BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 524
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 20, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
524 (Low) - As Amended May 5, 2015
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Policy |Education |Vote:|5 - 2 |
|Committee: | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
Yes
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to develop curriculum standards for courses that
incorporate a service learning component in order to satisfy
AB 524
Page 2
state and local high school graduation requirements. It sets
forth a process for the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt
or reject curriculum standards for a service learning component
by July 1, 2017. And it requires the high school class
graduating during 2020-21 to satisfy the service-learning
component, through any subject required for high school
graduation, if the standards are approved by the SBE.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Proposition 98/GF state mandated reimbursable costs,
potentially in excess of $30 million, to incorporate the
service learning component into high school classes. School
districts may need to hire a service learning programs
coordinator, if existing contracts do not allow for an
existing teacher to assume this work. Supplemental
instructional materials will need to be purchased and
districts may incur costs associated with community-based
service learning programs.
2)One-time General Fund costs of approximately $380,000 to
develop curriculum standards for courses that incorporate
service learning. Costs include stakeholder advisory group
meetings, contracting with a primary standards writer, and
other associated staffing costs.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. Service-learning is distinguished from volunteering
or community service in that it connects service with
structured opportunities to learn from the experience. The
federal Learn and Serve program of the Corporation for
National and Community Service define service-learning as "a
teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful
AB 524
Page 3
community service with instruction and reflection to enrich
the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and
strengthen communities".
According to the author, while some school districts in
California incorporate community service or service-learning
into the high school curriculum and require it for graduation,
other districts do not integrate service-learning into their
educational experience. This bill would make service learning
a high school graduation requirement in all California high
schools.
2)Background. Many school districts have local service-learning
or volunteer graduation requirements.
Los Angeles Unified School District requires a
service-learning experience of all high school students,
measured by an approved project, not a number of hours
served.
Culver City Unified School District requires 60 hours of
service-learning in high school for graduation.
Paramount Unified School District requires 30 hours of
community service for graduation, starting with this year's
graduating class.
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District requires
40 hours of community service for graduation.
AB 524
Page 4
San Jose Unified School District requires certification
of a minimum of 40 hours of community service for
graduation.
1)Concerns. The California Department of Education is concerned
that the timeline in the bill is unworkable. The bill requires
standards to be submitted to the SBE by March 1, 2017, who
would need to act by July 1, 2017. The standards would have to
be implemented by districts statewide by the 2017-18 school
year since the graduation requirement would be enforced
starting with the graduating class of 2020-21. This could
prove very difficult to implement at the local level. The CDE
recommends moving the implementation date out another year.
The CDE also notes the update of the History-Social Science
Framework, which is expected to be completed in early 2016 and
the development of new assessments in history-social science
pursuant to Assembly Bill 484 (2013) could be delayed if CDE
needs to shift resources to implement the provisions of this
bill. CDE further notes the current draft of the
History-Social Science Framework includes a new appendix on
service learning and multiple examples of service learning
activities throughout the narrative course descriptions.
Additionally, nothing in current law prevents school districts
from implementing service learning programs.
2)Previous legislation. AB 1911 (Wesson and Hertzberg) of 2000,
would have required school districts offering grades 9 - 12 to
AB 524
Page 5
offer students the opportunity to enroll in courses that
include service-learning activities for credit toward
graduation. This bill was held on Suspense in the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081