AB 1145, as introduced, Medina. Pupils: Early Commitment to College program.
Existing law establishes the Early Commitment to College program. Participation by pupils, school districts, colleges, and universities in the program is voluntary. A pupil scheduled to graduate from high school after 2017 is not allowed to participate. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is required, among other program duties, to designate the 30% of public schools that maintain any of grades 6 to 9, inclusive, with the highest proportion of low-income pupils, as defined, as College Opportunity Zones. A school that is designated as a College Opportunity Zone in a participating school district by the Superintendent is required to give all pupils enrolled in grades 6 to 9, inclusive, and their parents or guardians, the opportunity to sign a “Save Me a Spot in College” pledge developed by the Superintendent. Schools not designated as a College Opportunity Zone in a participating school district are required to give pupils who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals and are enrolled in grades 6 to 9, inclusive, and their parents or guardians, the opportunity to sign a “Save Me a Spot in College” pledge. Participating school districts are required to provide college information and college preparation events inclusive of pupils who sign the pledge.
The program provides that a pupil who signs a pledge declares a commitment to prepare for college, finish high school, and enroll in college and commits, among other things, to meet all graduation requirements, take college preparatory coursework, complete and file a free application for federal student aid, and submit his or her grade point average to the Student Aid Commission by March 2 of his or her senior year. The program further provides that a pupil who signs the pledge and is certified by his or her school district as having fulfilled the requirements of the pledge receives, upon enrollment at a community college, a fee waiver under the fee waiver program of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges for 2 or more years of enrollment at a California community college.
Existing law requires the Superintendent to submit a report, including a recommendation to the Legislature, on whether the program should be continued, on or before November 1, 2017. Existing law repeals the provisions establishing the program on January 1, 2019.
This bill would instead require the Superintendent to submit specified data to the Legislative Analyst’s Office on or before November 1, 2016. The Legislative Analyst’s Office would then be required, on or before November 1, 2017, to submit to the Legislature a report including specified information and a recommendation on whether the program should be continued.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 54715 of the Education Code is amended
2to read:
On or before November 1,begin delete 2017, end deletebegin insert 2016,end insert the
4Superintendent shall submit to thebegin delete Legislature a report on the status begin insert Legislative Analyst’s Office data relating toend insert the program,
5of end delete
6including, but notbegin insert necessarilyend insert limited to, the following information:
7(a) The number of
school districts and pupils participating in
8the program.
9(b) The number of participating pupils who fulfilled the
10requirements of the pledge pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section
1154711.
12(c) Any relevant outcome data reported by school districts to
13the Superintendent pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 54711.
P3 1As part of this report, the Superintendent shall provide a
2recommendation on whether the program should be continued.
Section 54715.5 is added to the Education Code, to
4read:
(a) On or before November 1, 2017, the Legislative
6Analyst’s Office shall submit to the Legislature a report relating
7to the program. This report shall include, but not necessarily be
8limited to, all of the following information:
9(1) The number of school districts and pupils participating in
10the program.
11(2) The number of participating pupils who fulfilled the
12requirements of the pledge pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section
1354711.
14(3) Any relevant outcome data reported by school districts to
15the Superintendent pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 54711.
16(4) The level of technical expertise and guidance provided by
17the Superintendent to school districts participating in the program.
18(b) As part of the report required by this section, the Legislative
19Analyst’s Office shall provide a recommendation on whether the
20program should be continued.
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