BILL ANALYSIS
SB 520
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Date of Hearing: June 24, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
SB 520 (Pavley) - As Amended: June 3, 2009
SENATE VOTE : 24-13
SUBJECT : High school curriculum: community service
SUMMARY : Authorizes a school district to offer one credit
toward credits required for high school graduation for each 12
hours of community service outside of regular school hours
provided by a high school pupil, up to a maximum of five credits
per pupil per semester, and for a maximum of two semesters.
Specifically, this bill requires a school district that elects
to offer credit for community service:
1)To establish and maintain a list of suitable volunteer
organizations, excluding political and advocacy organizations,
from which a pupil may choose to complete the community
service hours.
2)To require a pupil to submit a report to a school
representative on the community service experience, and
requires the community service organization to verify the
hours served by the pupil.
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 a one-semester
course in American government and civics and a one-semester
course in economics;
e) One course in visual or performing arts or foreign
language;
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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
occupational centers or programs (ROC/Ps), 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, 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.
5)Requires passage of a high school exit examination for a pupil
to receive a high school diploma.
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill is keyed non-fiscal.
COMMENTS : This bill allows districts to award one credit
towards high school graduation for every 12 hours of community
service completed by a pupil, up to a maximum of five credits
per pupil per semester and for a maximum of two semesters.
The Education Code expressly grants broad legislative power to
school districts to take actions and implement programs as long
as those actions and programs are not in conflict with the
purposes for which the state's schools are established or with
specific prohibitions in code. Nothing in the Education Code
currently prohibits a school district from awarding pupils
credit for community service. In fact, some school districts
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already require a specified number of community service hours
for high school graduation or have programs in place to
emphasize community service. This bill authorizes one approach
by which school districts may choose to offer credit for
community service. While this bill is permissive, it is not
clear whether districts that choose to award credit for
community service hours would be able to adopt different
approaches than the one established by this bill.
Each district sets its own graduation requirements in addition
to the graduation requirements established in statute, and each
district has its own way of ensuring pupils satisfy those
requirements. School districts typically award credits for
courses but the number of credits assigned for each course
varies by district and in some cases, districts may not
necessarily use a credit system. The Sacramento City Unified
School District requires a pupil to accumulate a total of 225
credits in order to graduate (with a specified number of credits
in certain courses), including the completion of a service
learning project or senior project. The San Juan Unified School
District requires a pupil to accumulate a total of 220 credits
(280 credits for schools on a block schedule) and demonstrate
computer literacy by passing designated classes, and satisfy
additional requirements, such as a senior project, that may be
required. Furthermore, graduation requirements may vary at high
schools within a district. For example, within the San Juan
Unified School District, Mesa Verde High School requires
completion of a computer applications course, and Casa Roble
Fundamental High School requires completion of a senior project.
Considering that local school district graduation requirements
vary throughout the state, it is uncertain that allowing school
districts to assign a certain number of credits for a specified
number of community service hours would have consistent
application throughout the state. In a district that awards one
credit per course, a pupil could receive the equivalent of a one
course credit for completing only 12 hours of community service,
whereas in a district that awards five credits per course, a
pupil would have to complete 60 hours in order to receive the
equivalent credit towards high school graduation. Additionally,
allowing up to five credits of community service per semester
for a maximum of two semesters will also have different results
around the state. Not all districts award five credits per
course as implied by this bill.
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The author's intent is to set a minimum number of required hours
for awarding credit towards high school graduation for community
service conducted outside of school hours. Nevertheless, as
noted above, the existing language would not necessarily provide
for such a minimum baseline as envisioned in this bill. The
bill is very specific in the number of hours that may be awarded
per credit. Staff recommends the bill be amended to allow for
more flexibility for districts that schools to award credit for
community service instead of specifying one set number of hours
for each credit that may be awarded. Particularly in
recognition that not all districts have the same system for
awarding credit for high school graduation.
