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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