BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 524
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Date of Hearing: August 21, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 524 (Lara) - As Amended: August 8, 2013
Policy Committee: Education Vote:7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to appoint and staff a 12 member Pathways Curriculum Task
Force (the task force) to develop a voluntary curriculum for
grades K-12 that will provide pupils and their families with a
basic understanding of postsecondary educational institutions,
options, programs, and opportunities. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the task force to include representatives from
postsecondary education (four), elementary and secondary
education (four), non-profit organizations (two), an
individual with expertise in career preparation, and a parent.
Further requires the task force to address a minimum of
topics related to college admission and financial aid, and to
seek input from experts in these fields.
2)Requires the pathways curriculum to be developed by April 1,
2015, and include materials for families/guardians and
information as to where college and career information can be
easily accessed (i.e., Internet, federal/state resources,
etc.). Further requires the task force to hold its first
meeting no later than April 1, 2014.
FISCAL EFFECT
One-time GF administrative costs, of at least $400,000, to the
State Department of Education to staff the task force and
develop a CTE pathways curriculum for grades K-12. There will
likely be on going costs of at least $75,000 to update the
curriculum as required in the bill.
SUMMARY CONTINUED
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3)Requires the task force to do the following:
a) Transmit the pathways curriculum to the legislative
education and fiscal committees, the Regents of the
University of California (UC), the Trustees of the
California State University (CSU), the Board of Governors
and Chancellor of the California Community Colleges (CCC),
the Student Aid Commission, and the Instructional Quality
Commission for a three-month review and comment period.
b) Transmit the pathways curriculum to SDE where it must be
maintained and available for school district and school
use. Further requires the SPI to be responsible for
dissemination of the curriculum to local education agencies
(LEAs), charter schools, professional organizations, civic
organizations throughout the state, and the public.
c) Recommend an annual process for updating the curriculum,
as determined and implemented by SDE, with the help of the
UC, CSU, and the CCC.
4)Authorizes schools and districts to use and deliver the
pathways curriculum in a manner that best suits their local
needs and resources. Further expresses legislative intent
that LEAs consider adopting all parts of the pathways
curriculum, but makes clear it is not mandatory.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to EdSource, a non-profit research
institution, "A high school diploma alone is no longer
sufficient to provide today's K-12 students with reliable
access to a living wage, much less upward mobility or a
middle-class lifestyle. On average, adults with higher levels
of education tend to earn more. But a range of
secondary-to-postsecondary paths can lead to success in the
workplace. For example, national weekly earnings data for the
second quarter of 2009 show that-among U.S. workers who are at
least 25 years old and working full-time-workers whose highest
level of education is an associate degree or some college
often earn more than the lowest-earning quartile of workers
who have attained a bachelor's (but not an advanced) degree."
According to the author, "The path to college and career is
increasingly complex. Students and families struggle to obtain
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accurate information about options and often changing
requirements. Students from underrepresented communities-many
of them the first in their families to go to college-are often
unaware of options and opportunities. Even parents who went to
college often feel unprepared to help their children with this
process.
"California cannot afford to let pupils reach adulthood
uninformed of the institutions and programs available to help
them become productive members of society. College and career
counselors are valuable resources in navigating the process.
However, California's student-to-counselor is 945 to 1,
ranking last in the nation, and 29% of school districts have
no counseling programs at all. Pathway guidance should not be
left to chance.
"SB 524 develops a voluntary, K-12 curriculum to educate
pupils and their families about the rich array of college and
career opportunities available, how the appropriate coursework
and academic proficiency can ensure that students can meet
their college and career goals, and the cost of postsecondary
education. By better preparing students, this curriculum
maximizes the efficiency of our higher education system."
2)Technical amendments . The bill requires the curriculum to be
available for use by school districts. However, it also uses
the term LEAs, which includes county offices of education.
Does the author intend for the curriculum to only be available
for use by school districts, or by LEAs and charter schools as
well?
The bill refers to the task force developing a pathways
curriculum. It also refers to the curriculum as the career
and college pathways curriculum.
Staff recommends the author address these technical issues.
3)Current state efforts regarding college and career readiness .
a) Early Commitment to College programs, a voluntary
program to motivate students to prepare for college,
increase high school graduation rates, help families
understand that college is attainable, provide a clear path
and direct assistance for students beginning in middle
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school, and prepare a highly skilled workforce. The SPI is
required to designate College Opportunity Zones based on
the percentage of low-income students, and develop the Save
Me a Spot in College pledge, which assures students who
sign, that the student can continue his or her education at
a CCC and receive financial aid as long as that student
continues to meet eligibility requirements. This program
sunsets on January 1, 2019.
b) University outreach programs. Most higher education
segments and individual campuses of the state's public and
private institutions of higher education separately
administer various outreach programs, many directly to K-12
students. Many private proprietary institutions also
conduct outreach activities directed at the general
population and lower socio-economic students. Some
examples include the CSU's Early Assessment Program, Summer
Bridge/Transition programs, Troops to College, and
Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA).
c) The California Student Opportunity and Access Program
(Cal-SOAP) is administered by the California Student Aid
Commission. It was statutorily established in 1978 and is
directed to improve the flow of information about
postsecondary education and financial aid, while raising
the achievement levels of low-income, elementary and
secondary school students or geographic regions with
documented low eligibility or college participation rates.
The Cal-SOAP currently funds projects operating in 17
locations through the state by consortia made up of
secondary and postsecondary schools and community agencies.
d) The Cash for College program, administered by the
California Student Aid Commission, is designed to target
outreach and assistance for low-income and first-generation
college-bound students with financial aid applications by
conducting financial aid workshops and forming regional
partnerships between outreach communities, business and
student groups.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
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