BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1315
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Date of Hearing: May 27, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1315 (Furutani) - As Amended: May 11, 2011
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:9-1
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill establishes Gateway Centers (GC) to be operated by
local adult schools and community colleges (CCs) to leverage
multiple education and workforce investment funding and improve
the transition of adult learners into entry-level degree or
certificate training programs that are linked to employment.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires GCs to the do the following: (a) be jointly designed
by local and regional partners in adult education and CC
programs; (b) report on program outcomes; (c) secure matching
funds, as specified; (d) focus on developing models for
improving the transition of individuals with weak basic skills
to postsecondary education, including providing evidence-based
instructional practices, student support services, and
professional development for GC instructors, as specified.
2)Establishes the GC council to do the following:
a) Identify federal and state resources to fund GC centers
(i.e., federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA), federal Carl
Perkins Career Technical Education (CTE), adult education,
and CC funds).
b) Develop a request for application to participate in the
GCs no later than April 15, 2012, contingent upon the
identification of funding.
c) Fund a minimum of three GC sites, beginning no later
than September 1, 2012, contingent upon the identification
of funding.
d) Prepare a final report to the Legislature and the
governor by January 15, 2016 on the outcomes of the GCs.
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Requires the report to include recommendations regarding
how the State Department of Education (SDE) and the CCs can
align institutions and programs more effectively and
increase instructional outcomes for students, as specified.
3)Sunsets the GCs on January 1, 2017.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)GF/98 costs, likely between $300,000 and $600,000, to fund
three GCs, as specified in this measure. This bill does not
indicate the amount of grant funding each GC will be awarded;
however, it is reasonable to assume each GC would receive a
minimum of $100,000 to staff and provide programs pursuant to
this measure. This bill also specifies grants would not be
awarded until funding is identified. The committee notes
local education agencies (LEAs) and CCs have experienced
severe budget reductions over the last several years. In
fact, many LEAs have significantly reduced their adult
education program offerings in order to redirect their GF/98
allocations for these programs to other purposes and instead,
have utilized federal funds to maintain minimal programs.
2)GF administrative costs, of at least $200,000, to the GC
Council to administer the grant program and submit a final
report, as specified.
3)The 2010 Budget Act allocated approximately $600 million GF/98
for adult education programs. LEAs do not have to use these
funds to provide adult education programs. Under categorical
program flexibility, an LEA can use these funds for any
educational purpose it deems appropriate.
4)The 2010 Budget Act allocated a total of $78 million in
federal Carl Perkins funding to adult education programs.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . According to the author, "In ten years 75% of
available jobs will require some postsecondary education and
nearly 40% of adult Californians will have only a high-school
degree or less. The current method of workforce preparation
has great potential to address the individual needs of this
diverse population. However, more can be done to strengthen
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the coordination between the silos of the varying workforce
providers. There is growing evidence from research, other
states, and innovative programs in California that changes in
program alignment, integration, and teaching methods
accelerate students' ability to address their basic skills
barriers and attain a credential or transfer degree."
This bill establishes Gateway Centers to be operated by local
adult schools and community colleges to leverage multiple
education and workforce investment funding and improve the
transition of adult learners into entry-level degree or
certificate training programs that are linked to employment.
2)Existing law establishes adult education, a voluntary program
that provides courses in 10 instructional areas including
basic skills, English as a second language, CTE, home
economics, and parent education. Current law allows school
districts, county offices of education, community colleges,
and other organizations to establish adult education programs.
The state supports these adult schools based on average daily
attendance (ADA), which equals 525 hours per unit of classroom
seat time. According to the SDE, there were 320 adult
education programs serving approximately 1.2 million students
in 2008-09. Likewise, SDE reports adult programs earned
approximately 250,000 ADA during this time period.
The federal Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, enacted
as Title II of WIA, provides federal funding to supplement
adult education programs in both public and private non-profit
institutions. These funds supplement adult basic education,
English as a second language, and adult secondary education
programs. The goal of this program is to enable adults to
become more employable, productive, and responsible citizens
through literacy. According to SDE, approximately 235
agencies received $81.6 million in federal Title II WIA funds.
The WIA was established by federal law in 1998 for purposes of
job training and workforce development. It requires states to
form state workforce investment boards, and requires governors
to designate local workforce investment areas and oversee
local workforce investment boards for purposes of coordinating
and distributing job training funds.
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In California WIA funds are provided through the state CWIB
and 49 local boards. The state board receives 15% of the
state's WIA allocation, and the remaining 75% is allocated to
the local boards. CWIB works with the governor to provide
policy guidance on how to spend these funds. Likewise, each
board determines how they spend their funds in accordance with
the workforce needs of their areas.
3)Adult education funding part of categorical flexibility . As
part of the February 2009 budget package, SB 4 X3 (Ducheny),
Third Extraordinary Session, Chapter 12, Statutes of 2009,
provided LEAs with unprecedented fiscal and policy flexibility
related to over 40 categorical programs, including adult
education, between the 2008-09 fiscal year (FY) to the 2012-13
FY. Specifically, any LEA that received funding for specified
categorical programs, including adult education, in the
2008-09 FY is authorized to use this funding for any other
educational purpose until the 2012-13 FY. The LEA may choose
to continue operating the categorical program that it received
funding for or redirect it for any other educational purpose
it deems appropriate. SB 70 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal
Review), Chapter 7, Statutes of 2011, extended this
flexibility until the 2014-15 FY.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081