BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2172
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   April 28, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

                    AB 2172 (Carter) - As Amended:  April 5, 2010 

          Policy Committee:                              EducationVote:5-2

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction  
          (SPI) to convene an advisory board composed of leaders from  
          education, business, labor, civic organizations, and the  
          community to review the recommendations of the multiple pathways  
          report required by AB 2648 (Bass), Chapter 681, Statutes of  
          2008, and advise the SPI on the implementation issues.   
           
           FISCAL EFFECT  

          GF administrative costs, likely between $125,000 and $150,000,  
          to complete the requirements of this bill.  

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  .  AB 2648 (Bass), Chapter 681, Statutes of 2008,  
            defined "multiple pathway" programs as multi-year,  
            comprehensive high school programs of integrated academic and  
            technical study organized around a broad theme, interest area,  
            or industry sector. This program ensures that all pupils have  
            curriculum choices to prepare them for career entry and a full  
            range of postsecondary options, including two and four-year  
            colleges, apprenticeship, and formal employment training, 

            Chapter 681 also required the SPI to develop a report that  
            explores the feasibility of establishing and expanding  
            multiple pathway programs in high schools, including the costs  
            and merits associated with expansion of these programs. On  
            January 5, 2010, the SPI released a draft of this report. The  
            public has until January 15, 2010 to provide formal comments  
            to the SPI on the draft report. The final report is expected  
            in the spring of 2010.  This measure, sponsored by the SPI and  








                                                                  AB 2172
                                                                  Page  2

            the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, is a vehicle to implement  
            final report recommendations.   

           2)Spot bill  .  Currently, the SPI has the authority to establish  
            an advisory committee on any subject or issue.  The committee  
            understands this bill is a placeholder to implement  
            recommendations of the multiple pathway report required by  
            Chapter 681 that is expected to be released in the coming  
            months.  

            The committee may wish to consider whether it is appropriate  
            to pass a spot bill that may have significant fiscal and  
            policy implications regarding the education of high school  
            pupils.      

           3)Related legislation .  

             a)   AB 2445 (Furutani), pending in this committee, requires  
               the SPI, by December 31 of each year, to report to the  
               Legislature on the status of the advisory board established  
               pursuant to this measure, as specified.  

             b)   AB 1223 (Block), pending in the Senate, encourages the  
               Commission on Teacher Credentialing  to convene a workgroup  
               to develop program standards to recognize linked learning  
               competence for holders of a single subject teaching  
               credential.   Proponents of multiple pathway programs have  
               developed a new term, "linked learning," to refer to these  
               programs. 


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081