BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 1741 (Rodriguez) - California College Promise Innovation Grant Program ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: August 2, 2016 |Policy Vote: ED. 9 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: August 8, 2016 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: This bill establishes the California College Promise Innovation Grant Program (Program) to be administered by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office until January 1, 2021. The purpose of the Program is to support community colleges in establishing or expanding regional programs to address college preparedness, attendance, and graduation in partnership with school districts and public postsecondary universities in California. Fiscal Impact: The Chancellor's Office indicates that $120,000 General Fund AB 1741 (Rodriguez) Page 1 of ? would be needed for staff to administer this program. This bill requires that the Chancellor's Office distribute grants, upon an appropriation by the Legislature. The Budget Act of 2016 (SB 826, Leno) provides $15 million one-time Proposition 98 for California College Promise Innovation Grants to be allocated and spent pursuant to pending legislation. This bill provides the implementing legislation. Background: According to the author, this bill is inspired by the success of Long Beach College Promise and other similar programs. It will incentivize community college districts to enter into similar partnerships with their local school districts and community organizations and allow existing programs to be expanded. The Long Beach Promise Program was established as a collaborative partnership between the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), the Long Beach City College (LBCC), and the California State University at Long Beach (CSULB) with the general goals of increasing college preparation, college access, and ultimately college success. The partnership provides participating students with an aligned sequence of rigorous high school and college coursework. It provides a bridge to college for students not already college bound and to allow advanced students to complete programs faster. The program reports that since 2008 LBUSD students have seen a 34 percent gain in admission to CSULB, LBCC transfer students are admitted to CSULB at a rate of 18 percent higher than applicants from other community colleges. In 2011, SB 650 (Lowenthal, Chapter 633, Statutes of 2011) authorized the partnership in statute and granted greater flexibility in the program's implementation than normally allowed for dual enrollment programs. These provisions are scheduled to sunset on June 30, 2017. This bill requires a grant applicant to include partnership with AB 1741 (Rodriguez) Page 2 of ? school to establish a program consistent with the intent of the Early Commitment to College Program (ECCP). Existing law establishes the ECCP with voluntary participation by pupils and school districts, for the purposes increasing college attendance and success rates among low-income students. The program requires participating school districts to provide college information and college preparation events to students who sign the "Save Me a Spot in College" pledge. A student who signs the pledge declares a commitment to prepare for college, finish high school, and enroll in college and commits to do, among other things, enroll in college preparatory coursework. The Superintendent of Public Instruction administers the voluntary program and it is scheduled to sunset on January 1, 2019. (Education Code § 54710, et seq.) Proposed Law: This bill establishes the California College Promise Innovation Grant Program (Program) to be administered by the Chancellor's Office until January 1, 2021. The goal of the Program is to support community college districts in establishing or expanding regional California College Promise programs in partnership with school districts and public postsecondary universities in California to: Increase college readiness among high school students. Increase the number of high school graduates who are placed in college-level math and English at a public postsecondary university in California. Increase the percentage of students who earn associate degrees or career technical education certificates. Increase the percentage of community college transfer students to a public postsecondary university in California. AB 1741 (Rodriguez) Page 3 of ? Increase the percentage of students who graduate with a bachelor's degree. Reduce and eliminate achievement gaps for students from groups that are underrepresented in postsecondary education, as specified. Leverage existing local and state resources to better align efforts to improve student success. For a governing board of a community college district to receive a grant, it must demonstrate in its application that it will partner with one or more school districts or California State University or University of California campuses to expand a California College Promise program. The program must include all of the following practices: Partnering with one or more school districts to establish an Early Commitment to College Program. Partnering with one or more school districts to improve college preparedness and reduce postsecondary remediation. Utilizing evidence-based placement and student assessment indicators at the community college district that include multiple measures of performance. Providing students who are enrolled at the community college district with access to courses to keep on track to graduate, transfer to a public postsecondary university, or earn a career technical education certificate. Provide outreach to students who are enrolled at a community college regarding the Associate Degrees for Transfer and the California Community College Transfer Entitlement Cal Grant AB 1741 (Rodriguez) Page 4 of ? program. First priority for funding goes to an application that demonstrates that it identifies local public and private sources of funding to develop sustainable programs or leverages new or existing local and state funding to better align efforts to improve student success. Second priority for funding goes to applications that demonstrate at least one of the following: (1) the development of partnerships with school districts located predominately within the district's residential boundaries; (2) provides services to a greater proportion of students; and (3) develops at least one partnership with a CSU campus with the goal of guaranteeing admission and seamless transfer to the campus. Staff Comments: According to the Administration, the California College Promise Innovation Grants are to support better coordination between local educational agencies and community colleges and outreach to students to put them on a path to success in college. -- END --