BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2211
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 21, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2211 (Fuentes) - As Amended: April 13, 2010
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:8-0
Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes school districts to deliver work-based
learning through partnership academies (PA), regional
occupational center programs (ROC/Ps), and other career
technical education (CTE) programs, as specified. Specifically,
this bill:
1)Defines work-based learning as an educational approach or
instructional methodology that uses the workplace to provide
pupils with the knowledge and skills that will help them
connect school experiences to real-life work activities and
future career opportunities.
2)Provides, when feasible, work-based learning to be an integral
part of a more comprehensive pathway program that integrates
challenging academic courses and demanding CTE.
3)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), in
conjunction with various stakeholders, to develop principals
and guidelines for the establishment of work-based learning
programs.
4)Requires the SPI to consider existing guidelines or
regulations for PA programs, ROC/Ps, and other CTE programs
and the most current academic and CTE content standards
adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE), as specified.
5)Authorizes the SPI, if federal or state funds are not
available, to apply for and accept grants and receive
donations form public or private sources to complete the
principals and guidelines.
AB 2211
Page 2
FISCAL EFFECT
GF administrative costs, likely between $125,000 and $200,000,
to the SPI to develop principals and guidelines for the
establishment of work-based learning programs. This measure
authorizes the SPI to use grant funding or public donations to
complete the principals and guidelines, as specified.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to the State Department of Education
(SDE), Work Experience Education (WEE) is a course of study
that may be established by the governing board of any LEA 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. A pupil's
success in a WEE program 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.
This bill emphasizes the WEE program in specific CTE programs
(i.e., PAs and ROC/Ps).
According to the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of
this bill, "Students at all achievement levels deserve access
to rigorous and engaging learning environments. We must
educate a more highly-trained, flexible workforce with skill
sets that allows them to transition to different careers
throughout their working lives. They must also be able to
apply their knowledge in ways that allows them to collaborate
with other people and utilize new technology. Work-based
learning is a critical factor in this movement, providing
students with real-world professional experiences that
reinforces and is relevant to the classroom curriculum."
2)Existing law authorizes the establishment of ROC/Ps and PA
programs that combine CTE program aspects with academic
coursework. PA programs are three-year programs, grades
10-12, structured as a school-within-a-school. Emphasis is
placed on student achievement and positive post secondary
outcomes, as well as the integration of a standards-based
academic and CTE curriculum. According to SDE, there are 482
AB 2211
Page 3
PA programs operating in the state.
ROC/Ps provide high school students 16 years of age and older,
and also adult students, with valuable CTE so students can:
(a) enter the workforce with skills and competencies to be
successful; (b) pursue advanced training in higher educational
institutions; and/or (c) upgrade existing skills and
knowledge. According to the latest data available to SDE,
there are 74 ROC/Ps in the state serving approximately 460,000
students in secondary schools. ROCP/Ps are part of the budget
flexibility enacted in February 2009, which allows school
districts that received funding for this purpose to now
utilize it for any educational purpose. As a result, ROC/Ps
are not required to report data to SDE.
In January 2007, the SBE adopted the CTE Standards and
Framework to guide CTE curriculum discussions for grades 7-12
pupils with learning goals in 58 career pathways organized
around 15 industry sectors. The CTE Framework is "is the
blueprint for educators to implement the CTE model curriculum
standards adopted by the SBE. It provides context for the
content laid out in the standards, discusses best practices,
and explores important issues in implementation."
3)Previous legislation . AB 332 (Fuentes), similar to this
measure, was vetoed in August 2009, with the following
message:
"I am returning Assembly Bill 332 without my signature. While
I am very supportive of the intent of this bill of providing
students with opportunities to receive rigorous and relevant
career technical education linked to real world experiences, I
am concerned that this bill lacks sufficient protections to
ensure that students are not solely enrolled in job
opportunities that are not combined with sufficient academic
coursework.
However, I am directing my Administration to work with the
author so that I can consider a measure that is more tightly
crafted and would accomplish the goal of promoting a balanced
approach towards work-based learning."
This bill addresses the governor's veto message by requiring
the SPI to consider the most current academic and CTE content
standards adopted by the SBE in the context of work-based
learning programs. The SPI's work will ensure that work-based
AB 2211
Page 4
learning programs include sufficient academic coursework.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081