BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 332|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 332
Author: Fuentes (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 27 - Urgency
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-0, 6/17/09
AYES: Romero, Huff, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Simitian,
Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado, Padilla
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 70-0, 4/16/09 (Consent) - See last page
for vote
SUBJECT : Work-based learning
SOURCE : Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
DIGEST : This bill allows school districts to provide
work-based learning opportunities for pupils through
existing programs such as partnership academies and
regional occupational programs.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Authorizes school districts that maintain high schools
to establish work experience programs for the purpose of
providing pupils with instruction in skills, attitudes,
and understandings necessary for success in employment.
CONTINUED
AB 332
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2. Provides for school districts that establish work
experience programs to receive apportionments based on
the average daily attendance in those programs, and
provides procedures for the calculation of the amount of
those apportionments.
This bill:
1. Makes various findings and declarations related to
work-based learning.
2. Defines "work-based learning" as an educational approach
or instructional methodology that uses the workplace or
real work to provide pupils the knowledge and skills
that help them connect school experiences to real-life
work activities and future career opportunities.
3. Provides that work-based learning opportunities for
pupils may be delivered by partnership academies,
regional occupational programs (ROPs), and other
educational programs, and may include but are not
limited to, work experience education, community
classrooms, cooperative career technical education (CTE)
programs, and job shadowing.
4. Authorizes school districts that maintain high schools
to establish work-based learning programs, and requires
districts that choose to offer work-based learning
opportunities to ensure that pupils are afforded the
same statutory and regulatory safeguards as pupils in
work experience programs.
5. Authorizes districts to purchase liability insurance for
pupils enrolled in programs of study involving
work-based learning off school grounds and to arrange,
approve coordinate and award credit for work-based
learning.
6. States that high quality work-based learning experiences
may include, but are not limited to, specified
components and characteristics.
Background
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According to the Department of Education (DOE), Work
Experience Education (WEE) is a course of study which may
be established by the governing board of any school
district or other specified local education agency to
provide paid or unpaid on-the-job experiences for secondary
school students through training agreements with employers.
The operational plan of the WEE program combines an
on-the-job component with related classroom instruction
designed to maximize the value of on-the-job experiences.
Student success in WEE programs depends on the quality of
classroom instruction, effective collaboration between
employers and the WEE coordinators, and the degree of
involvement by the students and their parents or legal
guardians.
Prior legislation
AB 2078 (Fuentes), of 2008, an identical bill, provides
that work-based learning opportunities for pupils may be
delivered through existing programs such as partnership
academies and ROPs. AB 2078 was vetoed by Governor
Schwarzenegger. The veto message read: "The historic
delay in passing the 2008-2009 State Budget has forced me
to prioritize the bills sent to my desk at the end of the
year's legislative session. Given the delay, I am only
signing bills that are the highest priority for California.
This bill does not meet that standard and I cannot sign it
at this time."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/17/09)
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce (source)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees, AFL, CIO
Antioch Unified School District
California Teachers Association
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles Unified School District
San Francisco Unified School District
Silicon Valley Leadership Group
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Tech America
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The California Teachers
Association writes, "CTA believes career technical
education in its broadest sense includes career
exploration, job training, work experience, certificate
programs and all basic proficiencies related to employment
and the acquisition of employable skills, attitudes, and
values. Job training/employment training is a component of
career technical education."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Brownley,
Buchanan, Carter, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De Leon,
DeVore, Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher,
Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,
Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu, Logue,
Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Miller, Monning, Nestande, Niello,
Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino,
Price, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva, Smyth, Solorio,
Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico,
Tran, Villines, Yamada, Bass
NO VOTE RECORDED: Tom Berryhill, Caballero, Charles
Calderon, Chesbro, De La Torre, Fuller, Huber, Mendoza,
Nava, Skinner
DLW:do 6/22/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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