BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
2211 (Fuentes)
Hearing Date: 08/12/2010 Amended: 07/15/2010
Consultant: Dan Troy Policy Vote: ED 7-0
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 2211, an urgency measure, would require the
Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop principles and
guidelines for the establishment of work-based learning programs
and authorize school districts to provide these programs, as
specified.
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Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Fund
Guidelines Minor costs for technical
assistance General
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STAFF COMMENTS: SUSPENSE FILE. AS PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED.
Current law authorizes school districts maintaining a high
school to establish "work experience education" programs to
provide students with instruction in skills, attitudes, and
understandings necessary for success in the workplace, including
guidance and supervision, arranging credit for work experience
education courses, and authorizing the district to purchase
liability insurance for students enrolled in programs of study
involving work experience or vocational education at locations
off school grounds.
Current law also authorizes several avenues to provide career
technical education (CTE), such as Regional Occupational Centers
and Programs and Partnership Academies for the purpose of
integrating academic and vocational education and motivating
students to stay in school and graduate with the skills
necessary to advance into postsecondary education, advanced
workforce training, or the workforce.
This bill would define work-based learning as an educational
approach or instructional methodology that uses the workplace or
real work to provide pupils with knowledge and skills that will
help them connect school experiences to real-life work
activities and future career opportunities. These programs
could be delivered by partnership academies, regional
occupational programs, and other educational programs and may
include but are not limited to work experience education,
community classrooms, cooperative career technical education
programs, and job shadowing. The bill would require districts
that offer work-based learning to provide the same statutory and
regulatory safeguards as pupils in work experience programs.
Districts would also be authorized to purchase liability
insurance for participating pupils.
Further, the bill would require the Superintendent of Public
Instruction to develop principles and guidelines, in conjunction
with stakeholders, for the establishment of work-based learning
and require consideration of existing guidelines or regulations
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AB 2211 (Fuentes)
relative to work-based learning or work experience programs
including the most current academic and CTE standards.
By requiring the SPI to develop guidelines and principles to
implement work-based learning, this bill would result in
workload at the Department of Education of approximately
$150,000 to $200,000. The bill authorizes the Department to use
existing federal or state funds for these purposes, though it
appears that no such funds are available. The bill further
authorizes the Department to apply for and receive grants,
donations, and other forms of public and private resources to
complete the task.
A similar bill, AB 323 (Fuentes, 2009), was vetoed by the
Governor, whose veto message cited concerns that students would
be placed in work opportunities that did not have significant
academic content.
Author's proposed amendments would:
Eliminate the requirement for the SPI to develop
guideline and principles.
Authorize local businesses to develop guidelines with
local education agencies and/or community college
districts.
Make technical changes.