BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 542
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Date of Hearing: April 22, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Jimmy Gomez, Chair
AB
542 (Wilk) - As Amended March 23, 2015
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill:
AB 542
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1)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 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 enrollment caps on
special part-time and full-time students.
2)Specifies that a student attending an ECHS and seeking
enrollment in a community college course required for the
student's ECHS program will not be assigned a low enrollment
priority.
FISCAL EFFECT:
To the extent districts can claim additional apportionment
funding for E/MCHS students, there will be increased General
Fund (Prop 98) costs. The equivalent of only 33 additional
full-time equivalent students (FTES) statewide, at the current
funding rate of $4,676 per FTES would exceed $150,000. (Total
E/MCHS credit enrollment at the CCC is unknown, but estimated at
2,000 to 4, 000 FTES.) To the extent, however, that community
colleges as a whole are already using all state funds
apportioned for enrollment, the bill will result in additional
unknown Prop 98 cost pressure.
COMMENTS:
AB 542
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1)Background. Concurrent enrollment provides pupils the
opportunity to enroll in college courses and earn college
credit while still enrolled in high school. A pupil is
allowed to concurrently enroll in a CCC as a "special admit"
while still attending high school, if the pupil's school
district determines that the pupil would benefit from
"advanced scholastic or vocational work." Special-admit
students have typically been advanced pupils wanting to take
more challenging coursework or pupils who come from high
schools where Advanced Placement or honors courses are not
widely available.
Early College High Schools are small, autonomous schools that
blend high school and college into a coherent educational
program. They are designed so that all students can achieve
two years of college credit at the same time they are earning
a high school diploma (within four to five years of entering
ninth grade). By reaching out to middle schools or starting
with the seventh grade and providing extensive support, Early
College High Schools ensure that all students are ready for
college-level courses in high school.
Middle College High School is a collaborative program that
enables high-potential, "at-risk" students to obtain a high
school education while concurrently receiving direct access to
college courses and services. The high school is located on,
and is integrated into, the community college environment,
whereby high school students attend classes at a community
college and earn credit toward a high school diploma while
having the opportunity to concurrently take college courses
and to receive more intensive counseling and administrative
attention.
AB 542
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In 2002, legislation was enacted to limit concurrent
enrollment levels after concerns were raised about a number of
community college districts claiming state funding for high
school students taking physical education courses.
2)Purpose. 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 exempts those
students from the cap on both enrollment and apportionment
funding. The caps will remain in place for other concurrently
enrolled students."
The author asserts that most students who attend a(n) E/MCHS
program attend courses on a community college campus, but
because current law caps how many high school pupils can
enroll in community college P. E. courses, E/MCHS students are
experiencing great difficulties in gaining access to needed
required P. E. courses.
AB 230 (Carter)/ Statues of 2011, provided MCHS students with
an exemption to the low priority designation. AB 2352 provides
this same exemption to ECHS students, thus giving them a
better opportunity to complete their programs in a timely
manner.
Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)
AB 542
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