BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Carol Liu, Chair
2013-2014 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 540
AUTHOR: Wyland
AMENDED: April 1, 2013
FISCAL COMM: No HEARING DATE: May 1, 2013
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Lenin Del Castillo
SUBJECT : Career Technical Education block grant funding.
SUMMARY
This bill allows school districts and county offices of
education to award pupils a career technical education (CTE)
certificate if specified requirements are met.
BACKGROUND
Existing law establishes various CTE programs for public
schools including but not limited to regional occupational
centers and programs (ROC/Ps), partnership academies, adult
education programs, and career technical education programs
in high schools and community colleges.
The State Board of Education (SBE) adopted model curriculum
standards for CTE in May 2005 and adopted the curriculum
frameworks for those standards in January 2007. The
standards are organized in 15 industry sectors and identify
the academic and technical requirements for different career
pathways within each sector.
Existing law requires any business, trade or professional
association, union, or state or local governmental agency
that operates, under the auspices of the local school
district, a career preparatory program to award program
completers a certificate of completion that supplements a
high school diploma.
Existing law requires each school district maintaining any of
grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer to all otherwise
qualified pupils courses of study that 1) fulfill the
requirements and prerequisites for admission to California
public institutions of postsecondary education and 2) provide
an opportunity for pupils to attain entry-level employment
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skills in business or industry upon graduation from high
school. Current law permits districts to fulfill their
responsibility, pursuant to number 2) by adopting a required
curriculum that meets or exceeds the model standards CTE
adopted by the State Board of Education.
Existing law requires each person between the ages of 6 and
18, unless otherwise exempted, to be subject to compulsory
full-time education.
ANALYSIS
This bill allows school districts and county offices of
education to award pupils a career technical education
certificate if all of the following requirements are met:
1 The pupil has satisfactorily completed four
semester-long career technical education courses. To
the extent possible, the courses shall be within the
same industry sector as identified in the California
Career Technical Education Model Curriculum standards
adopted by the State Board of Education.
2) The pupil has satisfactorily participated in a
structured work-based learning experience related to the
career technical education courses.
3) The pupil has satisfactorily completed a culminating
project related to the career technical education
courses.
This bill provides that the award of a career technical
education (CTE) certificate shall in no way be construed as
equivalent to the award of a high school diploma or as a
change to the requirements in existing law regarding
compulsory education and high school graduation, as
specified.
STAFF COMMENTS
1 Need for the bill . According to the author's office,
there are currently ten states that have specialized
high school endorsements that are awarded to students
who complete additional coursework or complete
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differentiated coursework in certain subject areas,
complete a series of units in a technical field, or
obtain technical certification before the end of high
school. By enabling students to earn a supplemental
certificate to their high school diploma, this bill
could encourage more students to take CTE classes while
in high school. According to the author's office, CTE
provides students with the critical skills necessary to
compete in today's economy, whether they go on to
college, post-high school workforce training, or
directly enter the workforce.
2) Previous & related legislation .
SB 253 (Wyland, 2009), similar to this bill, proposed to
authorize school districts and county offices of
education to offer pupils a CTE certificate upon meeting
specified requirements. SB 253 passed this Committee
but died in the Assembly Rules Committee.
SUPPORT
Association of California School Administrators
California Teachers Association
OPPOSITION
None on file.