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 a report on the status of the program, 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 wouldbegin delete insteadend delete require the Superintendent tobegin delete submit specified dataend deletebegin insert include additional specified information in its report to the Legislatureend insert relating
to thebegin delete program 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.end deletebegin insert program. The bill would require the Superintendent, on or before January 31, 2016, to inform certain policy committees of the Legislature of its plans for complying with these reporting requirements.end insert
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:
begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insert On or before November 1,begin delete 2016,end deletebegin insert 2017,end insert the
4Superintendent shall submit to thebegin delete Legislative Analyst’s Office begin insert Legislature a report on the status ofend insert the program,
5data relating toend delete
6including,
but not necessarily limited to, the following information:
P3 1(a)
end delete
2begin insert(1)end insert The number of school districts and pupils participating in
3the program.
4(b)
end delete
5begin insert(2)end insert The number of participating pupils who fulfilled the
6requirements of the pledge pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section
754711.
8(c)
end delete
9begin insert(3)end insert Any relevant outcome data reported by school districts to
10the Superintendent pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 54711.
11(4) To the extent that the data is available, the rate of enrollment
12of pupils who took the pledge in university or other postsecondary
13educational programs.
14(5) Any local or state factors contributing to the success or
15failure of the program.
16(6) The level of technical expertise and guidance provided by
17the department to school districts participating in the program.
18(b) As part of the report required pursuant to subdivision (a),
19the Superintendent shall provide a recommendation on whether
20the program should be continued.
21(c) On or before January 31, 2016, the Superintendent shall
22inform the Assembly Committee on Education, the Assembly
23Committee on Higher Education, and the Senate Committee on
24Education of its plans for complying with the reporting
25requirements of subdivision (a).
26(d) A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a) shall
27be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
28Code.
Section 54715.5 is added to the Education Code, to
30read:
(a) On or before November 1, 2017, the Legislative
32Analyst’s Office shall submit to the Legislature a report relating
33to the program. This report shall include, but not necessarily be
34limited to, all of the following information:
35(1) The number of school districts and pupils participating in
36the program.
37(2) The number of participating pupils who fulfilled the
38requirements of the pledge pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section
3954711.
P4 1(3) To the extent that the data is available, the rate of enrollment
2of pupils who
took the pledge in university or other postsecondary
3educational programs.
4(4) Any local or state factors contributing to the success or
5failure of the program.
6(5) Any relevant outcome data reported by school districts to
7the Superintendent pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 54711.
8(6) The level of technical expertise and guidance provided by
9the Superintendent to school districts participating in the program.
10(b) As part of the report required by this section, the Legislative
11Analyst’s Office shall provide a recommendation on whether the
12program should be continued.
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