The bill requires a pupil participating in community service for
credit as authorized in this bill to submit a report on the
community service experience. The language in the bill is also
restrictive in this respect and would not necessarily allow for
other assignments such as journals, visual
display/presentations, or other academic assignments to count
towards the academic component of the community service project.
Staff recommends the bill be amended to allow other academic
assignments, as determined by the school district, to count for
completion of the academic component of the community service.
Clarifying amendment : The bill currently does not allow
community service conducted through a political and advocacy
organizations to count for credit. The author's intent is to
exclude organizations whose sole purpose is political advocacy
but allow for work conducted through advocacy organizations such
charity and other advocacy work as long as it is not political.
For clarification, the author has offered the following
amendment: On page 3, lines 11-12, strike out "political and
advocacy organizations" and insert "organizations whose sole
purpose is political advocacy."
CalServe Initiative : The California Department of Education's
(CDE), CalServe Initiative provides grants to local educational
agencies across the state to support the design and
implementation of service-learning. According to the CDE,
service-learning is an instructional reform strategy that
actively involves youths in academic programs through service to
their communities. Service learning is defined as a method
under which students or participants learn and develop through
active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is
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conducted in and meets the needs of a community; is coordinated
with a school, institution of higher education, or community
service program, and with the community; and helps foster civic
responsibility. Additionally, service learning is integrated
into the academic curriculum and provides structured time for
the students or participants to reflect on the service
experience.
The History/Social Science (H/SS) curriculum framework is
currently under revision and the draft of this document appears
to include an appendix that highlights service-learning as an
effective instructional strategy to enhance academic learning,
meet community needs, foster civic responsibility, and address
the dropout crisis. This is a new development within the H/SS
framework that could further highlight service-learning in
California schools.
The author states, "One of the ways we can encourage students to
volunteer their time would be by having the option of receiving
graduation credit for completing a certain number of community
service hours. Although some school districts are already doing
this, authorizing it in statute would clarify the minimum number
of community service hours required to in order to receive
credit, as well as encourage districts that don't currently
offer credit. In order to foster a public service commitment in
our youth, we should strive to encourage and better facilitate
community service opportunities."
According to information provided by the author's office, the
Oxnard Union High School District has recently adopted a pilot
community service course, authorizing credit to be awarded to
pupils who complete volunteer service in a manner that is very
similar to what is proposed by this bill.
Arguments in support : The California Coalition for Youth
writes, "High school students are under increasingly more
pressure to succeed; allowing students to gain credit toward
graduation for the volunteer work they do allows them to
maximize their efforts toward graduation and allows non-profit
programs like ours benefit from the their interest.
Additionally when youth volunteer, it allows them to achieve
their full potential and it is an effective way to prevent them
from engaging in risky behavior."
Arguments in opposition : The California Teachers Association
writes, "SB 520 while well intended is unnecessary and would
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interfere with school district discretion to locally determine
the requirements for course credit for volunteer service,
including parallel rigor compared with other elective courses
for graduation credit. Local decision-making is crucial given
the impacted master schedule for high school courses."
Related legislation : AB 167 (Adams) requires a school district
to exempt foster youth who transfer into a school district in
grade 11 or 12 from any coursework requirements imposed by the
district that exceed the minimum state graduation requirements
if the foster youth cannot complete the additional requirements
in time to graduate from high school. AB 167 is pending in the
Senate Appropriations Committee.
SB 381 (Wright) 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. SB 381
is pending in this Committee.
Legislative Counsel has identified AB 167 (Adams) and SB 381
(Wright) as having technical conflicts with this bill as all
three bills amend the same Education Code section.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Coalition for Youth
City of Sacramento, Office of the Mayor, Kevin Johnson
Oxnard Union High School District
Individuals
Opposition
California Council for the Social Studies (unless amended)
California School Boards Association
California Teachers Association
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi?a / ED. / (916) 319-2087
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