BILL ANALYSIS
AB 554
Page A
Date of Hearing: April 29, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
AB 554 (Furutani) - As Amended: April 22, 2009
SUBJECT : Graduation requirements
SUMMARY : Adds one course to the existing minimum high school
graduation requirements and includes career technical education
(CTE) as an option to fulfill this additional requirement.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Revises the existing minimum graduation coursework
requirements by requiring a pupil to complete at least two
courses from any of the following three subjects:
a) Visual or performing arts (VPA);
b) Foreign language; or
c) CTE
2)Specifies that for purposes of satisfying the requirement in
this bill, schools shall offer courses within their existing
school calendars, to the extent practicable.
3)Defines "career technical education course" for purposes of
this bill as a course in a district-operated CTE program that
is aligned to the CTE model curriculum standards and framework
adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE).
4)Makes legislative findings and declarations relative to high
school education and the intent of the Legislature that pupils
be prepared to meet the academic and technical skills
challenges of the high school curriculum and that pupils take
advantage of the range of course options available to them.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the following minimum high school graduation
requirements for pupils in grades 9-12, inclusive:
a) Three years of English;
b) Two years of math;
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c) Two years of science;
d) Three years of social studies, including a one-semester
course in American government and civics and a one-semester
course in economics;
e) One course in visual or performing arts or foreign
language;
f) Two courses in physical education; and,
g) Other coursework that the governing board of the school
district may specify.
2)Specifies that governing boards, with the active involvement
of parents, administrators, teachers, and pupils, shall adopt
alternative means for pupils to complete the prescribed course
of study which may include practical demonstration of skills
and competencies, supervised work experience or other outside
school experience, CTE classes, courses offered by regional
occupational centers or programs (ROCPs), interdisciplinary
study, independent study, and credit earned at a postsecondary
institution.
3)Requires that specified alternative modes for completing the
prescribed course of study shall be made available to pupils,
parents, and the public.
4)Requires districts maintaining any of grades 7-12, inclusive,
to offer to all otherwise qualified pupils in those grade
levels a course of study that fulfills the requirements and
prerequisites for admission to California's public
institutions of postsecondary education.
5)Requires districts maintaining any of grades 7-12, inclusive
to offer to all otherwise qualified pupils a course of study
that provides an opportunity for pupils to attain entry-level
employment skills in business or industry upon graduation from
high school.
6)Requires, commencing with the 2003-04 school year and each
year thereafter, at least one course, or a combination of the
two courses, in mathematics required to be completed by pupils
while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, prior to receiving a
diploma of graduation from high school, meet or exceed the
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rigor of the content standards for Algebra I, as adopted by
the SBE.
FISCAL EFFECT : State-mandated local program.
COMMENTS : The state has established minimum graduation
requirements for all students but high school graduation
requirements vary among school districts across the state as
local districts adopt requirements beyond the statutorily
required courses. Completion of the minimum state and local
coursework graduation requirements, passage of the high school
exit exam, and completion of an Algebra 1 course must be
satisfied in order for a pupil to receive a high school diploma
in California.
Under current law, districts are required to adopt alternative
means for pupils to complete the prescribed course of study
which may include practical demonstration of skills and
competencies, supervised work experience or other outside school
experience, CTE classes, courses offered by ROCPs,
interdisciplinary study, independent study, and credit earned at
a postsecondary institution.
There has been much interest in the issue of reforming high
schools and increasing CTE opportunities for pupils in
California schools as an approach to provide access to a
relevant curriculum for pupils who may be disengaged and at risk
of dropping out. The California Dropout Research Project
released a report entitled, Solving California's Dropout Crisis
which estimated that only about two thirds of California's
students graduate on time and that dropping out and low
achievement have many shared causes such as poor attendance, low
engagement and low-quality instruction. One of the
recommendations in the report suggested that the state should
consider more options for students to meet the graduation
requirements and points out that, "An increasing number of
states have pursued the idea of multiple pathways for students
to meet high school graduation requirements such as through
career and technical education courses."
The existing minimum graduation requirements include one course
in either VPA or foreign language. This bill increases the
total number of minimum courses required for graduation from 13
to 14 and adds CTE to this category as a course option to meet
the minimum graduation requirements. This is a significant
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change that may have an impact on student engagement as this
will provide more options to complete the high school graduation
requirements. On the other hand, this change may also have an
effect on postsecondary admission eligibility.
