BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                           1126 (Liu)
          
          Hearing Date:  04/26/2010           Amended: 04/06/2010
          Consultant:  Dan Troy           Policy Vote: ED 6-0
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          ____
          BILL SUMMARY:   SB 1126 would require the Academic Senates of  
          the California Community Colleges (CCC) and the California State  
          University (CSU), and requests the Academic Senate of the  
          University of California, to review the eight common core lower  
          division courses in child development or early education to  
          improve articulation.  This bill also prohibits the CSU from  
          requiring more total units in child development or early  
          education for students who complete the eight common core lower  
          division and general education requirements at a CCC, unless  
          alternative recommendations by the Academic Senates to  
          facilitate student completion of transferable lower division  
          coursework are implemented.   
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          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions         2010-11      2011-12       2012-13     Fund
                                                                  
          Articulation review                     $50 to 100                
           General
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          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the  
          Suspense File.  
          
          While several efforts have been undertaken to improve the  
          transfer process from the CCCs to California's public four-year  
          postsecondary institutions, recent research suggests that  
          transfer rates remain low and that students often take more  
          units than are necessary to complete their desired degrees, and  
          that there is a lack of consistency between lower-division  
          course requirements between segments and between campuses within  
          the same segment.  

          This bill would attempt to bring ease transferability in the  
          child development and early education field by improving  










          articulation between the CCCs and public four-year institutions,  
          primarily CSU, as UC does not offer undergraduate majors in  
          early childhood education.  Specifically, the bill requires the  
          Academic Senates of the California Community Colleges (CCC) and  
          the California State University (CSU), and requests the Academic  
          Senate of the University of California, to review the eight  
          common core lower division courses in child development or early  
          education to improve articulation.  The Academic Senates would  
          be required to consider a plan and make findings concerning: 1)  
          a plan to ensure CSU and UC courses reflect the advanced level  
          of early educator competencies that will build upon the lower  
          division 8 common courses (listed below), 2) the transferability  
          of coursework from the CCC to CSU/UC, and 3) the appropriateness  
          and feasibility of attaining an baccalaureate degree in child  
          development, early education or related major at the CCCs in  
          collaboration with CSU or UC.  The bill would also prohibit the  
          CSU from requiring more total units in child development or  
          early education for students who complete the eight common core  
          lower division and general education requirements at a CCC,  
          unless alternative 
          Page 2
          SB 1126 (Liu)

          recommendations by the Academic Senates to facilitate student  
          completion of transferable lower division coursework are  
          implemented.  

          The bill states the intent that the Academic Senates build upon  
          the work of The Early Childhood Curriculum Alignment Project, a  
          coordinated effort of CCC and CSU faculty, which has already  
          identified the eight common core lower division courses in child  
          development or early education.  Those courses are:

                  a.        Child growth and development.
                  b.        Child, family and community.
                  c.        Principles and practices.
                  d.        Introduction to curriculum.
                  e.        Observation and assessment.
                  f.        Health, safety and nutrition.
                  g.        Teaching in a diverse society.
                  h.        Practicum.

          The work of the academic senates will likely be in the range of  
          $50,000 to $100,000 for the review of lower division courses and  
          required findings and recommendations.  It is also possible that  
          better segmental articulation will lead to long-term savings due  










          to less duplication of course taking.  

          The Senate Committee on Education analysis noted that the jobs  
          in the early child development field are typically low paying.   
          This results in high turnover in the profession.  While  
          producing more and better trained 4-year degree holders in this  
          field could plausibly lead to improved quality of care, it is  
          not clear there is a high demand for the services of employees  
          with this level of training.