BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                             Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
                            2015 - 2016  Regular  Session

          AB 252 (Holden) - Advanced placement program: Advanced Placement  
          STEM Access Grant Program.
          
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          |Version: June 2, 2015           |Policy Vote: ED. 6 - 1          |
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          |Urgency: No                     |Mandate: No                     |
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          |Hearing Date: August 17, 2015   |Consultant: Jillian Kissee      |
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          This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.


          Bill  
          Summary:  This bill establishes the Advanced Placement (AP) STEM  
          Access Grant Program to be administered by the California  
          Department of Education (CDE) to help high schools establish or  
          expand their AP STEM curriculum.  STEM curriculum consists of  
          science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.


          Fiscal  
          Impact:  
           Unknown, but likely significant cost pressure to fund the AP  
            STEM Access Grant Program.  Since there is no dedicated  
            funding source, it is unknown what the magnitude of the grant  
            program will be.  If private funds to support the program do  
            not materialize, pressure could be put on the state to fund  
            the program.  If the state funded 100 grants, this could drive  
            costs of $800,000, assuming the maximum grant award.  If each  
            eligible school district received one grant, regardless of the  
            number of high schools within each district, costs could  







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            exceed $3.3 million, assuming the maximum grant award of  
            $8,000.  (Proposition 98 and/or special funds)

           The CDE indicates that if this program were funded, it would  
            need resources to administer the program of about $100,000 and  
            two part-time positions.  Costs would likely vary depending on  
            how much funding would be available for this program and the  
            number of applicants the CDE would receive.  (General Fund)

           Successful applicants will be required to match the grant  
            amount awarded by the CDE a dollar-for-dollar basis, or the  
            equivalent in services or resources.


          Background:  The AP Program was established over 40 years ago by the  
          College Board, which is a national not-for-profit organization  
          that fosters students' transitions to college through programs  
          and services, including the AP Program.  

          SB 1689 (Escutia, 2000) established the AP Challenge Grant  
          Program administered by the CDE.  The program awarded four-year  
          grants on a competitive basis to no more than 550 high schools  
          to establish, train, and support teams of teachers or purchase  
          instructional materials and equipment for advanced placement  
          courses.  In its first year of operation, the budget included  
          $16.5 million to provide competitive grants of up to $30,000.   
          This program was defunded after a few years of operation.
          In the fall of 2013, the College Board implemented a nationwide  
          AP STEM Access Program using a $5 million private grant it  
          received.  This program focuses on expanding AP course offerings  
          to typically underrepresented minority and female students who  
          have demonstrated strong academic potential to enroll in and  
          explore these areas of study and related careers, which is  
          similar to the intent of this bill.  




          Proposed Law:  
            This bill establishes the AP STEM Access Grant Program and the  
          AP STEM Access Grant Program Account in the State Treasury  
          (account).  The program is to be administered by the CDE to help  
          high schools expand their advanced placement STEM curriculum.   
          Implementation of this bill is contingent upon funding made  








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          available to the CDE from any source, including state funds. 
          Funds in the account may be used for grants and administrative  
          costs for one-time uses, including professional development,  
          instructional materials, and laboratory materials and supplies.   
          Grant amounts are to be determined based on the cost of the type  
          of AP course in the STEM curriculum, not to exceed $8,000 per  
          grant application.  This bill requires that the grant amount  
          awarded by the CDE must be matched by the participating school  
          district on a dollar-for-dollar basis, or the equivalent in  
          services or resources.


          A school district may apply to the CDE for a maximum of one  
          grant per high school and 10 grants per school district if all  
          of the following conditions are met: (1) the high school either  
          does not offer STEM AP courses or offers them but they are  
          oversubscribed, as defined; and (2) the high school has  
          identified students from populations that are underrepresented  
          in STEM courses who have demonstrated they have high potential  
          to be successful in one or more AP STEM courses, as specified.   
          This bill's grant program sunsets on July 1, 2021.




          Related  
          Legislation:  AB 1940 (Holden, 2014) established a pilot program  
          to expand science, technology, engineering, and mathematics  
          advanced placement programs in high schools.  This bill failed  
          passage in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.


          Staff  
          Comments: The AP Program consists of college-level courses in 31  
          subject areas offered at the high school level.  AP exams are  
          standardized tests that measure a student's level of knowledge  
          and skills gained by the AP course.  If a student scores well  
          enough, the student could receive college credit or advanced  
          placement in college.  The fee for each exam is $91.  The state  
          uses federal funds, subject to availability, to pay a portion of  
          the AP exam fee for income-eligible public school students.   
          According to the College Board, students that qualify for the  
          federal Free and/or Reduced Price Meal program are eligible for  
          a $29 College Board fee reduction and are required to pay $5 per  








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          exam.  The school or school district covers the remaining  
          balance ($57) per test. The state then reimburses schools up to  
          $41 per exam using available federal funds.  If this bill is  
          funded, this program may contribute to a potential increase in  
          the number of students taking AP exams and fees to take those  
          exams covered by students, school districts, and the state.   
          Additional demand for state reimbursement of test fees could  
          potentially result in a lower pro-rated amount but would  
          ultimately depend on available federal funds.  
          Staff notes that a former categorical program, known as the  
          Advanced Placement Fee Reimbursement Program, which covered AP  
          test fees for low-income students was made flexible and included  
          in the state's new funding formula for local educational  
          agencies.  It was last funded in 2012-13 fiscal year at about  
          $1.8 million.  Federal funding for the 2015-16 fiscal year is  
          about $12.1 million.




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