BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 540
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Date of Hearing: June 12, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Joan Buchanan, Chair
SB 540 (Wyland) - As Amended: June 4, 2013
SENATE VOTE : 34-0
SUBJECT : Career Technical Education: Recognition Certificates
SUMMARY : Permits a school district or county office of
education to award a pupil a career technical education (CTE)
certificate of recognition. Specifically, this bill :
1)Allows a school district or county office of education to
award a pupil a CTE certificate of recognition with the
following specifications:
a) Requires the pupil to complete the equivalent of four
semester-long CTE courses;
b) Specifies that, 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 (SBE);
c) Requires the pupil to have successfully completed a
structured work-based learning experience related to the
CTE courses; and
d) Requires the pupil have successfully completed a
culminating project related to the CTE courses.
2)Specifies that the award of a CTE certificate under this
section shall in no way be construed as equivalent to the
award of a high school diploma or as a change to the
provisions of law that govern compulsory education and the
requirements for graduation.
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EXISTING LAW : 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.
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) fulfills the requirements and
prerequisites for admission to California public institutions of
postsecondary education and 2) provides an opportunity for
pupils to attain entry-level employment skills in business or
industry upon graduation from high school. Current law permits
districts to fulfill their responsibility, pursuant to 2) by
adopting a required curriculum that meets or exceeds the model
standards CTE adopted by the SBE.
Existing law requires specified areas of instruction in order
for a pupil to be awarded a high school diploma. These
instructional areas include:
1)English
2)Mathematics
3)Science
4)Social studies
5)Visual performing arts, foreign language, or CTE; and
6)Physical education
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Existing law requires each person between the ages of 6 and 18,
unless otherwise exempted, to be subject to compulsory full-time
education.
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : 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 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.
With the dramatic changes in business and industry processes and
procedures due to the use of technology and other economic
considerations as well as expectations from employers for those
preparing to enter the 21st century workforce, the SBE adopted
revised CTE Model Curriculum Standards in January, 2013. The
adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for both
English-language arts and mathematics demonstrated the need to
reformat the CTE Model Curriculum Standards to accommodate
alignment to these new CCSS. These standards, although common
to all, are customized to better reflect the specific conditions
and expectations of each industry sector. Standards for Career
Ready Practices, intended for all students, are in response to
the expectation of Career and College Readiness for all students
upon completion of the high school experience.
With the revised standards now in place and a conscious effort
by this Legislature to increase access to CTE courses, this bill
allows recognition of students who are participating in this
high-quality and rigorous course of study.
Related Legislation
AB 815 (Brownley), Chapter 618, Statutes of 2011, recognizes
high school graduates who have attained a high level of
proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more
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languages in addition to English by including on their high
school diploma a "State Seal of Biliteracy."
AB 1330 (Furutani), Chapter 621, Statutes of 2011, adds CTE, as
defined, as an option for pupils to fulfill the existing high
school graduation requirement to complete a course in visual or
performing arts or foreign language and sunsets these provisions
on January 1, 2017.
SB 253 (Wyland) of 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. The Assembly Education Committee passed this bill
by a vote of 11-0. The bill died in the Assembly Appropriations
Committee.
SB 381 (Wright) of 2009, required districts adopting a college
preparation curriculum for high school graduation to require
students to also complete CTE courses in order to earn the high
school diploma. The Assembly Education Committee passed this
bill by a vote of 6-3. The bill died in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee.
SB 515 (Hancock) of 2009, required that at least half of
sequenced CTE courses met are linked to regional or state high
priority workforce needs. This measure was vetoed by Governor
Schwarzenegger. The Assembly Education Committee passed this
bill by a vote of 9-0.
SB 725 (Hancock) of 2009, authorized ROC/Ps to offer
apprenticeship preparation programs. The Assembly Education
Committee did not hear this bill.
AB 2448 (Hancock), Chapter 527, Statutes of 2006, refocus ROC/P
services to high school students and ensure the courses are part
of occupational course sequences.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Association of California School Administrators
California Teachers Association
School for Integrated Academics and Technologies
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Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Jill Rice / ED. / (916) 319-2087