Amended in Assembly April 25, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 18, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 2237


Introduced by Assembly Member Olsen

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Baker, Bonilla, Chang,begin delete and Grayend deletebegin insert Gray, Kim, and Oend insertbegin insert'Donnellend insert)

begin insert

(Coauthor: Senator Bates)

end insert

February 18, 2016


An act to add Article 14 (commencing with Section 33480) to Chapter 3 of Part 20 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to partnership academies.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2237, as amended, Olsen. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Partnership Academies.

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary education, with instruction provided by school districts at schoolsites throughout the state. The State Department of Education, under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, has numerous duties with respect to the funding and conduct of the instructional activities undertaken by school districts.

This bill would establish a program for purposes of providing grants to school districts for the establishment of up to 100 partnership academies dedicated to training young people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

begin insert(a)end insertbegin insertend insert The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:

begin delete

3(a)

end delete

4begin insert(1)end insert All young people should be prepared to think deeply and
5critically so that they can become innovators, educators,
6researchers, and leaders capable of solving the most pressing
7challenges facing our nation and world, both today and tomorrow.
8However, currently, not enough of our youth have access to quality
9science, technology, engineering, andbegin delete mathend deletebegin insert mathematicsend insert (STEM)
10learning opportunities, and too fewbegin delete studentsend deletebegin insert pupilsend insert see these
11disciplines as springboards to their careers.

begin delete

12(b)

end delete

13begin insert(2)end insert Only 81 percent of Asian American high school pupils and
1471 percent of white high school pupils attend high schools where
15the full range of mathematics and science courses, namelybegin delete Algebra
16I, Geometry, Algebra II, Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, and
17Physics,end delete
begin insert algebra I, geometry, algebra II, calculus, biology,
18chemistry, and physics,end insert
are offered. Access to these courses for
19American Indian, Native Alaskan, black, and Hispanic high school
20pupils is significantly worse. A child’s race, ZIP code, or
21socioeconomic status should never determine his or her STEM
22fluency. Children must be provided with the opportunity to be
23career- and college-ready in order to thrive in a modern STEM
24economy.

begin delete

25(c)

end delete

26begin insert(3)end insert Only 16 percent of American high school seniors are
27proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career. Even
28among those who do go on to pursue a college or university major
29in STEM fields, only about half choose to work in a STEM-related
30career. In 2014, California’s K-12 public education system ranked
3143rd in the nation. Surveys reveal that only 29 percent of
32Americans rated our nation’s K-12 education system in STEM
33subjects as above average or the best in the world. In our
34competitive global economy, these statistics are unacceptable.

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35(d)

end delete

36begin insert(4)end insert Partnership academies provide smaller learning communities
37with a career-focused theme. Academy components include
38rigorous academics and career technical education, a committed
P3    1team of teachers, and active business and postsecondary
2partnerships.

begin delete

3(e)

end delete

4begin insert(b)end insert Therefore,begin insert it is the intent ofend insert the Legislaturebegin delete needsend delete to provide
5more opportunities for pupils in our state’s public schools to access
6high-quality STEM preparation through a variety of opportunities,
7including additional funding for establishing STEM-related
8partnership academies.

9

SEC. 2.  

Article 14 (commencing with Section 33480) is added
10to Chapter 3 of Part 20 of Division 2 of Title 2 of the Education
11Code
, to read:

12 

13Article 14.  Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
14Partnership Academies Act
15

 

16

33480.  

This article shall be known, and may bebegin delete cited as,end deletebegin insert cited,
17asend insert
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Partnership
18Academies.

19

33481.  

(a) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
20Partnership Academies is hereby established. Commencing with
21thebegin delete 2016-17end deletebegin insert 2017-18end insert school year, the department, in coordination
22with thebegin delete Superintendentend deletebegin insert Superintendent,end insert shall, with funds
23appropriated in the annual Budget Act, issue grants for the
24establishment of 100 partnership academies dedicated to training
25young people in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
26(STEM) occupations, including, but not limited to, application
27software developer, computer user support specialist, computer
28programmer, computer hardware engineer, industrial engineer,
29civil engineer, architectural engineer, aerospace engineer, dietetic
30technician, medical scientist, microbiologist, general medical
31practitioner, dental services provider, and chemist.

32(b) (1) The selection of school districts to establish STEM
33partnership academies, and the planning and development of these
34academies, shall be conducted pursuant to the procedures and
35requirements established as specified in Section 54691. Planning
36and development grants under this article shall be made available
37for up to 100 partnership academies in addition to the total number
38of grants established pursuant to Section 54691.

39(2) A school district applying to convert an existing school
40program into abegin insert STEMend insert partnership academy that meets the criteria
P4    1for a partnership academy pursuant to Section 54692 and paragraph
2begin delete (3)end deletebegin insert (4)end insert may receive first-year implementation funds, as appropriate,
3in accordance with this article.

begin insert

4
(3) In awarding grants pursuant to this section, the
5Superintendent shall grant priority to proposals that address the
6participation of pupils traditionally underrepresented in STEM
7education or professions.

end insert
begin delete

8(3)

end delete

9begin insert(end insertbegin insert4)end insert To be eligible for funding pursuant to this article, each
10proposedbegin insert STEMend insert partnership academy shall satisfy both of the
11following requirements:

12(A) (i) Coursework and internship or preapprenticeship
13programs of the proposed academy shall focus significant time on
14the use of emerging technologies and state-of-the-art equipment.

15(ii) The proposedbegin insert STEMend insert partnership academy shall demonstrate
16compliance with clause (i) through its efforts to obtain input from
17industry and professional trade organizations.

18(B) Staff development opportunities shall be included in the
19proposedbegin insert STEMend insert partnership academy plan to ensure that teaching
20staff has the opportunity to be trained in the use of emerging
21technologies and become familiar with new equipment and current
22practices in STEM fields.



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