BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2446
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 7, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
AB 2446 (Furutani) - As Amended: March 24, 2010
SUBJECT : Graduation requirements
SUMMARY : Adds career technical education (CTE), as defined, as
an option for pupils to fulfill the existing high school
graduation requirement to complete a course in visual or
performing arts or foreign language. Specifically, this bill :
Defines "a course in career technical education" as a course in
a district-operated career technical education program.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the following minimum high school graduation
requirements for pupils in grades 9-12, inclusive:
a) Three years of English;
b) Two years of math;
c) Two years of science;
d) Three years of social studies, including United States
history and geography; world history, culture and
geography; and a one-semester course in American government
and civics and a one-semester course in economics;
e) One course in visual or performing arts (VPA) or foreign
language;
f) Two courses in physical education; and,
g) Other coursework that the governing board of the school
district may specify.
2)Specifies that governing boards, with the active involvement
of parents, administrators, teachers, and pupils, shall adopt
alternative means for pupils to complete the prescribed course
of study which may include practical demonstration of skills
and competencies, supervised work experience or other outside
school experience, CTE classes, courses offered by regional
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occupational centers or programs (ROCPs), interdisciplinary
study, independent study, and credit earned at a postsecondary
institution.
3)Requires that specified alternative modes for completing the
prescribed course of study shall be made available to pupils,
parents, and the public.
4)Requires districts maintaining any of grades 7-12, inclusive,
to offer to all otherwise qualified pupils in those grade
levels a course of study that fulfills the requirements and
prerequisites for admission to California's public
institutions of postsecondary education.
5)Requires districts maintaining any of grades 7-12, inclusive
to offer to all otherwise qualified pupils a course of study
that provides an opportunity for pupils to attain entry-level
employment skills in business or industry upon graduation from
high school.
6)Requires, commencing with the 2003-04 school year and each
year thereafter, at least one course, or a combination of the
two courses, in mathematics required to be completed by pupils
while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, prior to receiving a
diploma of graduation from high school, meet or exceed the
rigor of the content standards for Algebra I, as adopted by
the SBE.
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill is keyed non-fiscal, however, the
Assembly Appropriations Committee has requested this bill be
referred to them. If this bill is passed by the Assembly
Education Committee, it will be referred to the Committee on
Appropriations to consider the fiscal implications.
COMMENTS : The existing minimum high school graduation
requirements include one course in either VPA or foreign
language. This bill adds CTE to this category as a course
option to meet the minimum graduation requirements in lieu of
taking a course in either VPA or foreign language. This bill
provides more options for pupils to complete the minimum high
school graduation requirements. On the other hand, this is a
significant change that raises arguments over whether the
approach taken by this bill squeezes out courses in the
curriculum that some would argue should be expanded rather than
diminished. This is particularly relevant in light of the
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growing concern over the narrowing of the curriculum in schools
and the reductions of course offerings in arts and foreign
language. Additionally, this change may have an effect on
postsecondary admission eligibility for pupils that exercise
this option, thereby resurfacing the "either/or" debate that has
often dominated the discourse over CTE.
A bill approved by this Committee last year, AB 554 (Furutani),
as amended in this Committee, strengthened all three subjects
within the high school minimum graduation requirements. This
bill is inconsistent with the previously approved bill.
Core academic subjects : This bill appears to be based on the
premise that foreign language and VPA are non-core courses, and
therefore, proponents of this measure would argue that this bill
would add one more subject to the list of what are often viewed
as elective courses. However, the federal No Child Left Behind
Act (NCLB) defines "core academic subjects" to mean English,
reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign
languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and
geography. Supporters of foreign language and VPA argue that
these two subjects are core subject areas and thus should not be
diluted as a requirement for graduation. Considering that VPA
and foreign language are core content areas under NCLB, it is
not clear as to why the author is taking the approach of
allowing CTE to replace one of these core-content courses and is
not proposing to replace any of the other existing core and
non-core content areas. The other graduation requirements
include, English, math, science, social studies, history, civics
and government and physical education; all of which are core
subject areas except physical education.
The author provides the following as rationale for allowing CTE
to replace a course in VPA or foreign language: "The most
appropriate location to include the CTE option is the category
of foreign language and visual and performing arts category
because these are all technical skill courses that provide
direct tangible career skills." Additionally, the author
states, "California's ability to maintain a competitive edge in
the global economy requires a public education system that is
capable of producing a skilled and competent workforce. CTE
courses enhance the connection between high school course work
and its real-world applications, as do the arts and foreign
languages. There is a need to increase student access to these
courses if the student finds it an engaging option."
