BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1008
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 21, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Anthony Portantino, Chair
AB 1008 (Block) - As Amended: April 13, 2009
SUBJECT : Community colleges: matriculation.
SUMMARY : Would require the Board of Governors (BOG) of the
California Community Colleges (CCC) to convene a working group
that includes the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO), the CCC
Consultation Council, and the Academic Senate for the CCC, to
make findings and recommendations to the Legislature and the
Governor, by July 1, 2010, regarding statewide assessments that
can be utilized to test the basic skills of students as they
enter California Community Colleges (CCC).
EXISTING LAW establishes matriculation services that shall be
made available by CCC, including, among other services, the
administration of assessment instruments to determine competency
in math and language skills and student study and learning
skills. Prohibits a CCC district or CCC college from using an
assessment instrument without the authorization of that
instrument by the CCC BOG.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Background on basic skills : Basic skills education
refers to courses and programs designed to help under-prepared
CCC students succeed in college-level work. A core
responsibility of CCC is to provide basic skills instruction to
students who lack college-level proficiency in reading, writing,
and mathematics. These skills are fundamental to student
success, yet studies show that many incoming freshmen at all
three segments of California's public higher education system
are not ready for college-level work. According to the CCC
Chancellor's Office (CCCCO), about 90% of incoming CCC students
are not proficient in university level math or English. The CCC
system provided basic skills instruction to over 600,000
students in 2006-07.
Importance of assessment : Numerous studies have found that
incoming CCC students should be assessed prior to enrolling in
classes. The most commonly used assessment instruments are
standardized tests. The purpose of these tests is to determine
AB 1008
Page 2
the proficiency level of students in math and English. Based on
assessment results, campuses can then direct students to take
coursework that is appropriate for their skill level. A number
of recent studies have linked mandatory assessment with improved
student outcomes such as course completion and graduation rates.
Improving CCC student outcomes : According to a recent report
from the LAO, a number of system-wide CCC policies and practices
are at odds with strategies for improving basic skills education
and student outcomes. The LAO noted that individual colleges
often use different assessment tests and employ different
definitions of college readiness, sending a confusing message to
students. The LAO recommended, among other structural and
system-wide CCC changes that are needed in order to improve
student preparedness and success, making available a statewide
CCC placement test derived from K-12's math and English
standards tests, and creating a strong incentive for students to
take required assessments.
Purpose of this bill : The author notes that CCC does not
currently have a uniform assessment tool for examining how well
the reading, writing, and math skills of perspective students
are aligned with CCC standards and expectations. Individual
colleges often use different assessment tests and employ
different definitions of college readiness. The author asserts
that "establishing a working group regarding statewide
assessments will help the state create tangible solutions to
effectively assess the basic skills of incoming students."
Current efforts of CCCCO to address LAO recommendations :
Committee staff understands that, following the LAO
recommendation, the CCCCO created a working group to look into
establishing a statewide assessment test that could be used by
all CCCs.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
AB 1008
Page 3
Analysis Prepared by : Laura Metune / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960