for courses offered pursuant to the adult education consortium program.
The bill would require the chancellor’s office, in conjunction with the department, to annually report on the number and types of courses being taught and the number of students being served with funding provided to the adult education consortia.
The bill would require the chancellor’s office to annually report on the number and types of noncredit courses being taught and the number of students being served with funding provided to the community colleges for noncredit courses offered pursuant to a specified statute. The bill would require the chancellor’s office to identify any deficits in course offerings based upon levels, types, and needs for adult education programs identified in adult education consortium plans.
(2) The bill would require the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges to jointly develop and submit recommendations to specified policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature for modifying or establishing reciprocity standards for instructors of adult education courses by July 1, 2016.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 52524 is added to the Education Code, to read:
(a) The department, in conjunction with the chancellor’s office, as part of the report and recommendations required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 84830, shall jointly develop and issue assessment policy recommendations regarding assessments to be used by school districts and community college districts for purposes of placement in adult education courses offered pursuant to Section 84830.
(b) The department and the chancellor’s office, as a part of the report and recommendations required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 84830, shall jointly develop and issue policy recommendations to the Legislature regarding a comprehensive accountability system for adult education courses offered pursuant to Sections 41976 and 84757. The department and the chancellor’s office shall develop recommendations for all adult education-funded providers for assessment, evaluation, and data collection to document participant outcomes and placement, and other measures they deem appropriate. Accountability measures may include receipt of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, placement in a postsecondary educational institution, training, and employment. All funded programs shall be required to annually submit demographic and other student-level outcome information to the department or the chancellor’s office, as appropriate.
(c) The department, in conjunction with the chancellor’s office, and as a part of the report and recommendations required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 84830, shall coordinate and issue both of the following:
(1) Recommendations, including recommendations as to whether or not fees should be assessed, and fee policy guidelines to be used by school districts and community college districts regarding the authority to charge fees for courses offered pursuant to Section 84830. With respect to these recommendations and guidelines, it is the intent of the Legislature that:
(A) Registration and course fees should be equivalent across all programs.
(B) Fees should not generate income beyond the cost of providing the courses.
(C) Fees should not create a barrier to student access to adult education programs.
(2) Recommendations and policy guidelines regarding the use of a single student identifier to be used by school districts and community college districts for purposes of developing a comprehensive accountability system pursuant to the requirements of Section 84830.
(d) As used in this section, “chancellor’s office” means the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
Section 78402 is added to the Education Code, to read:
(a) The chancellor’s office, in conjunction with the department, as part of the report and recommendations required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 84830, shall jointly develop and issue assessment policy recommendations regarding assessments to be used by school districts and community college districts for purposes of placement in adult education courses offered pursuant to Section 84830 and paragraphs (2) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 84757.
(b) The department and the chancellor’s office, as a part of the report and recommendations required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 84830, shall jointly develop and issue policy recommendations to the Legislature regarding a comprehensive accountability system for adult education courses offered pursuant to Section 84830 and paragraphs (2) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 84757. The department and the chancellor’s office shall develop recommendations for all adult education-funded providers for assessment, evaluation, and data collection to document participant outcomes and placement, and other performance measures they deem appropriate. Accountability measures may include receipt of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, placement in a postsecondary educational institution, training, and employment. All funded programs shall be required to annually submit demographic and other student-level outcome information to the department or the chancellor’s office, as appropriate.
(c) The chancellor’s office, in conjunction with the department, and as a part of the report and recommendations required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 84830, shall coordinate and issue both of the following:
(1) Recommendations, including recommendations as to whether or not fees should be assessed, and fee policy guidelines to be used by school districts and community college districts regarding the authority to charge fees for courses offered pursuant to Section 84830. With respect to these recommendations and guidelines, it is the intent of the Legislature that:
(A) Registration and course fees should be equivalent across all programs.
(B) Fees should not generate income beyond the cost of providing the courses.
(C) Fees should not create a barrier to student access to adult education programs.
(2) Recommendations and policy guidelines regarding the use of a single student identifier to be used by school districts and community college districts for purposes of developing a comprehensive accountability system pursuant to the requirements of Section 84830.
(d) As used in this section, “department” means the State Department of Education.
Section 84757.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:
(a) The chancellor’s office, in conjunction with the department, shall annually report on the number and types of courses being taught and the number of students being served with funding provided to the regional consortia established pursuant to Section 84830. The chancellor’s office shall annually report on the number and types of noncredit courses being taught and the number of students being served with funding provided to the community colleges for the courses offered pursuant to Section 84757.
(b) The chancellor’s office shall identify any deficits in course offerings based upon levels, types, and needs for adult education programs identified in the consortia plans submitted as required under subdivision (c) of Section 84830.
The Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges shall meet to review their current requirements for noncredit adult education and adult education instructors, and shall develop and submit recommendations to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature for modifying or establishing reciprocity standards for instructors of adult education courses by July 1, 2016.
It is the intent of the Legislature to evaluate the guidelines for the accountability system established pursuant to Sections 52524 and 78402 of the Education Code.
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