Effect on UC/CSU admission eligibility : The Board of Admissions
and Relations with schools (BOARS) establishes the subject areas
and pattern of courses required for minimum eligibility for
freshman admission to the University of California (UC). These
requirements are known as the A-G requirements, and the
California State University (CSU) system also accepts courses
certified by BOARS as minimum eligibility requirements. The A-G
requirements consist of 15 courses and three recommended courses
as follows:
----------------------------------------------
|History/Social Science - 2 years required |
|----------------------------------------------|
|English - 4 years required |
|----------------------------------------------|
|Mathematics - 3 years required, 4 years |
|recommended |
|----------------------------------------------|
|Laboratory Science - 2 years required, 3 |
|years recommended |
|----------------------------------------------|
|Language Other than English - 2 years |
|required, 3 years recommended |
|----------------------------------------------|
|Visual and Performing Arts - 1 year required |
|----------------------------------------------|
|College-Preparatory Electives - 1 year |
|required |
----------------------------------------------
Recognizing that this bill could result in high school students
graduating without taking a single course in foreign language,
or VPA, it must be noted that this could have an effect on
pupil's eligibility for admission to UC and CSU because both of
these are courses required for minimum eligibility for freshman
admission to California's four-year public postsecondary
institutions.
As currently drafted, this bill allows a pupil to take two
courses from any of three subjects; hence a pupil could take two
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courses from one subject or a combination of two of the three
subjects. While this allows for flexibility and options for
pupils, it must be noted that if a pupil foregoes taking VPA or
foreign language courses, this could result in a student being
ineligible for UC/CSU admission. This bill is based on the
premise that foreign language and VPA are non-core courses, and
therefore, proponents of this measure would argue that this bill
would adding one more subject to the list of what are often
viewed as elective courses. However, the federal No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) Act defines "core academic subjects" to mean
English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign
languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and
geography.
Supporters of foreign language and VPA would argue that these
two subjects are core subject areas and thus should not be
diluted as a requirement for graduation. The State has adopted
content standards in both of these areas and it can be argued
that each one of them plays a role in providing pupils a
complete and well-rounded education that keeps students engaged
and motivated to stay in school. Furthermore, the existing
minimum graduation requirements ensure that pupils take at least
one course from these two important subjects.
Foreign language : The benefits and importance of foreign
language study has been widely documented. The Committee for
Economic Development (CED), an independent research and policy
organization of business leaders and educators, released a
report in 2006 titled, Education for Global Leadership: The
importance of International Studies and Foreign Language
Education for U.S. Economic and National Security. The report
points out, "To confront the twenty-first century challenges to
our economy and national security, our education system must be
strengthened to increase the foreign language skills and
cultural awareness of our students. America's continued global
leadership will depend on our students' abilities to interact
with the world economy." The CED report further suggests, "The
need for foreign language skills is even more acute for our
national security. The FBI and other federal government
agencies lack sufficient linguists to translate intelligence
information in critical languages in a timely manner.
Furthermore our diplomatic efforts have been hampered by a lack
of cultural awareness." CED recommends to integrate
international content into the state's K-12 curriculum standards
and assessment criteria and to require high school students to
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achieve proficiency in at least one language in addition to
their primary language.
Similarly, the California Master Plan for Education of 2002
recommends all schools to establish a foundation for students'
future mastery of a second language, by the end of elementary
school, and attainment of oral proficiency and literacy in both
English and at least one other language, by the end of secondary
school. The Master Plan states, "education must prepare
Californians for participation in the international community.
Ours is the nation's most linguistically rich state. At a time
when global knowledge, skill, and understanding are at a
premium, California's multi-lingualism is an asset that should
be developed to a much greater extent. We must recognize our
state's widespread multiculturalism and bilingualism and embrace
them as 21st century educational and social resources."
The State Board of Education (SBE) recently adopted draft
foreign language content standards, now known as "world
languages." The draft World Language Content Standards for
California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve
(world language content standards) represent the knowledge,
skills and abilities that students should acquire during
thirteen years in California public schools. The draft document
states, "In order to succeed in the 21st century, today's
students need to develop linguistic and cultural literacy,
including academic knowledge, proficiency in English, and in
several of the world's languages and cultures." Recognizing the
importance of cultural competence and foreign language skills to
compete successfully in the global economy, some would argue
that the existing high school graduation requirements in the
area of foreign language should be strengthened and that foreign
language learning should begin earlier in a pupil's educational
trajectory.
Visual or performing arts : Supporters of VPA education would
argue that arts courses enhance creativity and critical thinking
abilities, which are recognized as important skills for the
workplace. Like CTE, arts education has proven to be an
effective way to engage students in learning and in preventing
dropouts. A review of research through a survey, "Critical
Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social
Development," suggests that "education in the arts not only
fosters other specific skills but also improves students'
self-confidence and motivation to learn, particularly among poor
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and other at risk students."
