BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2083
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Date of Hearing: May 5, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2083 (Committee on Education) - As Amended: April 15, 2010
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:8-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) and the State Board of Education (SBE) to use the
closest approximation of graduation rate data (calculated for
each of the previous three years) to determine high schools on
the persistently low achieving schools (PLAS) list, pursuant
to the federal Race to the Top (RATT) program, as specified.
FISCAL EFFECT
Minor absorbable GF administrative costs to SDE to calculate the
number of high schools on the PLAS list using the methodology
authorized in this measure.
COMMENTS
1)Background . In February 2009, the federal government passed
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which
allocated approximately $100 billion nationwide for education
programs. RATT is a competitive grant program established by
ARRA that makes $4.35 billion available to states "to
encourage and reward those that are creating the conditions
for education innovation and reform; achieving significant
improvement in student outcomes, closing achievement gaps,
improving high school graduation rates, and ensuring student
preparation for success in college and careers."
The federal RATT program requires states to submit a plan
articulating the state's reform strategies in four core
education reform areas, including turning around the state's
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lowest performing schools. SB 1 X5 (Steinberg), Chapter 2,
Statutes of 2009-10, Fifth Extraordinary Session, requires the
SPI and the SBE to establish a list of the lowest performing
five percent of schools in the state (i.e., PLAS). Statute
requires the SPI and SBE to identify various types of schools
in calculating this list (i.e., federal Title I schools,
schools in federal program improvement, etc.), including any
high school that has a graduation rate less than 60% in the
previous three years. Once this list is established, a local
education agency (LEA) is required to implement one of four
reform models to "turn around" the PLAS.
In the last two months, the State Department of Education
(SDE) has informed legislative staff that statutory language
requiring the inclusion of high schools with a graduation rate
less than 60% in the previous three years on the PLAS list is
unworkable because data is not available to make this this
calculation. Specifically, SDE has informed staff that
current statute would lead to zero high schools identified as
PLAS.
This bill requires the SPI and SBE to use the closest
approximation of graduation rate data (calculated for each of
the previous three years) to determine high schools on the
persistently low performing schools (PLAS) list.
2)State Department of Education (SDE) and PLAS list . In March
2010, SDE released a list of PLAS for purposes of the federal
School Improvement Grant (SIG) program. The federal SIG
program is a grant program under the federal Title I program,
which provides funds to poor and needy pupils. Under the SIG
program LEAs receive funding (up to $2 million per school) to
address the needs of schools in improvement, corrective
action, and restructuring under the federal Title I program
with the goal of improving student achievement. Grant funds
are used to leverage change and improve technical assistance
through LEAs targeting activities towards measurable student
outcomes.
In order for the state to apply for federal SIG funds, it is
required to identify the state's lowest five percent of
schools (i.e., PLAS). SDE developed a methodology for
identification and the SBE approved this methodology and the
resulting list on March 11, 2010. There are 188 schools
identified as persistently low performing. LEAs with schools
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on this list under their jurisdiction are now eligible to
apply to SDE for federal SIG grant funds, once the state is
approved by the federal government for its application.
SB 1 X5 (Steinberg) required the SPI and the SBE to identify
the lowest performing five percent of schools in the state
(i.e., PLAS) for the purposes of the federal RATT program.
Statute also delineates a methodology for identification of
these schools. SDE did not utilize the methodology codified
in SB 1 X5 (Steinberg) in developing the list of PLAS for the
purposes of the federal SIG program.
This bill makes changes to the statutory PLAS methodology as
it relates to the inclusion of high schools with a graduation
rate of less than 60%, as enacted by SB 1 X5 (Steinberg),
Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009-10, Fifth Extraordinary Session.
3)RATT update . California submitted its RATT application to the
federal government on January 17, 2010. On March 4, 2010, the
state was informed that it did not make it to the next level
of review required to receive a grant award. As a result,
California did not receive a RATT first round ground award and
is eligible for a second round grant award up to $700 million.
The second round RATT application is due June 1, 2010.
On March 29, 2010, the U.S. Department of Education released
the review scores of all first round applications. California
ranked 27th out of 41 states that applied.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081