BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1846
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Date of Hearing: April 20, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Patrick O'Donnell, Chair
AB 1846
(Lopez) - As Amended March 28, 2016
[Note: This bill was doubled referred to the Assembly Higher
Education Committee and was heard as it relates to issues under
its jurisdiction.]
SUBJECT: Adult education consortium program
SUMMARY: Appropriates $250 million from the General Fund to the
Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the
California Department of Education (CDE) for ongoing support of
the adult education consortium program. Finds and declares that
according to the Regional Planning Report by the Chancellor of
the California Community Colleges and the Superintendent of
Public Instruction (SPI), an estimated 65 adult schools were
closed between 2008 and 2013. Further finds that increasing the
adult education consortium program to $750 million would restore
adult education funding to its 2008 level. Expresses the intent
of the Legislature to add $250 million annually to the $500
million appropriated annually to the adult education block grant
program for a total of $750 million.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Authorizes the establishment of adult school programs and
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specifies eligibility criteria, programmatic requirements, and
the manner in which school districts' adult education revenue
limit per unit of average daily attendance (ADA) shall be
determined.
2)Prohibits state apportionment to be made for any course or
class not specified in law.
3)Defines "adult" as a person 18 years of age or older for a
person who is not concurrently enrolled in a regular high
school program.
4)Charges the California Community Colleges 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.
5)Establishes the Adult Education Block Grant Program and
specifies the process for funding
based on plans developed by regional consortia. Requires the
SPI and the chancellor, with the advice of the executive
director of the state board of education to, no later than
July 31, 2015, certify, for each school district and COE, the
amount of state funds required to be expended for adult
education pursuant to the maintenance of effort (MOE) required
under the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Specifies
that Adult Education Block Grant funds shall only be used for
the following programs:
a) Programs in elementary and secondary basic skills,
including programs leading to a high school diploma or high
school equivalency certificate.
b) Programs for immigrants eligible for educational
services in citizenship, English as a second language, and
workforce preparation.
c) Programs for adults, including, but not limited to,
older adults, that are primarily related to entry or
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reentry into the workforce.
d) Programs for adults, including, but not limited to,
older adults, that are primarily designed to develop
knowledge and skills to assist elementary and secondary
school children to succeed academically in school.
e) Programs for adults with disabilities.
f) Programs in career technical education that are short
term in nature and have high employment potential.
g) Programs offering preapprenticeship training activities
conducted in coordination with one or more apprenticeship
programs approved by the Division of Apprenticeship
Standards for the occupation and geographic area.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
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
development certificate, become United States citizens, acquire
specific job skills, learn English, and/or become independent
and productive parents and members of their community. Enabling
adults to acquire English skills also help parents to be more
involved in their children's education.
Adult education is provided by a number of delivery systems, but
the two main providers are school districts and the California
Community Colleges (CCCs). K-12 adult schools were funded by an
adult education categorical program that, prior to budget
reductions, received over $700 million annually.
In 2013, the Governor proposed and the Legislature passed a new
K-12 funding system that replaced revenue limits with a new base
grant. LCFF incorporated most categorical program funds into
the base grant and eliminated the categorical programs. School
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districts choosing to continue their adult education programs
would do so using their base funds. However, school districts
and county offices of education were required to maintain the
amount of funds expended for the adult education categorical
program in fiscal year (FY) 2012-13 for two years, in FY 2013-14
and FY 2014-15.
AB 86 Regional Consortia. Also in 2013, the budget provided $25
million for the development of regional consortia comprised of
CCCs and K-12 school districts for the purpose of creating plans
to integrate existing programs and determine how best to serve
adult students within regions throughout the state (AB 86
(Budget Committee), Chapter 48, Statutes of 2013). Seventy
regions were formed comprised of at least one CCC district and
one or more K-12 school districts.
Adult Education Block Grant Program. The FY 2015-16 Budget
provided $500 million for the Adult Education Block Grant
Program, enacted through the education budget trailer bill, AB
104 (Budget Committee), Chapter 13, Statutes of 2015. The
program is built upon regional consortia established by AB 86.
Beginning 2016-17, funds are distributed to each consortium by
the SPI and the chancellor, with the advice of the Executive
Director of the State Board of Education, based on 1) the amount
of funds apportioned in the previous year; 2) a consortium's
share of the statewide need for adult education; and 3) the
consortium's effectiveness in meeting the educational needs of
adults in the region based on available data. Funds are
allocated according to a plan developed by each consortium. For
the 2015-16 fiscal year, the trailer bill specified that up to
$375 million shall be allocated to school districts and COEs
based on a certification of the MOE required over the last two
years. The remainder is allocated to regional consortia by the
SPI and the chancellor, with concurrence from the Executive
Director of the State Board of Education. The final amount
awarded based on K-12 MOE totaled $337 million. Of the
remaining amount, K-12 school districts received $63 million
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while CCC districts received $100 million. Although K-12 adult
schools received the bulk of the $500 million, CCCs are not
disadvantaged as CCC noncredit programs continue to receive Full
Time Equivalent Student (FTES) funding. The Governor proposes
to continue the $500 million allocation for FY 2016-17.
This bill intends to appropriate $250 million annually to the
Adult Education Block Grant program. The author states that
this appropriation will restore adult education funding back to
the 2008 level, assuming that the Budget Act continues
appropriation of $500 million. Staff notes that while the total
may be equal to the 2008 funding level for K-12 programs; the
$750 million will not be directed solely to K-12 adult schools.
Committee amendment. This bill appropriates the funding to the
AB 86 adult education consortium program, which was the planning
process, instead of the Adult Education Block Grant Program.
Staff recommends an amendment to correct the code section
reference from Section 84830 to Section 84900.
The author states:
"For decades California has had the strongest commitment for
adult education in the nation ensuring that adults have the
ability to obtain the skills to enter the work force or pursue
higher education. It was not until the recent recession in
2008 that adult education began to see significant cuts in
funding, forcing thousands of students to discontinue their
education. Several years later in 2013, after the first
budget cuts, the legislature condensed the amount of programs
offered which further disadvantaged communities who are truly
in need of those services.
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"According to the 2015 Adult Education Regional Planning
report adult education in California is in high demand with an
estimate that 15.3 million adults in need of adult educational
programs that are currently offered. The demand for these
programs has increasingly grown over the years particularly
due to the sixty five schools that permanently shut their
doors between the years of 2008 and 2013. The report goes
further to highlight that with many of the recent changes to
adult education funding; schools have been forced to shorten
their hours of operation placing a major obstacle for working
class students."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087
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