In 2001, the State Board of Education adopted Visual and
Performing Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools,
Pre-kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. The standards include
all four disciplines of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts.
The VPA standards were developed as a result of Senate Bill 1390
(Murray), Chapter 432, Statutes of 2000. SB 1390 called for
the adoption of visual and performing arts content standards and
stated that instruction in VPA should be made available to all
students.
The VPA standards state, "The arts convey knowledge and meaning
not learned through the study of other subjects. Study in and
through the arts employs a form of thinking and a way of knowing
based on human judgment, invention, and imagination. Arts
education offers students the opportunity to envision, set
goals, determine a method to reach a goal and try it out,
identify alternatives, evaluate, revise, solve problems,
imagine, work collaboratively, and apply self-discipline. The
visual and performing arts are a vital part of a well-rounded
educational program for all students."
Reports have shown that arts education in secondary schools
suffers from limited availability. A recent report by SRI
International, An Unfinished Canvas, shows that 72% of high
schools fail to offer standards-aligned courses of study in all
four arts disciplines. Supporters of arts education have
suggested that exposure to arts education provides invaluable
preparation for the world of work. VPA address and develop
ways of thinking, questioning, expression and learning that
complement learning in other core subjects and develop skills
and abilities that are important for students entering into the
workforce after high school.
Recognizing VPA and foreign language as core subjects that
should be strengthened within the curriculum, and in an effort
to minimize the impact on pupils' UC/CSU admission eligibility,
staff recommends the bill be amended to require that at least
one of the two required courses shall be either a VPA or a
foreign language course. This amendment will ensure that the
existing requirement that pupils take at least one course from
VPA or foreign language stays in place. It shall be noted that
these graduation requirements are minimum course requirements
and that districts can and most often do adopt graduation
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requirements that exceed those minimums.
Career Technical Education : The SBE adopted Career Technical
Education Model Standards in 2005 and the CTE Framework for
California Schools for grades seven to twelve in 2007. CTE
course offerings range in method of delivery and course content.
CTE courses can be delivered by ROCPs, partnership academies,
agricultural programs, and tech-prep programs and the courses
offered vary in the degree of rigor and alignment to the CTE
standards, thus raising the question of whether CTE courses are
as rigorous as the high school graduation required courses.
There are a number of CTE courses that do meet and even exceed
the rigor of high school graduation courses and are approved and
recognized to meet the A-G criteria but not all CTE courses do.
It is difficult to know how many of the CTE courses in fact meet
the CTE standards, as there is no statewide mechanism in place
to review and ensure that CTE courses are aligned to the CTE
standards. Districts that receive funds from the Carl Perkins
Career and Technical Education Improvement Act are required to
show in their Perkins plan that course offerings are aligned to
the CTE standards. This bill provides that only
standards-aligned CTE courses may count as a graduation course.
A Little Hoover Commission study on CTE "found encouraging
evidence that CTE -in its modern, academically demanding form-
can deliver an alternative approach to learning that can keep
students engaged, help improve grade point averages and prepare
students for both the work world and higher education."
Teacher credentialing : This bill, as amended, limits the CTE
courses that could count towards high school graduation to those
that are district-operated programs. Programs such as
county-operated ROCPs would not count towards high school
graduation. There are currently 42 county-operated ROCPs, 6
single district ROCPs, and 26 joint powers agreement (JPA)
ROCPs. Currently ROCP teachers do not have to meet the highly
qualified teacher requirements, unless that teacher teaches a
core subject. The CDE developed guidance for districts on this
matter and it advises districts that have the practice of
allowing for alternative ways for meeting the high school
graduation requirements as permitted under existing law, then a
CTE instructor can teach a CTE course that meets a mandated
academic requirement. The CTE instructor must be properly
credentialed in their respective CTE discipline. CDE has also
established a policy regarding the "highly qualified teacher"
provisions of NCLB as follows, "in order to be considered highly
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qualified, a teacher must have a four-year college degree and
meet all other credentialing requirements. If a CTE teacher
does not have a four-year college degree and his/or her class is
an option for a core course for graduation purposes, he/or she
may not be meeting the highly qualified teacher requirements."
The guidance that CDE has offered regarding alternative ways of
meeting the core subject graduation requirements, however does
not address the issue regarding CTE teachers who teach CTE
courses that also meet the alternative graduation requirements
but do not have a four-year degree because California's CTE
credentials do not require a 4-year college degree. According
to information provided by the author's office, in an attempt to
minimize any potential impact this bill could create in this
regard, language in the bill limits the types of CTE courses
that would count towards high school graduation to courses that
are part of district-operated CTE programs.
