BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1846
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Date of Hearing: April 12, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Jose Medina, Chair
AB 1846
(Lopez) - As Amended March 28, 2016
[Note: This bill is doubled referred to the Assembly Education
Committee and will be heard as it relates to issues under its
jurisdiction.]
SUBJECT: Adult education consortium program.
SUMMARY: Appropriates $250 million every fiscal year from the
General Fund (GF) to the California Community Colleges (CCC)
Chancellor and the California Department of Education (CDE) for
adult education. Specifically, this bill:
1)Finds and declares the following intent of the Legislature:
a) According to the Regional Planning Report of 2015
authored by the CCC Chancellor and the State Superintendent
of Public Instruction, between the years of 2008 and 2013
an estimated 65 adult schools across California were
closed;
b) Increasing funding for the adult education consortium
program to seven hundred fifty million dollars
($750,000,000) would restore adult education funding to its
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2008 level; and,
c) To add $250 million annually to the $500 million
appropriated annually in recent state budgets for the adult
education block grant program, as specified, for a total
provided for these purposes each year of $750 million.
2)Appropriates $250 million every fiscal year from the GF to the
CCC Chancellor and the CDE for ongoing support of the adult
education consortium program implemented pursuant to Education
Code (EC) Section 84830.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Authorizes both the CCC and K-12 systems to offer and receive
state funding for adult education courses (EC Sections 41976
and 84757).
2)Authorizes the following classes and courses to be offered by
the school districts and county superintendent of schools for
apportionment purposes from the adult education fund and
prohibits state apportionment to be made for any course or
class not specified in law:
a) Adult programs in parenting, including parent
cooperative preschools, and classes in child growth and
development, parent-child relationships, and parenting;
b) Adult programs in elementary and secondary basic skills
and other courses and classes required for the high school
diploma;
c) Adult education programs in English as a second
language;
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d) Adult education programs for immigrant eligible for
educational services in citizenship, English as a second
language, and workforce preparation classes in the basic
skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing,
mathematics, decisionmaking and problem solving skills, and
other classes required for preparation to participate in
job specific technical training;
e) Adult education programs for adults with disabilities;
f) Adult short-term career technical education programs
with high employment potential;
g) Adult programs for older adults;
h) Programs offering pre-apprenticeship training activities
conducted in coordination with one or more apprenticeship
programs approved by the Division of Apprenticeship
Standards for the occupation and geographic area;
i) Adult programs in home economics; and,
j) Adult programs in health and safety education (EC
Section 41976).
3)Authorizes a school district governing board to require a fee
of an adult enrolled in a class for adults and prohibits the
total of the fees required and revenues derived from average
daily attendance from exceeding the estimated cost of
maintaining such classes. Current law also prohibits the
imposition of a charge of any kind for a class in English and
citizenship or a class in an elementary subject, nor for any
class which is designated as granting high school credit when
the class is taken by a person who does not hold a high school
diploma. To note: for a class in English and citizenship, a
fee may be charged only until July 1, 2015 (EC Section 52612).
4)Prohibits the local governing board of a community college
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district (CCD) maintaining a noncredit course from requiring
an adult enrolled in such a course to pay nonresident tuition
or any fee or charge of any kind for a class in English and
citizenship for foreigners, a class in an elementary subject,
a class designated as granting high school credit to an
individual without a high school diploma or other adult basic
education programs and courses, as specified (EC Section
76380).
5)Charges the CCC Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) and the CDE to
jointly implement an adult education planning process;
authorizes the CCCCO and the CDE to distribute $25 million to
regional consortia to develop plans with the shared goal of
better serving the educational needs of California's adult
learners; and, specifies that the following five areas are to
be addressed in the plans:
a) Elementary and secondary basic skills, including classes
required for a high school diploma;
b) Classes and courses for immigrants in English as a
second language, citizenship, and workforce preparations;
c) Education programs for adults with disabilities;
d) Short-term career technical education programs with high
employment potential; and,
e) Programs for pre-apprenticeship training activities (EC
Section 84830).
FISCAL EFFECT: $25 million every fiscal year from the GF.
COMMENTS: Background. Adult education in California is part of
a large, complex, and diverse multi-provider system. It is a
vital and integral part of the larger educational system that
provides adults with the skills and education that enable them
to earn a high school diploma or a general educational
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development (GED) certificate, become American citizens, acquire
specific job skills, learn English, and/or become independent
and productive parents and members of their community.
During 2007 - 2008, adult education was funded at $750 million;
however, due to the 2008 recession, adult education funding was
reduced to less than half of its prior levels.
Purpose of the measure. According to the author, "Today, for
many immigrant families, adult education is a critical resource
to pursue the American dream for the student and their family.
As a state who is home to over 10 million immigrants it is
important that we build upon the investment our state has
already made to immigrant communities to provide them the
resources to integrate into our society."
This measure will appropriate an additional $250 million dollars
to adult education in order to reach and serve more adults in
need of education.
State apportionment. The majority of funding for adult
education and community college noncredit comes from state
apportionment. The state provides approximately 90 percent of
the total funding for adult education and community college
noncredit programs. State apportionment funds are distributed
to adult schools through average daily attendance. Funding for
community college noncredit is based upon a formula per Full
Time Equivalent Student (FTES). The remaining financing,
approximately 10 percent, is provided by federal funds.
AB 86 Regional Consortia. The Governor, in January 2013,
proposed in his 2013-2014 budget, shifting the coordination and
administration of all adult education programs to the CCC. The
K-12 adult education program would be eliminated, but CCC could
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contract with school districts to provide instruction. Due to
concerns about the timing and structure of the proposal, the
Governor's May 2013 revision of the budget withdrew the proposal
and instead maintained the current system for two years while
allocating $30 million for planning grants awarded to regional
consortia comprised of CCC and K-12 districts for the purpose of
creating plans to integrate existing programs and determine how
best to serve adult students within regions throughout the
state. The budget adopted by the Legislature reduced the
planning grants to $25 million and adopted trailer bill language
in AB 86 (Chapter 48, Statutes of 2013).
AB 86 specified that the plans developed by the regional
consortia shall only include the provision of the following
programs:
1)Elementary and secondary basic skills (GED);
2)Classes and courses for immigrants (citizenship, English as a
second language);
3)Education programs for adults with disabilities;
4)Short-term career technical education programs; and,
5)Programs for apprentices.
AB 104 (Chapter 13, Statutes of 2015) Adult Education Block
Grant (AEBG). The 2015-2016 budget allocated $500 million and
created the AEBG program to provide adult education services
through regional consortia. The Superintendent of Public
Instruction and CCC Chancellor jointly approve consortia,
including governance structures and funding allocations, with
the advice of the Executive Director of the State Board of
Education.
The 71 AEBG consortia are distributing funds to enhance
consortium-wide outcomes. To note, an update on the progress of
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the AEBG is due to the Governor and Legislature in September
2016.
Committee consideration. While it is not uncommon for
Legislators to seek to appropriate funds for a specific purpose
through the policy process, the Committee and author may wish to
consider what is the best method to appropriate funds for
various programs.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
California Adult Education Administrators Association
California Council for Adult Education
California Federation of Teachers
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles
North Orange County Community College District
Opposition
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None on file.
Analysis Prepared by:Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960