BILL ANALYSIS
------------------------------------------------------------
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2446|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
------------------------------------------------------------
THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2446
Author: Furutani (D)
Amended: 8/2/10 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 5-1, 6/30/10
AYES: Huff, Alquist, Emmerson, Hancock, Liu
NOES: Romero
NO VOTE RECORDED: Price, Simitian, Wyland
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 76-0, 6/2/10 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Graduation requirements
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill adds, commencing with the 2011-12
school year, career technical education, 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.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires the governing board of a
school district that maintains at least one high school to
prescribe courses of study designed to provide pupils with
the skills and knowledge required for adult life, including
a course of study designed to prepare prospective pupils
for admission to state colleges and universities and a
course of study for career technical training.
CONTINUED
AB 2446
Page
2
In order to gradate high school, current law requires all
pupils to (1) pass both the English language arts and
mathematics portion of the California High School Exit Exam
(CAHSEE), (2) complete the 13-year long courses listed
below, and (3) complete other coursework requirement
adopted by the governing board of the school district.
The following is a list of the 13-yeaer long courses
required for graduation:
1.Three courses in English.
2.Two courses in mathematics.
3.Two courses of science, including biological and physical
science.
4.Three courses in social studies, including: United
States history and geography, one semester of American
government, and one semester of economics.
5.One course in visual or performing arts or foreign
language.
6.Two courses in physical education, unless exempt by law.
High school students interested in matriculating to a
California public university upon graduation must complete
the minimum coursework for high school graduation and
satisfy the subject area requirements established by the
California State University (CSU) and the University of
California (UC) for undergraduate admission. The following
pattern of coursework is commonly referred to as the "a-g"
requirements:
A. Two year of history/social science.
B. Four years of college preparatory English or language
instruction.
C. Three years of college preparatory mathematics (four
years
recommended).
D. Two years of laboratory science (three years
recommended)
E. Two years of a foreign language (three years
AB 2446
Page
3
recommended)
F. One year of visual and performing arts.
G. One year of college preparatory electives.
Existing law requires each school district maintaining any
grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer courses of study that
(1) fulfill the requirements and prerequisites for
admission to California public institutions of
postsecondary education and (2) provide an opportunity for
pupils to attain entry-level employment skills in business
or industry. School districts may fulfill their
responsibility pursuant to number (2) by adopting a
required curriculum that meets or exceeds the model
standards of career technical education adopted by the
State Board of Education.
This bill:
1.Adds, commencing with the 2011-12 year, a course in
career technical education as an option to the existing
graduation requirement that pupils complete one course in
visual or performing arts or foreign language.
2.Defines a course in career technical education to mean a
course in a district-operated career technical education
program that is aligned to the career technical model
curriculum standards and framework adopted by the State
Board of Education, including courses through a regional
occupational program or center operated by a county
superintendent of schools or pursuant to a joint powers
agreement.
3.Specifies that a school or school district that does not
currently offer career technical education courses is not
required to start a new career technical education
program for purposes of this bill.
(PLEASE SEE SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE'S ANALYSIS FOR A
COMPLETE DISCUSSION ON THE BACKGROUND OF CAREER TECHNICAL
EDUCATION AND THE IMPLICATIONS THAT COULD ARISE FROM THIS
BILL.)
Prior/Related Legislation
AB 2446
Page
4
SB 381 (Wright), 2009-10 Session, prohibits school
districts from adopting the a-g requirements for high
school graduation unless they also require students to
complete career technical education courses, as specified,
in order to receive a high school diploma. Passed the
Senate with a vote of 32-2 on May 21, 2009. (Held under
submission in Assembly Appropriations Committee)
SB 147 (De Saulnier), Chapter 168, Statutes of 2009,
requires the CSU Trustees to develop, by January 1, 2014, a
process by which students could satisfy the general
elective course requirements by completing a career
technical education course that meets specified criteria.
Passed the Senate with a vote of 40-0 on September 8, 2009.
AB 554 (Furutani), 2009-10 Session, adds one course to the
existing high school graduation requirements and includes
career technical education as an option to fill this
additional requirement. (Held under submission in Assembly
Appropriations Committee)
AB 2648 (Bass), Chapter 681, Statutes of 2008, required the
Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop, in
conjunction with specified individuals, a report that
explores the feasibility of expanding and establishing
career multiple pathway programs. The SPI released this
report on May 12, 2010. Passed the Senate with a vote of
26-9 on August 20, 2008.
SB 672 (Torlakson), 2007-08 Session, required high schools
participating in the California Enhanced Instructional Time
Program pursuant to SB 681 (Torlakson), 2007-08 Session, to
adopt a graduation policy requiring pupils to complete two
career technical education courses. SB 672 passed the
Senate with a vote of 33-2 on June 7, 2008. SB 681 passed
the Senate with a vote of 30-10 on June 7, 2008. (Both
bills were held in the Assembly Education Committee)
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee
analysis, this bill creates General Fund/Proposition 98
cost pressure, likely between $800,000 and $1.5 million to
AB 2446
Page
5
school districts to provide increased career technical
education course offerings to high school pupils. This
cost assumes an increase between three percent and five
percent in career technical education course enrollment.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/31/10)
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 Industrial and Technology Education Association
California Farm Bureau Federation
California Federation of Teachers
California Manufacturers & Technology Association
California Parent Teachers Association
California Teachers Association
California Space Authority
California Small Business Association
Construction Industry Legislative Council
Engineering & Utility Contractors Association
Junior Leagues of California
Metropolitan Education District
San Bernardino County District Advocates for Better Schools
School Innovations & Advocacy
Small School Districts' Association
State Building and Construction Trades Council
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/31/10))
California Alliance for Arts Education
Public Policy Advocates
California Language Teachers Association
UC Consortium for Language Learning & Teaching
California Association for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation & Dance
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : Proponents of this bill note that
providing students with the option to satisfy a graduation
requirement by taking a career technical education course
may strengthen student engagement and will enable students
AB 2446
Page
6
to explore and develop technical skills to prepare for
college and the workforce.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : Opponents are concerned that
this bill creates a potential disincentive for students to
take college preparatory classes because it essentially
reduces the number of core academic subjects a student
would need to take in order to earn a high school diploma.
Opponents argue that this bill sets high school graduation
requirements even further form UC and CSU a-g eligibility
requirements. Providing students the option to take a
career technical education class in lieu of a core academic
class does nothing to close the achievement gap and may
ultimately reduce access to visual and performing arts
classes.
Opponents further note that because the career technical
education population disproportionately consists of
limited-English proficient students, students with
disabilities, minorities, and high-poverty students, this
bill could further narrow opportunities for these students
to take rigorous academic coursework and could perpetuate
policies that enable students who are failing academically
to graduate by taking low-level courses that may strengthen
their academic proficiency. Further, opponents believe
than an argument could be made that this significant change
in policy could allow students to leave high school without
having taken any arts or foreign language courses.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter,
Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon,
DeVore, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuentes, Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gilmore, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill,
Huber, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Logue, Bonnie
Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande,
Niello, Nielsen, Norby, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino,
Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio,
Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran, Villines,
AB 2446
Page
7
Yamada, John A. Perez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Tom Berryhill, Lieu, Audra Strickland,
Vacancy
CPM:cm 8/31/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****