BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2647
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Date of Hearing: April 18, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
AB 2647 (Swanson) - As Amended: March 29, 2012
SUBJECT : Pupil instruction: work-based learning
SUMMARY : Requires a school district offering work-based
learning opportunities to require a high school teacher to
verbally inform pupils about work experience education
opportunities and other career partnerships that are available
to pupils. Specifically, this bill :
1)Finds and declares that as the state and the nation move fully
into the green economy, there is a unique opportunity to align
the various training programs offered in high schools,
community colleges, and other postsecondary institutions, in
order to provide clear pathways to quality employment and
career opportunities in the growth sectors of the economy and
stipulates that this alignment is necessary for all young
people in California, but is critical for boys and young men
of color, as far too many are disconnected from education,
training, and employment opportunities.
2)Finds and declares that there is a need for greater
accountability for effective accelerated learning
opportunities in alternative schools, such as continuation
high schools and community day schools, in which African
American and Latino youth comprise more than two-thirds of the
enrolled pupils, and makes other related findings and
declarations.
3)Requires a governing board of a school district offering
work-based learning opportunities to require a teacher of any
of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, to verbally inform pupils about
work experience education opportunities and other career
partnerships in order to raise awareness of the career
training resources that are available to those pupils.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes school districts that maintain high schools to
establish work-based learning or work experience programs for
the purpose of providing pupils with instruction in skills,
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attitudes, and understandings necessary for success in
employment. (EC 51760)
2)Defines "work-based learning" as an educational approach or
instructional methodology that uses the workplace or real work
to provide pupils the knowledge and skills that help them
connect school experiences to real-life work activities and
career opportunities. (EC 51760.1)
3)Provides that work-based learning opportunities for pupils may
be delivered by partnership academies, regional occupational
programs, and other educational programs, and may include but
are not limited to, work experience education, community
classrooms, cooperative career technical education (CTE)
programs, and job shadowing. (EC 51760.1)
4)Authorizes school districts that maintain high schools to
establish work-based learning programs, and requires districts
that choose to offer work-based learning opportunities to
ensure that pupils are afforded the same statutory and
regulatory safeguards as pupils in work experience programs.
(EC 51760.1)
5)Requires each school year, as part of the annual parent
notification, a school district offering any of grades 9 to
12, inclusive, to provide the parent or guardian of each minor
pupil enrolled in any of those grades in the district with
written notification that includes all of the following:
a) A brief explanation of the college admission
requirements;
b) A list of the current University of California (UC) and
California State University (CSU) Web sites that help
pupils and their families learn about college admission
requirements and that list high school courses that have
been certified by the UC as satisfying the requirements for
admission to the UC and CSU;
c) A brief description of what career technical education
is and the Internet address for the portion of the Web site
of the California Department of Education (CDE) where
pupils can learn more about career technical education;
and,
d) Information about how pupils may meet with school
counselors to help them choose courses at their school that
will meet college admission requirements or enroll in
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career technical education courses, or both. (EC 51229)
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill is keyed non-fiscal.
COMMENTS : A school district is authorized to offer work-based
learning and work experience opportunities for its pupils.
Work-based learning is an educational approach or instructional
methodology that uses the workplace or real work to provide
pupils the knowledge and skills that help them connect school
experiences to real-life work activities and future career
opportunities. Work-based learning can be delivered through
various programs including, partnership academies, regional
occupational programs, and linked learning programs.
This bill requires a school district offering work-based
learning to require its high school teachers to verbally inform
pupils about work experience education opportunities and other
career partnerships available to pupils. The bill does not
define whether the information that teachers would have to
provide is limited to the programs or opportunities offered at
the school district. As currently written, the bill appears to
be overly broad and could potentially require teachers to seek
out information about work experience and career partnerships
outside of the school district in order to provide that
information to pupils. It is not clear as to whether the intent
of the bill is for every teacher in school districts where
work-based learning is offered to make this announcement in
every single class they teach. It is also unclear as to how
extensive this information should be. Depending on how much
information is provided, this raises the question of whether
this exercise may take time away from the instructional day,
particularly because this information would potentially have to
be provided in every class. Hence the potential for duplication
exists, especially for pupils for whom this information may not
be relevant or of interest.
Limited resources and categorical flexibility : This bill
appears to point to the concern that budget cuts have reduced
access to guidance or career counselors that would ideally
provide this type of information to pupils. The California
Research Bureau (CRB) conducted a Careers Project research study
in 2009, as requested by a bipartisan group of members of the
Legislature. Some of the key findings in the report relevant to
this bill show that about 20% of schools in the school survey
sample reported not having a school counselor. Only 70% of
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counselors and 60% of principals indicated that school
counselors provide career guidance to students in addition to
academic and personal/social issues. Additionally, the study
reports that school counselors that participated in focus groups
suggested that career development counseling was not a priority
at their schools, and several parents commented that there were
not enough counselors available to provide career guidance to
their children, particularly given other priorities related to
student academic progress.
Current law establishes the Middle and High School Supplemental
Counseling (MHSSC) program to provide additional counseling
services to pupils in grades seven to twelve, inclusive,
including requirements for an individualized review of the
career goals of, and the available academic and career technical
education opportunities and workplace experiences available to
pupils, as well as an explanation of eligibility requirements
for admission to a four-year institution of postsecondary
education. The enactment of SB 4 3X (Ducheny), Chapter 12,
Statutes of 2009, gives districts flexibility in the use of
MHSSC program funds starting with the 2008-09 fiscal year
through the 2012-13 fiscal year. Recent budget actions have
extended the flexibility provisions to Fiscal Year 2014-15.
Essentially, local educational agencies (LEAs) have the option
to allocate funds from the MHSSC program and other programs for
any educational purpose during this time and LEAs that use the
flexibility provisions are deemed to be in compliance with
program and funding requirements contained in statutory,
regulatory, and provisional language, applicable to the MHSSC
program whether the LEAs comply with the provisions or not.
Requiring every high school teacher in districts where work
study programs are offered to take on this responsibility could
start setting a precedent that puts teachers in the position of
having to fill in for resource gaps.
Annual notification : Current law requires every school year, as
part of the annual parent notification, a school district to
provide the parent or guardian of each pupil enrolled in any of
grades 9-12, inclusive, in the district with written
notification that includes specific information about courses
required for UC/CSU eligibility and CTE courses. The author may
wish to consider whether an amendment to this bill to require
the existing notification to also include information about
work-based learning opportunities offered at the school
district, instead of requiring teachers to verbally inform
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pupils about this information.
The author states, "By requiring high school teachers to
verbally inform students about work-experience education
opportunities, we will ensure that all students are fully aware
of the various opportunities available to them."
Background information on this bill was not received in a timely
manner.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file.
Opposition
California Right to Life Committee
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi�a / ED. / (916) 319-2087