BILL ANALYSIS
SB 890
Page 1
Date of Hearing: July 11, 2007
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gene Mullin, Chair
SB 890 (Scott) - As Amended: June 27, 2007
SENATE VOTE : 32-3
SUBJECT : Early Commitment to College Program
SUMMARY : Establishes, until January 1, 2018, the Early
Commitment to College (ECC) program to increase high school
completion rates; motivate pupils to prepare for college; help
families understand financial aid opportunities; provide paths
for pupils through middle, high and postsecondary education;
strengthen the state's promise of college access; and prepare a
highly skilled workforce. Specifically, this bill :
1)Provides that participation by pupils and school districts in
the ECC program is voluntary and encourages participating
districts to provide school-wide college information and
college preparation events.
2)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), among
other program duties, to identify schools as College
Opportunity Zones (COZs), defined as being the 30% of middle
schools and high schools with the highest proportion of
low-income pupils.
3)Requires a school that is designated as a college opportunity
zone to give all pupils enrolled in grades 6 to 9, inclusive,
and their parent or legal guardian, the opportunity to sign a
"Save Me a Spot in College" pledge developed by the
Superintendent and requires schools not designated as COZs to
give pupils who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals
and are enrolled in grades 6 to 9, inclusive, and their parent
or legal guardian, and all foster youth and the appropriate
adult responsible for that student, the opportunity to sign a
pledge.
4)Provides that a pupil who signs a pledge declares a commitment
to prepare for college, finish high school, and enroll in
college; and commits, among other things, to meet all
graduation requirements, enroll in college preparatory
coursework, seek to achieve proficiency in reading and writing
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in English, complete and file a free application for federal
student aid, and submit his or her grade point average to the
Student Aid Commission by March 2 of his or her senior year.
5)States that a pupil who meets the pledge would be pre-approved
to receive, upon completion of high school, a fee waiver under
the California Community College Board of Governor's fee
waiver program for two years of enrollment at a California
community college and states that pupils who meet all the
eligibility requirements of the Cal Grant Program at the time
of application will be eligible to receive a Cal Grant.
6)Requires school districts to provide information and services
including transcript reviews and academic assessments.
7)States that the Legislature encourages the California
Community Colleges (CCC), the University of California (UC),
the California State University (CSU), independent colleges,
the California Student Opportunity and Access Program, the
Student Aid Commission, and other nonprofit, business, or
community organizations to provide support services as needed
in coordination with local school districts.
8)Requires the SPI to submit, on or before November 1, 2016, a
recommendation to the Legislature on whether the program
should be continued.
9)Repeals the provisions of the bill as of January 1, 2018.
EXISTING LAW requires a school district maintaining any of
grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer to all otherwise qualified
pupils in those grades a course of study fulfilling the
requirements and prerequisites for admission to the California
public institutions of postsecondary education.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, this bill imposes short and long term activities on
the California Department of Education (CDE) that would likely
cost between $200,000 and $500,000.
COMMENTS : This bill is sponsored by the Campaign for College
Opportunity (CCO). The CCO seeks to assist in developing
policies that promote the improvement of college preparation,
participation, and completion and that address future workforce
needs. A literature review conducted by the CCO reported the
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following findings:
1)If education attainment gaps remain at current levels for each
ethnic group, California will experience the greatest decline
in per capita personal income of any state in the nation
between 2000 and 2020.
2)Demand for workers with a high school diploma or less is
projected to decline while demand for workers with higher
education is projected to increase.
3)For every new dollar California invests to get more students
in and through college above current levels, it will receive a
net return on investment of three dollars. The possible gains
in college-going analyzed for each annual cohort of young
adults entering their college-going years could provide more
than $3 billion dollars to the state in additional net tax
revenues over their lifetime.
Author's amendments : The author wishes to add language to
address the issue of portability in situations where a student
moves to a school in a participating district. The language
would ensure that the student's pledge will transfer with him or
her, or that the student will be allowed to sign the pledge at
the new school. The author wishes to add the following:
On page 8 - Section 54713, line 30: Students who have signed the
Save Me a Spot in College pledge who leave a participating
school district will not be pre-approved for the fee waiver,
unless they attend another school district which participates in
the program. That school district may obtain the student record
from the originating school district or the student can request
to sign the pledge again, including after 9th grade, provided
they show documentation they were enrolled in the program in the
original school district.
