BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1145
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
1145 (Medina)
As Amended May 6, 2015
Majority vote
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|Committee |Votes |Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Higher |13-0 |Medina, Baker, | |
|Education | |Bloom, Chávez, | |
| | |Harper, Irwin, | |
| | |Jones-Sawyer, | |
| | |Levine, Linder, | |
| | |Low, Santiago, | |
| | |Weber, Williams | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Education |6-0 |O'Donnell, Chávez, | |
| | |Kim, Santiago, | |
| | |Thurmond, Weber | |
| | | | |
|----------------+------+--------------------+----------------------|
|Appropriations |17-0 |Gomez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bonta, Calderon, | |
| | |Chang, Daly, | |
| | |Eggman, Gallagher, | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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| | |Eduardo Garcia, | |
| | |Gordon, Holden, | |
| | |Jones, Quirk, | |
| | |Rendon, Wagner, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY: Requires the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI), on or before November 1, 2016, to submit specified data
from the California Department of Education (CDE) on the Early
Commitment to College Program (ECCP) to the Legislative Analyst's
Office (LAO); and, requires the LAO to submit a report on said
data to the Legislature, on or before November 1, 2017.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the SPI, on or before November 1, 2016, to submit to
the LAO, CDE data relating to ECCP.
2)Requires the LAO, on or before November 1, 2017, to submit to
the Legislature a report relating to the ECCP, that shall
include, but not necessarily be limited to all of the following:
a) The number of school districts and pupils participating in
ECCP;
b) The number of participating pupils who fulfilled the
requirements of the ECCP, as specified in existing law;
c) The rate of enrollment of pupils who took the pledge in
university or other postsecondary educational programs;
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d) Any local or state factors contributing to the success or
failure of the program;
e) Any relevant outcome data reported by school districts to
the SPI, as specified in existing law; and,
f) The level of technical expertise and guidance provided by
the SPI to school districts participating in the ECCP.
3)Requires that the LAO, in preparing the ECCP report, to provide
a recommendation on whether the ECCP should be continued.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the ECCP, with voluntary participation by pupils and
school districts, for the purposes of accomplishing all of the
following goals:
a) Increase high school completion rates, direct
college-going rates, and college preparation of pupils
attending schools with the greatest poverty and among
low-income pupils in general;
b) Motivate pupils to prepare for college by taking college
preparatory coursework, which may include career technical
coursework and the course requirements for admission to the
University of California and the California State University;
c) Help families understand that college is attainable and
affordable, that financial aid is available, and that with
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the right preparation their children can go to college if
they choose to do so;
d) Provide a clear path and direct assistance for pupils
through middle schools, high schools, community colleges,
universities, and state and federal financial aid programs,
thereby improving opportunity and efficiency;
e) Strengthen the state's historic promise of college access
made in the 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education and express
this commitment directly to middle and high school pupils and
their families; and,
f) Prepare the highly skilled workforce necessary to keep
California's economy competitive, maintain the income and
quality of life for California residents, increase tax
revenues, and provide for improved civic and democratic
participation (Education Code (EC) Sections 54710 and 54711).
2)Specifies that school districts who choose to participate in the
ECCP, shall provide schoolwide college information and college
preparation events inclusive of pupils who sign the "Save Me a
Spot in College" pledge; defines "College Opportunity Zone"
(COZ) to mean the 30% of public schools that maintain any of
grades 6 to 9, inclusive, with the highest proportion of
"low-income pupils" (defined as a pupil who is eligible for free
or reduced-price meals); specifies schools not designated as a
COZ, are eligible to participate, so long as they give pupils
(enrolled in grades 6 to 9, inclusive), who are eligible for
free and reduced-price meals and/or their parents or legal
guardians, the opportunity to sign the pledge; and, specifies a
pupil scheduled to graduate from high school after 2017 shall
not be allowed to enroll in the program (EC Section 54711).
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3)Requires the SPI to perform, including, but not necessarily
limited to, the following responsibilities: a) identify schools
as COZ; b) develop the pledge, as specified; and, c) develop a
letter addressed to pupils enrolled in grades 6 to 9, inclusive,
and their parents and/or legal guardians, and signed by the SPI
and superintendent of the school district that describes the
major steps to prepare for college and the postsecondary and
financial aid opportunities available to students in California;
and, d) on or before November 2017, submit a report to the
Legislature on the status of the ECCP (EC Sections 54712 and
54715).
4)Sunsets the ECCP on January 1, 2019, unless a later enacted
statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2019,
deletes or extends that date (EC Section 54716).
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, any costs to the LAO should be minor and absorbable.
Additionally, there are no additional costs to the SPI, since the
data is already required to be collected by the SPI pursuant to
current law.
COMMENTS: Background on ECCP. Created via SB 890 (Scott),
Chapter 472, Statutes of 2008, ECCP was based on two values widely
shared by Californians: 1) educational opportunity; and, 2) joint
responsibility. According to the Campaign for College
Opportunity, the ECCP was a way for California to renew the 1960
Master Plan (that any California student with interest in
attending college, could pursue a college education in
California), and for the first time, make college directly
accessible to students and their families beginning in middle
school.
The ECCP was launched in 2009 by the CDE; but due to limited to
zero resources given to the CDE to provide the necessary support
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to the SPI in running the ECCP, Committee staff believes that the
ECCP may not have reached its full potential.
Need for the measure. According to the author's office, the ECCP
promotes social equity by connecting students who otherwise might
not attend college with the necessary tools and resources on how
to attend college. The author contends the ECCP benefits the
public good, as an educated work force results in long-term cost
savings by increased tax revenue from more people going to, and
finishing, college.
The author states, "The Early Commitment to College program, if
implemented correctly, benefits all residents of California. The
goal [of AB 1145] is to inform the creation of a stronger program
that connects low-income students to higher education."
To note, Committee staff understands that the SPI may have
experienced challenges in meeting the requirements as set forth in
SB 890 and being able to produce a report on the ECCP, however,
the Legislature still needs a report in order to ascertain if the
intent and goals of the ECCP were achieved.
Analysis Prepared by:
Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960 FN:
0000761
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