BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2681
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Date of Hearing: April 19, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Jose Medina, Chair
AB 2681
(O'Donnell) - As Amended April 14, 2016
SUBJECT: Public education: California College Promise Grant
Program
SUMMARY: Establishes the California College Promise Grant
Program (Program) to provide planning grants to school districts
and California Community College (CCC) districts to establish a
College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnership.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Establishes the Program to provide planning grants to school
districts and CCC districts to establish a CCAP. Provides
that, subject to appropriation in the Budget Act, a grant may
be awarded under this section to a school district or CCC
district that has met requirements, as outlined below, and has
certified its intention to establish a CCAP partnership no
later than the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which
the grant is received. Provides that a grant awarded may be
used to cover costs incurred for the CCAP partnership and to
inform parents and students about opportunities that are
available through the CCAP partnership.
2)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) and
the CCC Chancellor (CCCCO) to administer the Program and
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requires the SPI and CCCCO to establish the grant application
process and the criteria for determining the amount of each
grant. Provides that the maximum amount of a grant awarded
under this section shall be $25,000 per CCAP partnership.
3)Sunsets all of the aforementioned on January 1, 2022.
EXISTING LAW: Establishes the CCAP partnership for the purpose
of offering or expanding dual enrollment opportunities for
students who may not already be college bound or who are
underrepresented in higher education, with the goal of
developing seamless pathways from high school to community
college for career technical education or preparation for
transfer, improving high school graduation rates, or helping
high school pupils achieve college and career readiness.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown. This bill appropriates $1,000,000 for
this purpose.
COMMENTS: Purpose of this bill. Last year, the Legislature
passed AB 288 (Holden, Chapter 618, Statutes of 2015), which
established the CCAP partnership. Through the partnership, CCC
districts and school districts may work together to offer or
expand dual enrollment opportunities for students who may not
already be college bound or who are underrepresented in higher
education, with the goal of developing seamless pathways from
high school to community college for career technical education
or preparation for transfer, improving high school graduation
rates, or helping high school pupils achieve college and career
readiness.
Existing law requires the CCAP partnership agreement to outline
the terms of the partnership and include, but not necessarily be
limited to, the total number of high school students to be
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served and the total number of full-time equivalent students
projected to be claimed by the community college district for
those students; the scope, nature, time, location, and listing
of community college courses to be offered; and criteria to
assess the ability of pupils to benefit from those courses. The
CCAP partnership agreement shall also establish protocols for
information sharing, in compliance with all applicable state and
federal privacy laws, joint facilities use, and parental consent
for high school pupils to enroll in community college courses.
The cost of fulfilling these planning requirements may
discourage districts from establishing partnerships. This means
that the enhanced opportunities provided by the partnership
would not be available to the students in those districts.
This bill provides planning grants of up to $25,000 per
partnership to help cover the costs of the required planning
activities. In addition, planning grants may be used to inform
parents and students of the opportunities available through the
partnership. The bill appropriates $1 million for this purpose,
which would fund a minimum of 40 partnerships. The bill
requires the grant program to be administered by the CCCCO and
the SPI.
Related legislation. AB 1741 (Rodriguez) was heard and approved
by this Committee on April 12, 2015. AB 1741 establishes the
California College Promise Innovation Grant Program to provide
funds to CCC districts for the purpose of establishing regional
Promise programs that, among other activities, establish
partnerships with school districts and universities. This bill
appears to complement the provisions of AB 1741; authors may
wish to coordinate efforts.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
AB 2681
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Support
None on File
Opposition
None on File
Analysis Prepared by:Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960