AB 1145, as amended, 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 abegin delete report,end deletebegin insert report on the status of the program,end insert including a recommendation to the begin deleteLegislature, end deletebegin insertLegislature end inserton 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 databegin insert relating to the programend insert 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, 2016, the Superintendent
4shall submit to the Legislative Analyst’s Office data relating to
5the program, including, but not necessarily limited to, the following
6information:
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.
P3 1(c) Any relevant outcome data reported by school districts to
2the Superintendent pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section
54711.
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) To the extent that the data is available, the rate of enrollment
15of pupils who
took the pledge in university or other postsecondary
16educational programs.
17(4) Any local or state factors contributing to the success or
18failure of the program.
19(3)
end delete
20begin insert(5)end insert Any relevant outcome data reported by school districts to
21the Superintendent pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 54711.
22(4)
end delete
23begin insert(end insertbegin insert6)end insert The level of technical expertise and guidance provided by
24the Superintendent to school districts participating in the program.
25(b) As part of the report required by this section, the Legislative
26Analyst’s Office shall provide a recommendation on whether the
27program should be continued.
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