BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 542
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Date of Hearing: April 7, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Jose Medina, Chair
AB 542
(Wilk) - As Amended March 23, 2015
SUBJECT: Community colleges: early and middle college high
schools
SUMMARY: Allows a student attending an early or middle college
high school (E/MCHS), who is enrolled in a community college
physical education (P. E.) course that is required for the
student's E/MCHS program, to not be considered as a special
part-time or full-time student for purposes of existing
percentage caps for special part-time and full-time students.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Expresses that the Legislature intends for this measure to
eliminate statutory barriers to the operation of existing and
the establishment of new E/MCHSs.
2)Specifies if a student is attending an ECHS and is seeking
enrollment in a community college course that is required for
the student's ECHS program, he/she will not be assigned a low
enrollment priority.
3)Specifies a student attending a(n) E/MCHS, as specified, who
is enrolled in a community college P. E. course that is
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required for the student's E/MCHS program, shall not be
considered a special part-time or full-time student for
purposes of percentage caps for special part-time and
full-time students (as described below in "existing law"
section of this analysis).
4)Makes clarifying and technical changes to existing law.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes MCHS as broad-based comprehensive instructional
programs focusing on college preparatory and school-to-work
curricula, career education, work experience, community
service, and support and motivational activities; and declares
ECHS to be autonomous schools that blend high school and
college into a coherent educational program - specifying that
ECHS pupils should begin taking college courses as soon as
they demonstrate readiness and the college credit earned may
be applied toward completing an associate or bachelor's
degree, transfer to a four-year university, or obtaining a
skills certificate (Education Code Sections 11300 and 11302).
2)Provides opportunities for minor students to enroll in
college-level, degree-applicable courses for advanced
scholastic or advanced vocational purposes while they are in
high school and authorizes the governing board of a school
district, upon recommendation of the principal of a pupil's
school and with parental consent, to authorize a student to
concurrently enroll in a community college during any session
or term to undertake one or more courses of instruction (EC
Section 48800, et. seq.).
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3)Requires the California Community Colleges (CCC) Chancellor's
Office to report to the Department of Finance and Legislature
annually on the amount of full-time equivalent students (FTES)
claimed by each CCC district for high school pupils enrolled
in non-credit, non-degree applicable, and degree applicable
courses; and provides that, for purposes of receiving state
apportionments, CCC districts may only include high school
students within the CCC district's report on FTES if the
students are enrolled in courses that are open to the general
public, as specified. Additionally, current law requires the
governing board of a CCC district to assign a low enrollment
priority to special part-time or full-time students in order
to ensure that these students do not displace regularly
admitted community college students; and, specifies that if
the class is a P. E. class, no more than 10 percent of its
enrollment may be comprised of special part-time or full-time
students and that a community college district shall not
receive state apportionment for special part-time and
full-time students enrolled in P. E. courses in excess of five
percent of the district's total reported full time equivalent
enrollment of special part-time and full-time students. To
note, current law exempts MCHS students from being assigned
low enrollment priority if they are seeking to enroll in a CCC
course that is required for their MCHS program (EC Sections
76001 and 76002).
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: Purpose of this measure. According to the author,
"AB 542 will allow community colleges to receive funding for
providing P. E. courses for Early College and Middle College
High School students since they are responsible for completing
the Physical Education requirement to meet state standards. The
bill will only apply to community colleges that have an Early
College High School or a Middle College High School and only
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exempts those students from the cap on both enrollment and
apportionment funding. The caps will remain in place for other
concurrently enrolled students."
Early and middle college high schools. E/MCHS operate in a
similar manner to provide high school pupils opportunities to
take college courses while still in high school as part of an
integrated program. According to 2013-2014 data from ECHS
programs, the ECHS programs are reaching their target
populations; nationally, roughly three-fourths of high school
pupils attending ECHS are students of color, while nearly 60%
report eligibility for free or reduced-priced lunch. Most
students attending ECHS will be the first in their families to
go to college. Currently, there are 40 ECHS in California. The
demographic make-up of the ECHS students in the 40 schools in
California is as follows: 59.52% are Latino; 17.41% are White;
8.57% are Black; and, 6.47% are Asian. To note, 92% of the 40
schools are currently partnered with a CCC.
Challenges for E/MCHS students. High school pupils
participating in E/MCHS programs are considered special
part-time or full-time students for purposes of attending a
community college to fulfill the college aspect of the program.
According to the author, most students who attend a(n) E/MCHS
program attend their courses on a community college campus, but
because current law caps how many high school pupils can enroll
in community college P. E. courses, and how many students the
community college can receive apportionment funding for, E/MCHS
students are experiencing great difficulties in gaining access
to needed P. E. courses.
Additionally, by providing ECHS students an exemption from the
low enrollment priority requirement, this bill will give ECHS
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students an opportunity to complete their programs in a timely
manner. AB 230 (Carter, Chapter 50, Statues of 2011), allowed
MCHS students this exemption, but not ECHS students; this bill
will bring parity to ECHS students.
Committee consideration. Concurrent enrollment abuse? As
drafted, this measure will lift the existing caps on P. E.
courses offered to special part-time and full-time students and
the apportionment dollars community colleges can claim, if the
students are taking the course as needed for their E/MCHS
program. Will passage of this measure create course abuse as
was experienced in the early turn of this century whereby
legislation was enacted to curb concurrent enrollment abuses?
To address the potential reoccurrence of P. E. course abuse, the
Committee may wish to have specific reporting requirements added
to this measure in order to monitor and track the P. E. courses
offered and taken by E/MCHS students and the apportionment
dollars claimed by community colleges.
Conflicting legislation. AB 288 (Holden) and AB 889 (Chang),
which will both be heard today by this Committee, seek to amend
and address some of the same code sections as this measure,
addressing special part-time or full-time students and E/MCHS
students.
Staff recommends, should all the measures pass out of this
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Committee, that they eventually be amended to address potential
chaptering out issues.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
College of the Canyons
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
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