BILL ANALYSIS
SB 946
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 946 (Scott)
As Amended June 28, 2007
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :30-8
EDUCATION 7-3 HIGHER EDUCATION 7-0
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|Ayes:|Mullin, Brownley, Coto, |Ayes:|Portantino, Horton, |
| |Eng, Hancock, Karnette, | |Arambula, Beall, |
| |Solorio | |Cook, Galgiani, Ruskin |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Garrick, Huff, Nakanishi | | |
| | | | |
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APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Leno, Caballero, Davis, | | |
| |DeSaulnier, Huffman, | | |
| |Karnette, Krekorian, | | |
| |Lieu, Ma, Nava, Solorio, | | |
| |De Leon | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Walters, Emmerson, La | | |
| |Malfa, Nakanishi, Sharon | | |
| |Runner | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Establishes, for five years beginning with the 2008-09
academic year, the Community College Early Assessment Pilot
Program (CCEAP), for the purpose of providing high school pupils
with an indicator of their readiness for college-level English
and math. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes declarations and findings regarding the more than 50% of
incoming students of the California Community Colleges (CCC)
who require remediation or basic skills development, the need
for greater coordination and course articulation between
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community colleges and high schools, the value of early
assessment, and the intent of the Legislature to establish the
CCEAP to help pupils become better prepared for college.
2)Modifies the provisions of law governing the release and uses
of the California Standards Test (CST) as follows:
a) Adds assessment of college readiness to the purposes for
which a pupil (or his or her parents or guardians) may
release results of the CST to colleges and universities;
and,
b) Authorizes the use of the CST exam for diagnostic advice
for prospective CCC students.
3)Requires the use of the California State University (CSU)
augmented CST in the CCEAP and authorizes modification of
scoring to measure degree-applicable standards of the CCC.
4)Requires the Chancellor of the CCC to:
a) Work, in coordination with the California Department of
Education (CDE) to implement the CCEAP as it relates to the
Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program;
b) Select applicant colleges to participate, as specified;
c) Give priority for the pilot program to colleges from
districts currently working with or utilizing data from the
California Partnership for Achieving Students (Cal-PASS);
d) In coordination with CSU, the academic senates of the
participating CCC and CSU campuses, and participating K-12
teachers, provide appropriate basic skills enrichment
opportunities to students at schools participating in
CCEAPP who require additional academic preparation in grade
12 to become college-ready, relying on the already
completed work by the CSU Early Assessment Program (EAP) to
minimize duplication and the cost of the CCEAPP;
e) Work with CDE and CSU to develop a CCC student
notification system, which shall ensure that pupils receive
notification regarding their readiness for transfer-level
work, the availability of enrichment opportunities, and
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assurance of eligibility to attend a CCC; and,
f) Contract with an independent entity to evaluate the
effectiveness of CCEAPP and to answer specific questions,
with interim reporting requirements and a final report due
by December 1, 2013, utilizing funds provided in the Budget
Act.
5)Requires participating community colleges to do the following:
a) Consult with the Academic Senate for the CCC to sequence
their precollegiate level courses and transfer-level
courses in English and math to the elementary and secondary
academic content standards; and,
b) Make college outreach advisors available to
participating feeder high schools to assist students in
making decisions that increase their college readiness
skills and increase the likelihood of their pursing
postsecondary education.
6)Requires the Legislative Analyst's Office to review the final
evaluation report prepared by the Chancellor contracted entity
and make recommendations by February 1, 2014, regarding the
future of the CCEAPP.
7)Requires the CCC to work with CDE and CSU to develop a CCC
student-notification system, which shall ensure that pupils
receive notification regarding their readiness for
transfer-level work, the availability of enrichment
opportunities, and assurance of eligibility to attend a CCC.
8)Declares legislative intent to provide sufficient funds for up
to 25 colleges and their respective feeder high schools to
participate.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, $2.1 million annually for five years to provide
outreach and coordination for all pilot program activities;
$250,000 annually through 2012-13 for statewide coordination and
administration at the CCC Chancellor's office; and one-time
General Fund costs of around $150,000 for evaluation of the
pilot program.
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COMMENTS : The CCEAPP established by this bill is modeled after
EAP, initiated by the CSU, in coordination with the CDE and the
State Board of Education (SBE), in 2004. Under the EAP, 11th
graders taking the California Standards Test are encouraged to
take an "augmented version" of the test, comprised of 15
additional English language arts questions and an essay and 15
additional math questions. The results of the augmented tests,
once scored, indicate a student's "readiness" for college-level
English and math. Those considered proficient on the CST
augmented tests will not be required to take the English and/or
math placement tests upon admission to the CSU. Those whose
scores indicate they are not ready are encouraged to take
classes during their senior year to improve and strengthen their
skills and/or work independently on the CSU's English and math
success Web sites. In coordination with the CDE and SBE, the
CSU developed new courses that seniors can take in high school
during their senior year and provides professional development
to Kindergarten through grade 12 teachers.
The goal of the EAP is to have high school graduates enter the
CSU fully-prepared to do college-level work and reduce the more
than 60% of the nearly 40,000 first-time freshmen admitted to
the CSU who require remedial education in English, math or both.
This bill establishes a similar early assessment program for
students intending to enroll at a CCC and requires the pilot
program to maximize the use of the CSU EAP program structure and
system already in place by utilizing the test results of the CST
augmented test and the existing CSU student notification system.
A recent survey by the CCC Research and Planning Group indicated
that over 70% of students who took a CCC placement test require
remedial math while 42% require remedial English. A recently
released report by the National Center for Public Policy and
Higher Education titled "Investigating the Alignment of High
School and Community College Assessment in California,"
concludes that many students entering the community college
campuses are not prepared for college-level coursework. A study
by the Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy states
that "since only one in four community college students actually
earns a certificate or degree, transfers to a four-year
university, or achieves some combination of those outcomes
within six years of enrolling in a community college, policies
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should be changed to encourage better educational outcomes
rather than simply focusing on allowing students to enroll."
According to the author, CCCs use a variety of assessment tools
to gauge student preparedness for college-level courses.
However, these tools have little in common and none reach down
into high schools to assess student readiness. This bill seeks
to answer the following questions:
1)Do students who participate in the CCEAPP and who require
additional skill development in English and math, or both,
adjust their grade 12 course schedule to include English or
math, or both, to better prepare for postsecondary education?
2)Is there a decrease in the total number of basic skills
courses that CCEAPP participants must complete before entering
degree-applicable courses and transfer-level courses at CCCs?
3)Are the indicators of readiness for transfer-level courses
utilized in the CCEAPP appropriate and accurate indicators of
readiness for degree-applicable and transfer-level courses?
Analysis Prepared by : Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0002693