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This bill, however, does not increase access to these courses.
Some would argue that all three subjects should be part of the
graduation requirements, instead of making students choose one
over the other. In fact, this bill points to a much broader
policy concern regarding the funding levels in education and the
precedent this bill could set. Rather than ensure pupils have
access to a well-rounded education, this bill allows them to
replace core subjects with non-core subjects, in what some would
argue is an attempt to accommodate the insufficiency of
education resources. This Committee may wish to consider
whether this is the appropriate policy approach that should be
taken.
The SBE has adopted content standards in both VPA and foreign
language and it can be argued that each one of these subjects
plays a role in providing pupils a complete and well-rounded
education that keeps students engaged and motivated to stay in
school. These two subject areas provide very valuable skills
and knowledge that can help pupils be successful in the global
economy.
Foreign language : The benefits and importance of foreign
language study has been widely documented. The Committee for
Economic Development (CED), an independent research and policy
organization of business leaders and educators, released a
report in 2006 titled, Education for Global Leadership: The
importance of International Studies and Foreign Language
Education for U.S. Economic and National Security. The report
points out, "To confront the twenty-first century challenges to
our economy and national security, our education system must be
strengthened to increase the foreign language skills and
cultural awareness of our students. America's continued global
leadership will depend on our students' abilities to interact
with the world economy." The CED report further suggests, "The
need for foreign language skills is even more acute for our
national security. The FBI and other federal government
agencies lack sufficient linguists to translate intelligence
information in critical languages in a timely manner.
Furthermore our diplomatic efforts have been hampered by a lack
of cultural awareness." CED recommends to integrate
international content into the state's K-12 curriculum standards
and assessment criteria and to require high school students to
achieve proficiency in at least one language in addition to
their primary language.
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Similarly, the California Master Plan for Education of 2002
recommends all schools to establish a foundation for students'
future mastery of a second language, by the end of elementary
school, and attainment of oral proficiency and literacy in both
English and at least one other language, by the end of secondary
school. The Master Plan states, "education must prepare
Californians for participation in the international community.
Ours is the nation's most linguistically rich state. At a time
when global knowledge, skill, and understanding are at a
premium, California's multi-lingualism is an asset that should
be developed to a much greater extent. We must recognize our
state's widespread multiculturalism and bilingualism and embrace
them as 21st century educational and social resources."
The State Board of Education (SBE) has adopted draft foreign
language content standards, now known as "world languages." The
draft World Language Content Standards for California Public
Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve world language
content standards represent the knowledge, skills and abilities
that students should acquire during thirteen years in California
public schools. The draft document states, "In order to succeed
in the 21st century, today's students need to develop linguistic
and cultural literacy, including academic knowledge, proficiency
in English, and in several of the world's languages and
cultures." Recognizing the importance of cultural competence
and foreign language skills to compete successfully in the
global economy, some would argue that the existing high school
graduation requirements in the area of foreign language should
be strengthened and that foreign language learning should begin
earlier in a pupil's educational trajectory.
Visual or performing arts : Supporters of VPA education would
argue that arts courses enhance creativity and critical thinking
abilities, which are recognized as important skills for the
workplace. Like CTE, arts education has proven to be an
effective way to engage students in learning and in preventing
dropouts. A review of research through a survey, "Critical
Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social
Development," suggests that "education in the arts not only
fosters other specific skills but also improves students'
self-confidence and motivation to learn, particularly among poor
and other at risk students."
In 2001, the SBE adopted Visual and Performing Arts Content
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Standards for California Public Schools, Pre-kindergarten
through Grade Twelve. The standards include all four
disciplines of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts. The VPA
standards were developed as a result of Senate Bill 1390
(Murray), Chapter 432, Statutes of 2000. SB 1390 called for the
adoption of visual and performing arts content standards and
stated that instruction in VPA should be made available to all
students.
The VPA standards state, "The arts convey knowledge and meaning
not learned through the study of other subjects. Study in and
through the arts employs a form of thinking and a way of knowing
based on human judgment, invention, and imagination. Arts
education offers students the opportunity to envision, set
goals, determine a method to reach a goal and try it out,
identify alternatives, evaluate, revise, solve problems,
imagine, work collaboratively, and apply self-discipline. The
visual and performing arts are a vital part of a well-rounded
educational program for all students."
