BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1354
Page A
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 1354 (Hancock)
As Amended August 2, 2010
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :23-12
EDUCATION 8-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Brownley, Nestande, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Conway, |
| |Ammiano, Arambula, | |Bradford, |
| |Carter, Eng, Miller, | |Huffman, Coto, Davis, De |
| |Torlakson | |Leon, Gatto, Hall, |
| | | |Harkey, Miller, Nielsen, |
| | | |Norby, Skinner, Solorio, |
| | | |Torlakson, Torrico |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Revises the criteria for identifying pupils that are
"at risk" for purposes of enrollment in California Partnership
Academies (CPAs) and requires a school district to provide an
assurance that each CPA pupil will be provided with career
technical education (CTE) courses that are part of an
occupational course sequence that targets comprehensive skills
and meets specified requirements. Specifically, this bill :
1)Modifies the criteria for determining "at risk" for purposes
of eligibility to participate in a CPA as follows:
a) Defines irregular attendance to mean absence from school
20% or more of the school year;
b) Adds the following to the existing indicators to be
considered in making the determination of "at risk:"
i) Scoring "below basic" in mathematics English
language arts on standardized tests administered pursuant
to the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program;
and,
ii) Maintaining a grade point average of 2.2 or below or
the equivalent of a C minus.
AB 1354
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2)Deletes provisions that specify the academic criteria applying
to non at risk pupils participating in a CPA, and deletes the
requirement that students be provided a laboratory class
related to the academy's occupational field.
3)Requires an assurance that each CPA pupil will be provided
with:
a) Instruction in at least three academic subjects each
school term that prepares the pupil for a high school
diploma, and where possible and appropriate, meets subject
requirements for admission to the California State
University (CSU) and the University of California (UC);
and,
b) CTE courses at each grade level that are part of an
occupational course sequence that targets comprehensive
skills, as specified.
4)Deletes the authority for the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI) to issue a maximum of 155 grants per year
for purposes of planning partnership academies.
5)Requires districts, whenever practical, to provide a second
planning period for the CPA teacher.
6)Allows for the internship or paid job component of the CPA to
be in a school enterprise program and deletes the requirement
for the internship to take place during the summer following
the 11th grade.
7)Makes various technical non-substantive amendments to CPA
provisions.
EXISTING LAW establishes the:
1)CPA program as a state-school-private sector partnership to
provide combined academic and occupational training to
eligible at-risk students in grades 10-12, inclusive.
2)Green Technology Partnership Academies and the Goods Movement
Partnership Academies, commencing with the 2009-10 school
year, and requires, when funds become available for additional
AB 1354
Page C
partnership academies, the SPI to issue grants for the
establishment of such partnership academies in each of the
nine economic regions established by the state.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, General Fund/Proposition 98 (GF/98) cost pressure,
likely between $125,000 and $200,000, to current CPA programs to
implement the requirements of this measure. To the extent that
CPA programs are already performing these duties, this cost may
be reduced.
The Governor's proposed January 2010 Budget provides a total of
$56.8 million GF/98 for CPA programs. Of this amount, $38
million GF/98 is annually appropriated pursuant to SB 1133
(Torlakson), Chapter 751, Statutes of 2006. Also, AB 519
(Committee on Budget), Chapter 757, Statues of 2007, allocated
$12.5 million GF/98 (one-time) for the operation of CPAs
focusing on green technologies and industries over three years.
COMMENTS : The CPA model is a three-year program in grades
10-12, structured as a school-within-a-school. CPAs serve
at-risk pupils and the program requires that no less than one
half of each new class must meet the specified at-risk criteria.
The criteria used for student eligibility includes: irregular
attendance, past record of underachievement, low motivation or
disinterest in the regular academic program, and economical
disadvantages. The curriculum of CPAs is focused on a career
theme and is coordinated with related academic classes. The
integration of a standards based academic and career technical
curriculum is a key component of this program. The career
technical focus for a CPA is determined by an analysis of the
local labor market and considering fields that have companies
willing to support the program. Each CPA is focused in one of
the 15 industry sectors established for CTE through the CTE
Model Curriculum Standards. According to information on the
California Department of Education's (CDE) Internet Web site,
there are 480 CPAs currently operating in the state.
This bill updates several CPA program provisions. The most
significant changes include the requirement for CPAs to provide
sequences of courses, changing the criteria for identifying
at-risk pupils, deleting academic criteria for non at-risk
pupils, and further specifying the design and curriculum of CPA
AB 1354
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courses.
This bill requires that CPAs provide sequences of courses that
target comprehensive skills and meet the specified requirements.
According to the author, "While many academies have sequences
in place, there is a lack of consistency across the programs.
By requiring sequences, students will be able to provide
certificates of skills attained while in the academy - to
employers or to community colleges/higher education." In CTE,
sequences of courses are important to ensure that pupils build
upon skills learned as they take a series of CTE courses.
According to the Career Academy Support Network (CASN), "A well
developed course sequence helps students succeed in high school,
think about their career goals, while preparing for
post-secondary education and careers. The course sequence is
also valuable to teachers, especially teacher teams, for
planning and delivering integrated instruction across
disciplines and grade levels."
This bill also makes changes to the criteria for identifying
at-risk pupils for purposes of eligibility to participate in a
CPA and deletes provisions in current law that limit enrollment
of non at-risk students to low-achieving students who meet
specified criteria. The changes to the criteria for
identification of at-risk pupils delete outdated student
performance measures and provide indicators that local education
agencies can use to identify students who might benefit from
participating in a CPA program. The changes proposed by this
bill could result in greater consistency across partnership
academies and they may also result in the identification of more
at-risk students and potentially expand the number of pupils
currently participating in CPAs.
The CPA model has demonstrated to be a promising model that
provides rigorous academic and CTE opportunities to pupils. A
study conducted on CPAs showed that the graduation rate for
partnership academy seniors during the 2004-05 school year was
higher than those of the statewide population, and that CPA
students passed the high school exit exam at higher rates than
did the general student population.<1> It can be suggested that
there is some evidence that the concept of combining preparation
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<1> Profile of the California Partnership Academies 2004-2005.
ConnectED The California Center for College and Career. March
2007.
AB 1354
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for both college and careers is a promising instructional
approach.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avina / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0005943