BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1689
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Date of Hearing: April 13, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
1689 (Low) - As Introduced January 21, 2016
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
Yes
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to develop curriculum standards for courses that
incorporate a service learning component in order to satisfy
state and local high school graduation requirements. It sets
forth a process for the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt
or reject curriculum standards for a service learning component
by July 1, 2017. And it requires the high school class
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graduating during 2020-21 to satisfy the service-learning
component, through any subject required for high school
graduation, if the standards are approved by the SBE.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)Proposition 98/GF state mandated reimbursable costs,
potentially in the tens of millions, to incorporate a service
learning component into high school classes. A 2000 study
found per pupil costs for service learning programs ranged
from $14 to $1,700 per pupil. Assuming an average per pupil
cost of $52, and enrollment of approximately 498,000 for grade
12, statewide costs would be approximately $26 million. This
assumes the use of existing staff. School districts may need
to hire a service learning programs coordinator, if existing
contracts do not allow for an existing teacher to assume this
work, which could lead to additional costs.
2)One-time General Fund administrative costs of approximately
$460,000 for the California Department of Education to develop
curriculum standards for courses that incorporate service
learning. Costs include stakeholder advisory group meetings,
contracting with a primary standards writer, and other
associated staffing costs. This cost does not reflect
potential ongoing costs related to modifying the existing
frameworks, professional development activities, assessments
or the provision of resources for LEAs through CDE's website.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. Service-learning is distinguished from volunteering
or community service in that it connects service with
structured opportunities to learn from the experience. While
some school districts in California incorporate
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service-learning into the high school curriculum and require
it for graduation, inclusion of this subject is not required.
According to the author, this requirement will revitalize
quality civic and service-learning experiences in the
classroom and shape students to become active and informed
citizens of our state.
2)Comments. Nothing in current law prevents school districts
from implementing service learning programs. Current law also
allows school districts to develop local graduation
requirements in addition to those required by the state. As
noted above, many school districts have local service-learning
or volunteer graduation requirements. For example:
Los Angeles Unified School District requires a
service-learning experience of all high school students,
measured by an approved project, not a number of hours
served.
Culver City Unified School District requires 60
hours of service-learning in high school for graduation.
Paramount Unified School District requires 30 hours
of community service for graduation, starting with this
year's graduating class.
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
requires 40 hours of community service for graduation.
San Jose Unified School District requires
certification of a minimum of 40 hours of community
service for graduation.
This bill will require all school districts to implement
service-learning as a condition of graduation. If the
Commission on State Mandates determines the activities in this
bill to be a state mandated activity, districts could submit
cost claims for reimbursement of these activities.
1)Concerns. The California Department of Education is concerned
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that the timeline in the bill is unworkable. The bill requires
standards to be submitted to the SBE by March 1, 2018 and the
SBE is required adopt or reject these standards by July 1,
2018. The standards would have to be implemented by school
districts at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year so that
the graduation requirement can be enforced starting with the
graduating class of 2021-22. This could prove very difficult
to implement at the local level. The CDE recommends moving
the implementation date out another year.
2)Previous legislation.
a) AB 524 (Low) of 2015 is nearly identical to this bill.
AB 524 was held on this committee's suspense file.
b) AB 1911 (Wesson and Hertzberg) of 2000, would have
required school districts offering grades 9 - 12 to offer
students the opportunity to enroll in courses that include
service-learning activities for credit toward graduation.
This bill was held on Suspense in the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
AB 1689
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