Reports have shown that arts education in secondary schools
suffers from limited availability. A recent report by SRI
International, An Unfinished Canvas, shows that 72% of high
schools fail to offer standards-aligned courses of study in all
four arts disciplines. Supporters of arts education have
suggested that exposure to arts education provides invaluable
preparation for the world of work. VPA address and develop
ways of thinking, questioning, expression and learning that
complement learning in other core subjects and develop skills
and abilities that are important for students entering into the
workforce after high school.
Career Technical Education : There is evidence that CTE has a
role in engaging students in academic learning and there is much
support in expanding opportunities that prepare pupils to make
choices for life after high school. The SBE adopted Career
Technical Education Model Standards in 2005 and the CTE
Framework for California Schools for grades seven to twelve in
2007. CTE course offerings range in method of delivery and
course content. CTE courses can be delivered by ROCPs,
partnership academies, agricultural programs, and tech-prep
programs and the courses offered vary in the degree of rigor and
alignment to the CTE standards, thus raising the question of
whether CTE courses are as rigorous as the high school
graduation required courses. There are a number of CTE courses
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that do meet and even exceed the rigor of high school graduation
courses and are approved and recognized to meet the A-G criteria
but not all CTE courses do. It is difficult to know how many of
the CTE courses in fact meet the CTE standards, as there is no
statewide mechanism in place to review and ensure that CTE
courses are aligned to the CTE standards. Districts that
receive funds from the Carl Perkins Career and Technical
Education Improvement Act are required to show in their Perkins
plan that course offerings are aligned to the CTE standards. It
should be noted that unlike the prior bill approved by this
Committee, this bill does not require the CTE courses to be
standards-aligned.
This bill limits the CTE courses that could count towards high
school graduation to those that are district-operated programs.
Programs such as county-operated ROCPs would not count towards
high school graduation. There are currently 42 county-operated
ROCPs, 6 single district ROCPs, and 26 joint powers agreement
(JPA) ROCPs.
Currently ROCP teachers do not have to meet the highly qualified
teacher requirements, unless that teacher teaches a core
subject. The CTE instructor must, however be properly
credentialed in their respective CTE discipline. The California
Department of Education (CDE) has established a policy regarding
the "highly qualified teacher" provisions of NCLB that states,
"in order to be considered highly qualified, a teacher must have
a four-year college degree and meet all other credentialing
requirements. If a CTE teacher does not have a four-year
college degree and his/or her class is an option for a core
course for graduation purposes, he/or she may not be meeting the
highly qualified teacher requirements." The guidance that CDE
has offered regarding alternative ways of meeting the core
subject graduation requirements, however does not address the
issue regarding CTE teachers who teach CTE courses that meet the
alternative graduation requirements but do not have a four-year
degree because California's CTE credentials do not require a
4-year college degree. It is uncertain that limiting the types
of CTE courses that would count towards high school graduation
to courses that are part of district-operated CTE programs would
addresses the issue of meeting the "highly qualified teacher"
requirements under NCLB.
Effect on UC/CSU admission eligibility : The Board of Admissions
and Relations with schools (BOARS) establishes the subject areas
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and pattern of courses required for minimum eligibility for
freshman admission to the University of California (UC). These
requirements are known as the A-G requirements, and the
California State University (CSU) system also accepts courses
certified by BOARS as minimum eligibility requirements. The A-G
requirements consist of 15 courses and three recommended courses
as follows:
----------------------------------------------
|History/Social Science - 2 years required |
|----------------------------------------------|
|English - 4 years required |
|----------------------------------------------|
|Mathematics - 3 years required, 4 years |
|recommended |
|----------------------------------------------|
|Laboratory Science - 2 years required, 3 |
|years recommended |
|----------------------------------------------|
|Language Other than English - 2 years |
|required, 3 years recommended |
|----------------------------------------------|
|Visual and Performing Arts - 1 year required |
|----------------------------------------------|
|College-Preparatory Electives - 1 year |
|required |
----------------------------------------------
Recognizing that this bill could result in high school students
graduating without taking a single course in foreign language,
or VPA, it must be noted that this could have an effect on a
pupil's eligibility for admission to UC and CSU because both of
these are courses required for minimum eligibility for freshman
admission to California's four-year public postsecondary
institutions.
It should be noted that under current law, districts are
required to adopt alternative means for pupils to complete the
prescribed course of study which may include practical
demonstration of skills and competencies, supervised work
experience or other outside school experience, CTE classes,
courses offered by ROC/Ps, interdisciplinary study, independent
study, and credit earned at a postsecondary institution.
