BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | ACR 96|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 96
Author: Weber (D), et al.
Amended: 8/24/15 in Assembly
Vote: 21
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: Read and adopted, 8/24/15
SUBJECT: Dropout Recovery Month
SOURCE: SIATeach
DIGEST: This resolution declares the month of August 2015 as
Dropout Recovery Month, and states that the Legislature intends
to encourage the support of dropout recovery high schools with
creative teaching strategies, alternative accountability
metrics, and adequate resources.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative
findings:
1)The America's Promise Alliance found that pupils drop out of
high school because they are overwhelmed by the effects of
toxic living conditions such as homelessness, violent
surroundings, abuse or neglect, and catastrophic family health
events.
2)The 2013 and 2014 Building a Grad Nation reports found that
the nation cannot achieve its graduation goals without
increasing California's graduations rate for Latino and
African American pupils.
3)The Alliance for Excellent Education concluded after research
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Page 2
that if only one-half of the dropouts from a single year were
to earn a diploma, the economic benefits to California would
include an additional $1.4 billion in earnings annually for
the pupils and an annual increase in state and local tax
revenues of $167 million.
4)Research shows that reengaged learners demonstrate higher
levels of civic engagement, contribute to the cultural
strength of their communities, and are significantly less
likely to be unemployed, on public assistance, or arrested for
a violent crime.
5)Successful dropout recovery high schools utilize multiple
strategies, including accelerated learning pedagogies,
competency-based instruction, and alternative rate cohorts and
these schools retain high-quality staff committed to
transforming their pupils from being at risk of failure to
being at promise of success.
This resolution declares the month of August 2015 as Dropout
Recovery Month, and states that the Legislature intends to
encourage the support of dropout recovery high schools with
creative teaching strategies, alternative accountability
metrics, and adequate resources.
Comments
According to the author,
While much has been done to prevent students from
dropping out of high school, much more work needs to be
done to recover the students that have already dropped
out. Research increasingly demonstrates that reengaging
dropouts must become a critical mission for all sectors
of California's education community.
Dropouts earn less, die younger, are more subject to
being dependent on social services, more likely to be
imprisoned, and more often victims of violence.
California stands to gain a great deal from the
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Page 3
reengagement of these pupils. Research by the Alliance
for Excellent Education concludes that if only one-half
of the dropouts from a single year were to earn a
diploma, and economic benefits to California would
include an additional $1.4 billion in earnings annually
from the reengaged pupils and an annual increase in state
and local tax revenues of $167 million.
Additionally it is of extreme importance that we
prioritize the reengagement of students of color in order
to ensure that there are equitable opportunities for all
students. A 2014 Building a Grad Nation report states
that if the nation cannot achieve its graduation goals
without increasing California's graduation rate for
Latino and African American pupils.
Acknowledging the importance of dropout recovery programs
and reaffirming the legislatures support in them gives
credit to the highly qualified and dedicated staff who
been committed to reengaging pupils, emphasizing a
commitment to having a positive effect on the long term
outcomes of California students.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified8/26/15)
SIATeach (source)
California Association of Latino Superintendents and
Administrators
California Charter School Association
California County Superintendents Education Services Association
California State Conference NAACP
County School Facilities Consortium
John Burton Foundation
John Muir Charter Schools
Los Angeles Unified School District
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Riverside County Office of Education
ACR 96
Page 4
San Diego Unified School District
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/26/15)
None received
Prepared by: Jonas Austin / SFA / (916) 651-1520
8/26/15 15:48:05
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