BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1573
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Date of Hearing: March 28, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1573 (Brownley) - As Introduced: February 1, 2012
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:9-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill specifies a foster child who remains in his or her
school of origin complies with school residency requirements for
attendance purposes.
FISCAL EFFECT
Minor, absorbable GF/98 state mandated costs to LEAs to comply
with this measure.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . As of October 2011, there were 60,204 foster
children in California. Of these children, approximately
37,018 (61%) are between five and 18. Several research
studies have documented the impacts school mobility has on the
educational success of foster children. According to the
National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) policy brief
entitled: Educating Children in State Foster Care (March
2008), "An estimated two-thirds to three-quarters of children
and youth who enter the foster care system must change
schools. One study found that almost 65% of children
entering foster care had to transfer to a new school in the
middle of the school year."
The NCSL report further states: "School mobility has been
shown to have a significant negative effect on children's
academic progress and opportunities for educational success.
Studies have found a relationship between frequent school
changes and an increased risk of failing a grade in school or
performing poorly on standardized tests. One study found that
AB 1573
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children and youth in foster care who attended public schools
scored 16 to 20 percentile points below youth who were not in
foster care on statewide standardized tests at grades three,
six and nine."
According to the author, "This bill provides a clean-up change
to AB 1933 (Brownley), Chapter 563, Statutes of 2010 and makes
a conforming change in �statute] dealing with attendance and
residency requirements. �AB 1573] provides that a pupil in
foster care that remains in his or her school of origin, as
allowed under current law, meets the residency requirements
for school attendance in that district."
2)AB 490 (Steinberg), Chapter 862, Statutes of 2003 , instituted
a number of reforms designed to promote school stability and
ensure that pupils residing in foster care have a meaningful
opportunity to meet the academic achievement standards to
which all students are held. For example, this measure
established that a student has the right to remain in his or
her school of origin, pending the resolution of a dispute over
placement. It also required each county office of education to
appoint a staff person to act as education liaison for foster
youth.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081