BILL ANALYSIS Ķ
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: SB 911
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|Author: |Hertzberg |
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|Version: |January 26, 2016 Hearing |
| |Date: March 9, 2016 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: | Yes |
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|Consultant:|Olgalilia Ramirez |
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Subject: California American Indian education centers
SUMMARY
This bill deletes the January 1, 2017 repeal of the California
American Indian Education Center (Center) program thereby
extending the operation of the program indefinitely.
BACKGROUND
Existing law:
1) Establishes the Center program to provide community-based
educational resource centers to American Indian pupils,
parents, guardians, and public schools in order to promote
the academic and cultural achievement of American Indian
pupils. (Education Code § 33381)
2) Requires each Center to submit an annual report to the
California Department of Education (CDE) and further
requires the report to include appropriate data that
reflects each Center's ability to:
a) Meet its stated objectives.
b) Measure pupil academic performance.
c) Meet the continued educational and cultural
needs of the community that the Center serves. (EC §
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33384)
3) Requires the CDE, by January 1, 2011 and again by January
1, 2016, to report consolidated results for all Centers and
supply information that is required for a comprehensive
evaluation of those results, and make recommendations for
program improvement. (EC § 33384)
4) Sunsets the Center program on January 1, 2017. (EC §
33385)
ANALYSIS
This bill deletes the January 1, 2017 sunset of the Center
program thereby extending the operation of the program
indefinitely.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill. The program is scheduled to sunset, on
January 1, 2017. According to the author, while American
Indian student performance has
improved in recent years, American Indian students continue
to perform below state averages at all levels of schooling.
Additionally, these centers, established in the 1970's,
have a long history of offering educational and cultural
support to this group of students. This bill aims to ensure
that American Indian students continue to receive services
provided through Centers by eliminating the program's
sunset date.
2) American Indian Education Centers. There are currently 22
centers located in eighteen counties, including but not
limited to Alameda, Humboldt, Lake, Kern, Los Angeles and
San Diego. Centers serve as educational resource centers
to students, parents and public schools in American Indian
communities. According to the California Department of
Education (CDE) website, Center staff assist schools with
professional development, counseling, tutorial services, or
parent education. They also provide supplemental and
extended day instructional programs to meet the needs of
American Indian students.
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Tribal organizations or incorporated American Indian
organizations may apply to the department to establish a Center.
Funding is subject to the amount appropriated in the annual
budget act. Applications are approved for a period of five
years.
3) Program evaluation. An evaluation of the program by CDE is
expected to be released in the coming weeks. Current law
requires CDE by, January 1, 2010 and again by January 1,
2016, to report consolidated results for all Centers and
supply information that is required for a comprehensive
evaluation of those results, and make recommendations for
program improvement. If the committee chooses to eliminate
the sunset date of the Center program, would seem prudent
to require that the comprehensive evaluation of the program
continue to occur. For this reason staff recommends the
bill be amended to update section 33384 (2) of the
Education Code as follows:
§ 33384. (2) On or before January 1, 2011, and again on or
before January 1, 2016 On or before January 1, 2021 and
every five years thereafter the department shall report
consolidated results for all centers and supply information
that is required for a comprehensive evaluation of those
results, and make recommendations for program improvement.
For clarification purposes, staff further recommends an
amendment to require the department to make the above
information available to the appropriate fiscal and policy
committees of the Legislature.
SUPPORT
Rincon Band of Luiseņo Indians
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians
Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Nation
OPPOSITION
None received.
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