California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2680

Introduced by Assembly Member Bonilla

February 19, 2016

An act to add Section 51103 to the Education Code, relating to parental engagement.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2680, as introduced, Bonilla. Parent, pupil, and family engagement support and services: plans.

Existing law states various legislative findings and declarations, including that it is essential to our democratic form of government that parents and guardians of schoolage children attending public schools and other citizens participate in improving public education institutions, that specifically involving parents and guardians of pupils in the education process is fundamental to a healthy system of public education, and that family and school collaborative efforts are most effective when they involve parents and guardians in a variety of roles at all grade levels, from preschool through high school.

This bill would, subject to funding being provided for purposes of this act in the annual Budget Act, require local educational agencies, including county offices of education, charter schools, alternative education programs and schools, state special schools, and state subsidized preschools and child development programs, that elect to participate in family, parent, and pupil engagement support and services to develop a plan that addresses at least one specified parent, pupil, and family engagement elements relating to active and meaningful participation and training. If a local educational agency accepts funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act for purposes of those provisions, as a condition of receiving those funds, the school district, county office of education, or charter school would be required to develop an additional plan that aligns to the school district’s or county office of education’s local control and accountability plan or specified elements of the charter school’s petition that delineates how funds apportioned for purposes of this section, if they are apportioned, would be spent, as specified. If funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act for these purposes, the bill would authorize the school district, county office of education, or charter school to expend those funds in the 2016-17 fiscal year to the 2018-19 fiscal year, inclusive, and would require the funds to be intended to supplement, not supplant, funds used by the school district, county office of education, or charter school for parent, pupil, and family engagement. The bill would provide that the funds, if appropriated, would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.

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

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

SECTION 1.  

Section 51103 is added to the Education Code,
to read:

51103.  

(a) Subject to funding being provided for these
purposes in the annual Budget Act, local educational agencies,
including county offices of education, charter schools, alternative
education programs and schools, state special schools, and state
subsidized preschools and child development programs, that elect
to participate in family, parent, and pupil engagement support and
services funded pursuant to this section shall develop a plan that
addresses at least one of the following:

(1) Active and meaningful participation and training of parents,
pupils, and families of children from birth to 18 years of age,
inclusive, in the development and updating of local control and
accountability plans required pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing
with Section 52060) of Chapter 6.1.

(2) Active and meaningful participation and training at the
schoolsite or program site and school district or county office of
education level that empowers parents, pupils, and families of
children from birth to 18 years of age, inclusive, to become active
leaders through diverse channels for participation, including, but
not limited to, schoolsite committees and councils; school district
or county office of education committees and councils; English
learner advisory committees; parent, teacher, or pupil associations;
and other advisory bodies that involve parents, pupils, or families.

(3) Programs and activities that promote parent and family
engagement of children from birth to 18 years of age, inclusive,
in schools, support parents as their childrens’ first teacher, develop
parent leaders, encourage parents to advocate for a complete
education that includes a full curriculum to close the access,
achievement, and opportunities gaps.

(4) For county offices of education only, active and meaningful
participation and activities for purposes of serving parents and
families in state subsidized infant and toddler programs, early
childhood education programs, state and local preschools, and
child care and development programs serving children from birth
to five years of age, inclusive, and active and meaningful
participation and activities for parents and families who do not
have children enrolled in a program but who may benefit from
countywide training and support services offered by the county
office of education.

(b) If a local educational agency accepts funds appropriated in
the annual Budget Act for purposes of this section, as a condition
of receiving those funds, a school district, county office of
education, or charter school shall do all of the following:

(1) Develop a plan that aligns to the local control and
accountability plans required pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing
with Section 52060) of Chapter 6.1 or the requirements of clause
(ii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of
Sections 47605 and 47605.6 and all applicable deadlines that
delineates how funds apportioned for purposes of this section, if
they are apportioned, shall be spent.

(2) The plan shall be developed using research-based family
engagement practices and standards, including, but not limited to,
the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships.

(3) The plan shall include outreach in multiple languages,
outreach to parents and families that are underrepresented in the
school, school district, or county office of education, and outreach
strategies that are diverse and innovative.

(4) The plan shall also include the number of parents, pupils,
and families who will receive training and support services.

(5) The plan shall be explained in a public meeting of the
governing board of the school district, county board of education,
or governing body of the charter school before its adoption in a
subsequent public meeting.

(c) If funds are appropriated for purposes of this section in the
annual Budget Act, a school district, county office of education,
or charter school may expend those funds in the 2016-17 fiscal
year to the 2018-19 fiscal year, inclusive. The funds shall be
intended to supplement, not supplant, funds used by the school
district, county office of education, or charter school for parent,
pupil, and family engagement.

(d) For purposes of making the computations required by Section
8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, if funds are
appropriated in the annual Budget Act for purposes of this section,
the funds shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues
appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of
Section 41202, for the fiscal year in which they are appropriated,
and included within the “total allocations to school districts and
community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes
appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B,” as defined in subdivision
(e) of Section 41202, for the fiscal year in which they are
appropriated.