BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 381|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 381
Author: Wright (D) and Wyland (R)
Amended: 5/4/09
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 6-3, 4/22/09
AYES: Huff, Hancock, Liu, Maldonado, Padilla, Wyland
NOES: Romero, Alquist, Simitian
SUBJECT : High school instruction: course of study
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires governing boards of districts
maintaining a high school to prescribe courses of study
that provide every pupil with the opportunity to be
prepared to enter the world of work with the skills and
knowledge required for remunerative employment. This bill
also prohibits a school district from adopting a graduation
requirement that requires the completion of additional
coursework to meet or exceed the requirements and
prerequisites for admission to a four-year California
public university unless the district also adopts an
optional graduation requirement that requires the
completion of an equal amount of coursework to attain
entry-level employment skills in business or industry upon
graduation from high school.
Senate Floor Amendments of 5/4/09 changes the bill's
language to prescribe optional graduation requirements
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instead of additional requirements. Specifically, they (1)
prohibit a school district from adopting graduation
requirements that require students to complete courses that
meet or exceed admission requirements to the University of
California or the California State University unless it
also adopts optional graduation requirements that includes
an equal number of career technical education (CTE)
courses, and (2) require the optional graduation
requirements to include a sequence of at least three career
technical education courses that are aligned to the CTE
curriculum standards adopted by the State Board of
Education.
ANALYSIS : Existing law prescribes the course of study a
pupil is required to complete while in grades 9 to 12,
inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation.
Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school
district to adopt rules specifying additional coursework
requirements.
Existing law requires school districts that maintain one or
more high schools to prescribe courses designed to provide
students with the skills and knowledge required for adult
life.
This bill:
1. Amends current law requiring districts to provide
students with skills and knowledge required for adult
life to instead require districts to provide every pupil
with the opportunity to be prepared to enter the world
of work with sufficient marketable skills and knowledge
for legitimate remunerative employment, as specified.
2. Prohibits a school district from adopting graduation
requirements that meet or exceed the requirements and
prerequisites for admission to a four-year California
public university unless the district also adopts
optional graduation requirements that require the
completion of an equal amount of coursework to attain
entry-level employment in business or industry upon
graduation from high school.
3. Requires the optional graduation requirements to include
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a sequence of at least three CTE courses that are
aligned to the CTE curriculum standards adopted by the
State Board of Education.
Prior and related legislation . Several measures aimed at
increasing the availability of CTE classes have been before
the Legislature. SB 1543 (Alarcon), Chapter 669, Statutes
of 2006, required the California State University (CSU) and
requested the University of California (UC) to adopt
standards for CTE classes to satisfy the general elective
requirement (UC and CSU satisfied this requirement in
spring 2008); SB 672 (Torlakson), 2007-08 Session, would
have added two CTE courses to state graduation
requirements; AB 1586 (DeSaulnier), 2007-08 Session, which
would have required the CSU and requested the UC to accept
any CTE class that meets the curriculum standards adopted
by the SBE was heard in the Senate Education Committee and
failed passage; and SB 147 (DeSaulnier), 2009-10 Session,
which was amended to require the CSU and urge the UC to
determine which CTE courses satisfy the completion of a
general elective course requirement for purposes of
university admission -- (the bill is in the Senate
Appropriations Committee). Finally, AB 554 (Furutani)
authorizes pupils to substitute CTE courses for the
physical education and visual and performing arts/foreign
language classes in state graduation requirements -- (the
bill is in the Assembly Education Committee).
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/13/09)
California Business Education Association
California Manufacturers and Technology Association
California Space Authority
California Agricultural Teachers Association
California Association of Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning
Contractors
National Association
California Automotive Business Coalition
California Industrial and Technology Education Association
California Labor Federation
California State Building and Construction Trades Council
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OPPOSITION : (Verified 5/15/09)
Alliance for a Better Community
Association of California School Administrators
Boyle Heights Training Collaborative
Californians for Justice
Central American Resource Center
Centro Latino for Literacy
Community Coalition
Education Consortium of San Diego County
Families in Schools
Hispanas Organized for Political Equality
Latino Issues Forum
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles Small Schools Center
Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Parent Institute for Quality Education
Public Advocates
Urban Education Partnership
The Applied Research Center
Youth Together
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
the intent of this bill is to require districts to maintain
curricular balance between courses that prepare students
for the California State University and University of
California and courses that prepare students for employment
after high school.
In support of this bill, the California Space Authority
states: "It is estimated that up to 50 percent of the
existing technical workforce will retire from the space
enterprise community within the next 5 to 10 years.
Industry leaders have long since expressed their concerns
about how to replace these dedicated and experienced
workers. Unfortunately, California's educational system
has not produced the number of skilled and technical
workers our industry will require. Certainly this will
have a major negative impact on California's economy, but
it is also a matter of national security. To maintain our
state's leadership in the global space marketplace, we must
have the skilled technicians necessary to build what our
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engineering force has designed. Without a skilled
technician workforce, international competition will
surpass us. California has been at the forefront of space
enterprise since the Space Age began a half-century ago.
California space enterprise affects approximately 370,000
jobs in this state and represents 40% of the $71 billion US
space market and a whopping 21% of the $146 billion global
space market. It's also important to recognize that
skilled technicians in the space industry are highly paid
and respected, contributing members of their communities.
If California is to maintain and grow its technologically
educated workforce, its leaders must pursue an aggressive
expansion of its CTE course offerings. There must be
renewed focus and respect given to meaningful, real-world,
experiential programs. Such programs have been shown to
motivate young people in finding their own potential.
Reinvigorating CTE programs in our high schools and
ensuring they are a balance part of the high school day is
essential to keep California on the cutting edge."
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : The Association of California
School Administrators (ACSA) states they "strongly support
career technical education." However, they oppose a
mandate that requires school districts to offer these
programs. They state: "Some school districts will be able
to accommodate the coursework outlined in SB 381 while
others will not. The lack of facilities, equipment,
credentialed teachers or administrators, lack of funding,
standards, and time requirements all impact the ability or
inability of a school district in meeting the challenges
outlined in your bill." In their letter, ACSA compliments
the author on his efforts to promote career technical
education in our high schools. "We believe that career
technical training is vitally important to our state's
economy and society, providing economic opportunity to tens
of thousands of students throughout California. However,
SB 381 provides many obstacles and ignores any local
control or community demands for the types of courses to be
offered by a high school."
DLW:mw 5/15/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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