BILL ANALYSIS �
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THIRD READING
Bill No: ACR 134
Author: Hueso (D), et al.
Amended: 4/26/12 in Assembly
Vote: 21
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : Read and adopted, 4/19/12
SUBJECT : Dropout Recovery Week
SOURCE : School for Integrated Academics and
Technologies
DIGEST : This resolution declares the week of June 4 to
June 10, 2012, inclusive, to be Dropout Recovery Week, and
states the Legislature's intent to encourage the support of
dropout recovery high schools with creative teaching
strategies, alternative assessments, and adequate
resources.
ANALYSIS : This resolution makes the following
legislative findings:
1. Current research suggests that fewer than 70% of 9th
grade students in California graduate from high school;
and, in some school districts, the number is below 50%.
2. Research conducted by the Alliance for Excellent
Education suggests that if only one-half of the dropouts
were recovered in California's six largest metropolitan
areas, the economic benefits would be astounding; and
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the recovered dropouts would invest an additional $394
million per year, increase home sales by $4.5 billion
during their careers, support an additional 8,700 jobs,
and increase state and local tax revenues by $167
million annually.
3. Dropout recovery high schools exist in California and
utilize multiple strategies to overcome the challenges
facing students who decide to reengage in school such as
performing below grade level, behavior difficulties,
absenteeism and stressful life circumstances. The
schools do so by including state-of-the-art technology,
career technical education, competency-based instruction
rather than seat time-based instruction and open entry
and exit enrollment.
4. Research demonstrates that reengaging these students
will allow them to demonstrate higher civic engagement
and contribute to the cultural strength of their
communities; and California's population will benefit as
the unemployment level will be significantly less, as
well as the number of people on public assistance or
those arrested for violent crime.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/29/12)
School for Integrated Academics and Technologies (source)
California Charter Schools Association
California-Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers
United Teachers Los Angeles
YouthBuild Charter School of California
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
reducing the number of high school dropouts can result in
tremendous economic benefits to the state. In addition to
the moral imperative to provide every student with an equal
opportunity to pursue the American dream, our state's
economic stability requires many more students to graduate
from high school. Improving educational outcomes creates a
wave of economic benefits that include boosting individual
earning, home and auto sales, job and economic growth,
spending and investment, and tax revenue in the state.
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Research done by the Alliance for Excellent Education found
that if half of the dropouts from the Class of 2010 were
re-engaged and graduated they would collectively earn as
much as $1.4 billion more in an average year compared to
their likely earnings without a diploma.
PQ:mw 5/29/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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