Not enough time in the day : There is evidence that CTE has a
role in engaging students in academic learning and there is much
support in expanding opportunities that prepare pupils for life
after high school. Nevertheless, arguments have been made that
there is not enough time in the day for students to fit all the
important subjects that create a relevant and complete education
for students. While the extension of the school day and school
year is an important consideration for policy makers,
particularly as it relates to addressing issues of the
achievement gap and ensuring that all students have access to an
appropriate and well-rounded education, the fiscal climate in
the state makes the extension of the school day or year an
unlikely reality in the near future.
The "multiple pathways" approach is a promising strategy that
can deliver a rigorous and relevant curriculum that includes
core academics, applied learning and CTE within the existing
instructional day. The multiple pathways approach involves
making core academic subjects more relevant and applied while
also providing access to technical courses. Essentially, a
student could have access to career related content in core
classes such as math, English, history and science and also take
CTE courses. The integration of career based themes and content
across all subject areas is a promising approach that would give
students the opportunity to access both core content and CTE
without having to choose one over the other.
A report due to the Legislature by the end of this year may
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provide policy makers important information on the feasibility
to expand career multiple pathway programs. A measure enacted
last year, AB 2648 (Bass), Chapter 681, Statutes of 2008
required the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop, in
conjunction with specified individuals, a report that explores
the feasibility of expanding and establishing career multiple
pathway programs. AB 2648 requires the report to include
specified components, including, but not limited to, methods for
developing and sharing models of integrated curriculum and
instruction, strategies for increasing the course options and
instructional time for pupils in high school, and
recommendations for supporting regional coalitions in planning
and developing the programs. The report is due to the
Legislature by December 1, 2009.
State-mandated local program : By requiring an additional course
for high school graduation, this bill creates a state-mandated
local program that the Commission on State Mandates may deem
reimbursable and this can put cost pressure on the state budget.
This Committee may wish to consider the likely fiscal impact of
this bill in light of the fiscal problems facing the state in
the near term. The author's intent is that the additional
course requirement can be absorbed by courses that school
districts already offer as part of their existing course
offerings.
According to CDE, in the 2007-08 school year, 29,867 foreign
language classes were offered in 1,908 of the state's schools,
43,110 fine arts classes were offered in 3,189 of the state's
schools, and 25,752 CTE courses were offered which enrolled
589,233 pupils.
The author states, "AB 554 does not seek to prioritize any one
course over another. Instead, it prioritizes the goal of
successfully graduating students from our high schools and
ensures that their interests are met by the course options
available to them."
Related legislation : SB 147 (DeSaulnier) requires the Trustees
of the CSU and strongly urges the Regents of the UC to
recognize, beginning January 1, 2014, the completion of all
career technical education courses that meet standards adopted
by the SBE.
SB 381 (Wright) prohibits a school district from adopting a
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graduation requirement that requires the completion of
additional coursework to meet or exceed the requirements and
prerequisites for admission to the California public
institutions of postsecondary education unless the district also
adopts an additional graduation requirement that requires the
completion of an equal amount of coursework to attain
entry-level employment skills in business or industry upon
graduation from high school.
Previous legislation : AB 272 (Kuehl) of 1999 increases course
requirements for the receipt of a high school diploma to require
one year-long course in visual or performing arts and one
year-long course in a foreign language, commencing with the
graduating class of the 2004-2005 school year. AB 272 was held
in the Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB 672 (Torlakson) of 2008 requires high schools participating
in the California Enhanced Instructional Time Program, pursuant
to Senate Bill 681 (Torlakson) of 2008, to adopt a graduation
policy that requires pupils to complete two courses in CTE. SB
672 was held in the Assembly Education Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file (current version)
On previous version:
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
Antioch Unified School District
California Association of Regional Occupational Centers and
Programs
California Association of Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning
Contractors' National Association
California Automotive Business Coalition
California Business Education Association
California Correctional Peace Officers Association
California Industrial and Technology Education Association
California Manufacturers & Technology Association
California Space Authority
State Building and Construction Trades Council
Opposition
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None on file (current version)
On previous version:
American Heart Association
Arts Providers Alliance of San Francisco
California Alliance for Arts Education
California Association for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance
California Federation of Teachers
California Food Policy Advocates
California Language Teachers Association
California State University Kinesiology Chairs
California Teachers Association
Center for Public Health Advocacy
Performing Arts Workshop
Saddleback Valley Unified School District
United Teachers of Los Angeles
Numerous Individuals
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi?a / ED. / (916) 319-2087