Districts have the option of adopting alternatives for pupils to
complete high school graduation requirements.
Multiple pathways : A previously enacted measure, AB 2648 (Bass,
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Carter & Furutani), Chapter 681, Statutes of 2008, required the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to develop, in
conjunction with specified individuals, a report that explores
the feasibility of expanding and establishing career multiple
pathway programs. The "multiple pathways" approach is a
promising strategy that can deliver a rigorous and relevant
curriculum that includes core academics, applied learning and
CTE. The integration of career based themes and content across
all subject areas is a promising approach that would give
students the opportunity to access both core content and CTE
without having to choose one over the other. The report was due
to the Legislature by December 1, 2009, but it has not yet been
submitted to the Legislature.
The draft Multiple Pathways report notes, "Currently, the
requirements for high school graduation as defined in Education
Code fall well below the levels needed for success in ongoing
education and careers." It further suggests that many high
school graduates are embarking on the next stage of their lives
find that they have not gained the skills they need to qualify
for either postsecondary school education or family-wage career
paths. This Committee may wish to consider whether a more
comprehensive review and revision of the high school graduation
requirements may be desirable.
Arguments in support : The California Business Education
Association writes, "This proposal simply provides students
enrolled in California's high school with additional educational
and curricular options in selection meaningful and engaging
coursework that applies towards meeting high school graduation
requirements.
The California School Boards Association (CSBA) has a support if
amended position on this bill and writes, "While CSBA is a
supporter of career technical education and does support the
direction of this measure, we request one amendment in order to
ensure equal student access to quality coursework. As proposed,
the CTE course must be 'in a district operated CTE program'
which has the potential to limit student access to the CTE
courses as many districts provide CTE courses through regional
occupational centers and programs which are most often governed
and operated separately from a single district. Instead, CSBA
would like to propose amending the bill to tie the course to the
standards that have been adopted by the State Board of Education
in order to ensure the rigor of the course versus tying it to
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the 'whom' that offers the course."
Arguments in opposition : The California Language Teachers
Association writes, "AB 2446 would be detrimental to students
and the communities in which they aspire to work after
graduation. This bill, as written, would force students who are
not pursuing a college preparatory option to choose between
world language study and career and technical education study,
when in fact, significant data show that the two should not be
separated: world language study is a career skill and is
desperately needed in numerous job fields across our state."
The California Alliance for Arts Education writes, "AB 2446
would undermine access to arts education courses by allowing
students to substitute Career Technical Education courses for
current requirements in visual and performing arts or foreign
language. While we support efforts to create pathways to the
workforce for students, we believe this legislation unfairly
target arts education and prevents every student from gaining
access to the unique training skills that grow from quality arts
education."
Previous legislation : AB 554 (Furutani) adds one course to the
existing minimum high school graduation requirements and
includes career technical education (CTE) as an option to
fulfill this additional requirement. AB 554 was held in the
Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file.
AB 2648 (Bass, Carter & Furutani), Chapter 681, Statutes of
2008, requires the SPI to develop, in conjunction with specified
individuals, a report that explores the feasibility of expanding
and establishing career multiple pathway programs.
SB 672 (Torlakson) of 2008 requires high schools participating
in the California Enhanced Instructional Time Program, pursuant
to Senate Bill 681 (Torlakson) of 2008, to adopt a graduation
policy that requires pupils to complete two courses in CTE. SB
672 was held in the Assembly Education Committee.
AB 272 (Kuehl) of 1999 increases course requirements for the
receipt of a high school diploma to require one year-long course
in visual or performing arts and one year-long course in a
foreign language, commencing with the graduating class of the
2004-2005 school year. AB 272 was held in the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
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REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Association of California School Administrators
Automotive Service Councils of California
California Agricultural Teachers' Association
California Association of Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning
Contractors' National Association
California Automotive Business Coalition
California Business Education Association
California Federation of Teachers
California Industrial and Technology Education Association
California Manufacturers & Technology Association
California School Boards Association (If amended)
California Space Authority
California Teachers Association
Construction Industry Legislative Council
Small School Districts' Association
State Public Affairs Committee of the Junior Leagues of
California
Opposition
California Alliance for Arts Education
California Association for Health Physical Education, Recreation
and Dance
California Language Teachers Association
University of California Consortium Language Learning & Teaching
Individuals
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi?a / ED. / (916) 319-2087