The author further wishes to amend the bill to clarify that an
elementary school district may participate in the program, if it
collaborates with a high school district. On page 4 - Section
54711, line 22 add: An elementary school district may distribute
the general letter from the Governor and SPI, pursuant to
Section 54712 (f), but if it chooses to participate with
students signing the Save Me a Spot in College Pledge, it must
do so in collaboration with the high school district which the
predominant number of its students attend.
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Because this bill has a sunset of January 1, 2018, the bill may
need clarifying language to ensure that the pledges of the
students enrolled in the program are honored prior to the
sunset. Staff recommends the bill be amended to add: "No pupil
scheduled to graduate from high school after 2016 shall be
allowed to enroll in the program."
Existing Early Commitment Programs : Compact for Success is a
partnership between San Diego State University and Sweetwater
Unified School District to improve college and access. The
Compact promises admission to San Diego State University to all
students who meet educational benchmarks throughout middle and
high school. According to information provided by the author, a
recent evaluation of the program showed dramatic improvements in
Sweetwater students being prepared for and admitted to San Diego
State.
Passport to College is a program at San Joaquin Delta College,
which has made a commitment of support services and financial
aid equal to two years of tuition to fifth graders in its
service area. The program requires both students and parents to
participate in program events, and parents to attend yearly
parent-teacher meetings.
The author states, "We are at a crossroad today with respect to
educational attainment and California's future- if we fail to
act, the consequences for California's future are dire. The
Early Commitment to College Act of 2007 is a proposal to ensure
that students and their families, beginning in middle school
understand that if they prepare for college, California will
provide them the opportunity to pursue career technical
education or a college degree in our community colleges and
universities and provide financial assistance for eligible
students with need."
This bill was heard in Assembly Higher Education Committee on
July 3, 2007 and passed out with a vote of 7-0.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Advance!
Advancement Project
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American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
ALL Student Loan
Alameda County Office of Education
Anaheim City School District
Applied Research Center
Asian Pacific American Legal Center of Southern California
Automobile Club of Southern California
AVID
Bay Area Council
Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition
Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs
CalChamber
California Catholic Conference
California Coast Credit Union
California Community Colleges
California Farm Bureau Federation
Californians for Justice Education Fund
California Postsecondary Education Commission
California School Boards Association
California State PTA
California State University
California Tomorrow
Campaign for College Opportunity (sponsor)
CATAPULT
Center for Educational Partnerships
Central Valley Higher Education Consortium
Citrus College
CJ Ventures
College of the Sequoias
College OPTIONS
Community Action Partnership of Kern
Community Coalition of South Los Angeles
Compact for Success, San Diego State University
Contoural
Contra Costa College
Coronado Unified School District Governing Board
Families In Schools
Fullerton School District
Garvey School District
Gay and Lesbian Adolescent Social Services Inc. (GLASS)
Girls Inc of Orange County
Golden West College
Great Valley Center
Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE)
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
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Hispanic Leadership Council of Stanislaus County
Inner City Struggle
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Linking Education and Economic Development (LEED)
MACSA
Merced City School District
Merced Community College District
MALDEF
Modesto Chamber of Commerce
Modesto Junior College
Oakland Community Organizations
Orange County Department of Education
Oxnard Union High School District
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE)
Pierce College
Public Advocates, Inc.
Raytheon
Rio Linda Union School District
Ruiz Foods
Saddleback Valley Unified School District
Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce
San Diego Community College District
San Diego State University Access Initiatives
San Bernardino County Office of Education
San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce
Savanna School District
Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Southern California Edison
South Orange County Community College District
Southwestern College
Stanislaus County Board of Education
Stanislaus County Office of Education
United Way of Greater Los Angeles
University of California
UCLA Institute for Democracy Education & Access (IDEA)
West Los Angeles College
Wilshire Industries Inc.
Yosemite Community College District Trustee
Yuba Community College District
15 individuals
Opposition
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None Received
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi?a / ED. / (916) 319-2087