BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó






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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                        SB 911|
          |Office of Senate Floor Analyses   |                              |
          |(916) 651-1520    Fax: (916)      |                              |
          |327-4478                          |                              |
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                                   THIRD READING 


          Bill No:  SB 911
          Author:   Hertzberg (D) 
          Amended:  3/17/16  
          Vote:     21 

           SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE:  8-0, 3/9/16
           AYES:  Liu, Block, Hancock, Leyva, Mendoza, Monning, Pan, Vidak
           NO VOTE RECORDED:  Runner

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE:  7-0, 5/27/16
           AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza, Nielsen
           
           SUBJECT:   California American Indian education centers


          SOURCE:    Author

          DIGEST:  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.  

          ANALYSIS:  
          
          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  








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            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 § 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)

          This bill:

          1)Deletes the January 1, 2017 sunset of the Center program  
            thereby extending the operation of the program indefinitely. 

          2)Requires the CDE to continue to report on the evaluation of  
            the program every five years, starting in January 2021, and to  
            make this information available to the appropriate committees  
            of the Legislature.

          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  







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            Diego.  Centers serve as educational resource centers to  
            students, parents and public schools in American Indian  
            communities.  According to the CDE Internet Web site, 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. Tribal  
            organizations or incorporated American Indian organizations  
            may apply to the CDE 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.   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. This report is  
            pending. 

            This bill requires CDE to continue to report on the evaluation  
            of the program every five years, starting in January 2021, and  
            to make this information available to the appropriate  
            committees of the Legislature. 


          FISCAL EFFECT:   Appropriation:    No          Fiscal  
          Com.:YesLocal:   No


          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Budget Act  
          of 2015 provides $4.1 million Proposition 98 for this program  
          and removing the program's statutory sunset will likely result  
          in similar annual costs, indefinitely. The CDE indicates that it  
          currently spends about $77,000 General Fund between two  
          positions to administer this program.  If this bill were  
          enacted, this support would continue to be needed.




          SUPPORT:   (Verified5/25/16)


          Tom Torlakson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction 







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          California Teachers Association 


          OPPOSITION:   (Verified 5/25/16)


          None received



          Prepared by:Olgalilia Ramirez / ED. / (916) 651-4105
          5/28/16 17:15:06


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