BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 946|
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 946
Author: Scott (D)
Amended: 8/14/08
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-1, 4/26/07
AYES: Scott, Wyland, Alquist, Maldonado, Padilla, Romero,
Simitian, Torlakson
NOES: Denham
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 14-2, 5/31/07
AYES: Torlakson, Cox, Ashburn, Cedillo, Corbett, Dutton,
Florez, Kuehl, Oropeza, Ridley-Thomas, Simitian,
Steinberg, Wyland, Yee
NOES: Aanestad, Runner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Battin
SENATE FLOOR : 30-8, 6/6/07
AYES: Alquist, Ashburn, Calderon, Cedillo, Corbett, Cox,
Ducheny, Dutton, Florez, Kehoe, Kuehl, Lowenthal,
Machado, Maldonado, Margett, Migden, Negrete McLeod,
Oropeza, Padilla, Perata, Ridley-Thomas, Romero, Scott,
Simitian, Steinberg, Torlakson, Vincent, Wiggins, Wyland,
Yee
NOES: Aanestad, Ackerman, Cogdill, Denham, Harman,
Hollingsworth, McClintock, Runner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Battin, Correa
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 78-0, 8/21/08 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Community College Early Assessment Program
CONTINUED
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SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill authorizes the individual results of
the California Standards Test to be provided to the
California Community Colleges so that the Early Assessment
Program may be expanded to include participation by
prospective community college students.
Assembly Amendments delete the prior contents without
altering the subject or the intent. As it left the Senate,
the bill established the Community College Early Assessment
Pilot Program for the purpose of providing high school
students with an indicator of their readiness for
college-level English and Math.
ANALYSIS : Currently, the California State University
(CSU) operates an Early Assessment Program (EAP); a
collaborative effort among the K-12 schools, the State
Board of Education (SBE), and the California Department of
Education (CDE). Under this EAP, 11th graders taking the
California Standards Test are encouraged to take an
"augmented version" of the test that includes additional
English and math questions and a written essay. The
results of the augmented version, once scored, indicate a
students "readiness" for college-level English and math.
Those whose scores indicate they are not ready, are
encouraged to take classes during their senior year to
improve and strengthen their skills. The goal of the EAP
is to have high school graduates enter the CSU
fully-prepared to do college-level work. More than 60
percent of the nearly 40,000 first-time freshmen admitted
to the CSU require remedial education in English,
mathematics or both.
This bill 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 EAP, established by CSU in coordination with SBE
and the CDE, may be expanded to include participation by
prospective CCC students. Specifically, this bill:
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1. Expresses the intent of the Legislature that the CCC
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
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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 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.
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
percent of students who took a CCC placement test require
remedial math while 42 percent 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
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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 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 percent of the nearly 40,000 first-time
freshmen admitted to CSU who require remedial education in
English, math or both.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
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.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/26/08)
California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office
California Federation of Teachers
California State University
Community College League of California
EdVoice
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ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Aghazarian, Anderson, Arambula, Beall,
Benoit, Berg, Berryhill, Blakeslee, Brownley, Caballero,
Charles Calderon, Carter, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre,
De Leon, DeSaulnier, DeVore, Duvall, Dymally, Emmerson,
Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines,
Galgiani, Garcia, Garrick, Hancock, Hayashi, Hernandez,
Horton, Houston, Huff, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones,
Karnette, Keene, Krekorian, La Malfa, Laird, Leno,
Levine, Lieber, Lieu, Ma, Maze, Mendoza, Mullin,
Nakanishi, Nava, Niello, Nunez, Parra, Plescia,
Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva, Smyth,
Solorio, Spitzer, Strickland, Swanson, Torrico, Tran,
Villines, Walters, Wolk, Bass
NO VOTE RECORDED: Sharon Runner, Soto
NC:nl 8/26/08 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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