BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 1985
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|Author: |Williams |
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|Version: |April 21, 2016 Hearing |
| |Date: June 15, 2016 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Kathleen Chavira |
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Subject: Postsecondary education
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Chancellor's Office of the California
Community Colleges (CCC), in collaboration with the Academic
Senate of the CCC, to develop a uniform policy to award credit,
as specified, to a student with a minimum Advanced Placement
test score of 3, and requires each CCC District to adopt the
policy.
BACKGROUND
Existing law establishes the Board of Governors (BOG) and the
Chancellor of the CCC to provide leadership and direction to the
CCC while maintaining and continuing, to the maximum degree
permissible, local authority and control in the administration
of the districts (CCD). The BOG and Chancellor are responsible
for a variety of functions, including establishing minimum
standards, providing various reports, and various annual
budgeting functions. In performing functions, BOG is required
to carry out a process of consultation with institutional
representatives, college organizations and interested
individuals and parties. (Education Code § 70901)
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a community
college district to adopt policies to grant credit for
satisfactory completion of advanced placement (AP) exams. The
faculty in the appropriate discipline must approve AP
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examinations, scores deemed to constitute satisfactory
performance, courses offered by the college for which credit
will be granted, and requirements that may be met by such
examinations in accordance with policies and procedures approved
by the curriculum committee. The student's academic record must
be clearly annotated to reflect that credit was earned through
an AP exam. (Title 5, California Code of Regulations § 55052)
ANALYSIS
This bill:
1) Requires the Chancellor's Office of the CCC, in
collaboration with the Academic Senate of the CCC, to
develop a uniform policy to award course credit to a
student with a minimum score of 3 on an Advanced Placement
exam. It requires that course credit be provided, as
appropriate, for:
a) A California Intersegmental General
Education Transfer curriculum requirement.
b) A California State University (CSU)
General Education Breadth requirement.
c) A local community college general
education requirement.
2) Identifies potentially reimbursable state mandated costs.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill. According to the author, advanced
placement (AP) credit policies vary across each of the 113
California Community Colleges (CCC). While the
overwhelming majority of CCC transfer students attend the
CSU system, which has an established and clear policy for
awarding AP exam credit, students who first attend a
community college runs the risk of losing the college
credit they earned through their AP scores. Students are
forced to retake introductory courses although they have
already demonstrated proficiency as evidenced through their
scores. According to the author, the lack of a systemwide
credit policy for the CCC creates an unnecessary barrier
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for students in receiving and transferring credits.
2) Advanced Placement (AP) Courses. According to the College
Board, the provider of AP exams, these courses are designed
to provide rigorous academic coursework opportunities for
high school students. Upon successful completion of an AP
course, students are provided the opportunity to take an AP
exam, conducted by the College Board, for which scores can
range from 1-5. According to a College Board report
entitled AP Credit Policies at California Community
Colleges, 10 colleges do not grant credit or have unknown
credit policies for all available AP exams, 24 colleges
require a score of 4 to award credit, and 6 colleges
require a score on some AP exams of 5. In 2014, 16,178 AP
test takers reported 47,180 AP exam scores to CCC.
3) Other public institutions? It appears that the other public
postsecondary educational institutions have adopted and
made available their AP exam/credit policies:
a) California State University (CSU). CSU Executive
Order No. 1036, issued on July 14, 2008, provides that
CSU campuses shall award baccalaureate credit toward
degree and/or admissions eligibility to students who
pass standardized external examinations (such as AP,
International Baccalaureate, and College Level
Entrance Program examinations). The Chancellor, in
consultation with the General Education (GE) Advisory
Committee is required to maintain a list of external
examinations and passing scores, minimum credits
toward admissions eligibility, minimum credits toward
the baccalaureate degree, and, placement in GE Breadth
area for transfer students seeking general education
certification. According to the most recently
available list, all AP exams require a minimum passing
score of three.
b) University of California (UC). According to UC,
systemwide UC grants credit for AP exams on which a
student scores a 3 or higher. Elective units awarded
may be applied to UC graduation requirements for
specific subjects and/or for general education/breadth
requirements, as determined by each campus. For
transfer students, AP exams can also be used to meet
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the minimum transfer admission subject requirements in
English, math and 4 other courses chosen from the
humanities, behavioral/social sciences, and
biological/physical sciences.
4) Appropriate control over granting of academic credit? As
currently drafted, this bill would statutorily dictate a
score on an exam for the purpose of granting academic
credit. Control over the content of the exam, and
determination of the score on the exam would be under the
control of the test provider. In essence, the granting of
academic credit would be delegated to a non-governmental,
non-academic entity that has a financial interest in the
success of the AP exam program, with no ability for the
California Community College to modify the policy if the
exam or its content change.
At the same time, shouldn't a public postsecondary
education system have a clear and consistent policy
regarding the extension of credit for Advanced Placement
examinations?
a) Staff recommends the bill be amended to eliminate
the minimum standard of a score of three on page 3 of
the bill and instead, add to the findings and
declarations on page 2 lines 3-5, indicate that the
policy consider the granting of credit for a minimum
score of three.
b) Staff also recommends that the bill be amended to
require that the policy be adopted and applicable to
the enter class for fall 2016-17 and to authorize the
periodic review and adjustment of the policy to align
with other public higher education institutions.
c) Staff further recommends that each campus be
required to post the adopted policy on its Web site.
SUPPORT
Association of California School Administrators
College Board
Education Trust West
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Los Angeles Unified School district
North Orange County Community College district
OPPOSITION
Academic Senate for California Community Colleges
Faculty Association of California Community Colleges
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