BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 253|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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CONSENT
Bill No: SB 253
Author: Wyland (R)
Amended: 4/29/09
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-0, 4/22/09
AYES: Romero, Huff, Hancock, Liu, Maldonado, Simitian,
Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Alquist, Padilla
SUBJECT : Career technical education: recognition
certificates
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill establishes a career technical
education certificate and authorizes school districts to
award the certificates to pupils who meet specified
requirements.
ANALYSIS : Existing law establishes various career
technical education (CTE) programs for public schools
including but not limited to regional occupational centers
and programs (ROC/Ps), partnership academies, adult
education programs, and career technical education programs
in high schools and community colleges. The State Board of
Education (SBE) adopted model curriculum standards for CTE
in May 2005 and adopted the curriculum frameworks for those
standards in January 2007. The standards are organized in
15 industry sectors and identify the academic and technical
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requirements for different career pathways within each
sector.
Existing law requires any business, trade or professional
association, union, or state or local governmental agency
that operates, under the auspices of the local school
district, a career preparatory program to award program
completers a certificate of completion that supplements a
high school diploma. Existing law requires each school
district maintaining any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to
offer to all otherwise qualified pupils 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 upon graduation from high school. Current law
permits districts to fulfill their responsibility, pursuant
to number 2) by adopting a required curriculum that meets
or exceeds the model standards CTE adopted by the State
Board of Education. Existing law requires each person
between the ages of 6 and 18, unless otherwise exempted, to
be subject to compulsory full-time education.
This bill:
1.Authorizes school districts to award career technical
education certificates to pupils who:
A. Satisfactorily complete four semester-long CTE
courses.
B. Satisfactorily participate in a structured
work-based learning experience related to the CTE
courses. To the extent possible, the courses shall be
within the same industry sector as identified in the
California Career Technical Education Model Curriculum
standards adopted by the state board.
C. Satisfactorily completed a culminating project
related to the CTE courses.
2.Prohibits the CTE certificate from being construed as
equivalent to the award of a high school diploma or as a
change to the compulsory education laws or requirements
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for districts to offer courses of study that prepare
students for postsecondary education and employment.
According to the author's office, several states have
specialized high school endorsements that are awarded to
students who complete additional coursework or complete
differentiated coursework in certain subject areas,
complete a series of units in a technical field, or obtain
technical certification before the end of high school. By
enabling students to earn a supplemental certificate to
their high school diploma, this bill could encourage more
students to take CTE classes while in high school.
Prior Legislation
AB 2448 (Hancock), Chapter 527, Statutes of 2006, requires
at least 90 percent of ROC/P courses are part of an
occupational course sequence that targets comprehensive
skills.
Related Legislation
SB 515 (Hancock), requires that at least half of sequenced
CTE courses met are linked to regional or state high
priority workforce needs.
SB 381 (Wright), requires districts adopting a college
preparation curriculum for high school graduation require
students to also complete CTE courses in order to earn the
high school diploma.
SB 725 (Hancock), authorizes ROC/Ps to offer apprenticeship
preparation programs.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
DLW:nl 4/29/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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