BILL ANALYSIS
SB 946
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 946 (Scott)
As Amended August 14, 2008
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, Cook, |
| |Solorio | |Galgiani, Ruskin |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Garrick, Huff, Nakanishi | | |
| | | | |
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APPROPRIATIONS 12-5 HIGHER EDUCATION 6-0
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|Ayes:|Leno, Caballero, Davis, |Ayes:|Portantino, Horton, |
| |DeSaulnier, Huffman, | |Arambula, Beall, Cook, |
| |Karnette, Krekorian, | |Ruskin |
| |Lieu, Ma, Nava, Solorio, | | |
| |De Leon | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Walters, Emmerson, La | | |
| |Malfa, Nakanishi, Sharon | | |
| |Runner | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Authorizes the individual results of the California
Standards Test (CST) and the CST augmented test to be provided
to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community
Colleges (CCC) and CCC districts so that the Early Assessment
Program (EAP), established by the California State University
(CSU) in coordination with the State Board of Education (SBE)
and the California Department of Education (CDE), may be
expanded to include participation by prospective CCC students.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Expresses the intent of the Legislature that the CCC
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Chancellor's office, CSU Chancellor's office, the SBE, and CDE
work together to modify the existing EAP to expand it to
include CCC so that beginning in the 2009-10 school year, high
school juniors who are considering attending either system can
take the EAP and receive information in the summer before
their senior year concerning their preparation for
college-level work at both CSU and CCC.
2)Requires the CCC Chancellor's office to coordinate with CCC
districts that choose to voluntarily participate in the EAP;
accomplishes specified goals, to the extent possible; provides
a report to the Legislature and the Governor by February 15,
2015, on the implementation and results of the EAP for CCC
students; and releases the individual results of the CST and
the augmented CST to participating CCC districts upon their
request for this information, which may be used to provide
diagnostic advice to prospective CCC students participating in
the EAP.; accomplishes all of the following activities using
existing resources:
3)Requires CCC districts that choose to work directly with high
school pupils within their respective district boundaries who
took the augmented CST, do the following:
a) Use same standards utilized by CSU to assess readiness;
b) Use the augmented CST, currently utilized by CSU for
purposes of early assessment, to assess the college
readiness of pupils in the EAP;
c) Consider consulting with the CCC Academic Senate to work
toward sequencing their pre-collegiate level courses and
transfer-level courses in English and mathematics to the
elementary and secondary education content standards;
d) Identify an EAP coordinator and coordinate with CSU
campuses and schools offering instruction in kindergarten
through grade 12 in their respective district boundaries on
EAP-related activities that assist pupils in making
decisions that increase their college readiness skills and
likelihood of pursuing a postsecondary education;
e) Use individual CST and augmented CST test results
provided to that college to provide diagnostic advice to
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prospective CCC students participating in the EAP; and,
f) Utilize the existing infrastructure of academic
opportunities, as developed by CSU, to provide additional
preparation in grade 12 for prospective CCC students
participating in the EAP.
4)Provides that the individual results of the CST and the
augmented CST shall be released to and may be used by CSU to
provide diagnostic advice to prospective CSU students
participating in the EAP and that the individual results of
the augmented CST shall not be used by CSU as a criterion for
admission.
5)Prohibits CCC from using the individual results of the
augmented CST as a criterion for admission.
FISCAL EFFECT : Potential redirection of existing resources for
districts who volunteer to participate in the EAP. Ongoing
General Fund costs of around $50,000 to the CCC Chancellor's
Office for one-half position to administer the EAP.
COMMENTS : Recent studies indicate a significant number of
incoming CCC students are unprepared to undertake basic math and
English coursework-in fact, one out of three CCC students
enrolls in a basic skills class. 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. These statistics have serious
repercussions on a student's educational path: those who lack
basic skills are less likely to receive a degree or transfer to
a university.
Unlike CSU and the University of California, CCC does not have a
single English or math proficiency exam upon enrollment at a
CCC. Each of the 109 campuses determines for itself the type of
placement tests to use. However, the CCC Board of Governors
recently directed the Chancellor to begin a consultation process
to evaluate implementation of system wide student assessment
measures.
Modeled on successful CSU program: Under the EAP, initiated by
CSU in coordination with CDE and SBE in 2004, 11th graders
taking the CST are encouraged to take an "augmented version" of
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the test, comprised of 15 additional English language arts
questions, 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 augmented CST tests are not
required to take the English and/or math placement tests upon
admission to 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
CSU's English and math success Internet Web sites. In
coordination with CDE and SBE, CSU developed new courses that
seniors can take in high school during their senior year and
provides professional development to K-12 teachers.
The goal of the EAP is to have high school graduates enter CSU
fully-prepared to do college-level work and reduce the more than
60% of the nearly 40,000 first-time freshmen admitted to CSU who
require remedial education in English, math or both.
Analysis Prepared by : Sandra Fried / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0007317