BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-2012 First Extraordinary Session
�
BILL NO:� SBX1 1
AUTHOR:� Steinberg
INTRODUCED:� February 1, 2011
FISCAL COMM:� Yes HEARING DATE:� February 16, �
2011
URGENCY�: No CONSULTANT:�Beth Graybill
NOTE:� This bill is scheduled to be heard by the Energy, �
Utilities, and Communications Committee on February 15, 2010. �
Amendments agreed to in that committee may be taken in the �
Senate Education Committee for purposes of expediting the �
review of this legislation during the First Extraordinary �
Session.
SUBJECT :� Career Technical Education: Partnership academies.
� SUMMARY�
This bill establishes the Clean Technology and Renewable �
Energy Job Training, Career Technical Education, and Dropout �
Prevention Program for the purpose of creating California �
Partnership Academies that focus on clean technology and �
renewable energy businesses, as specified.
BACKGROUND�
Existing law establishes California Partnership Academies �
(CPAs) as a state-school-private sector partnership programs �
that provide combined academic and occupational training �
programs to high school pupils in grades 10-12 inclusive who �
present a high risk of dropping out of school and motivating �
those pupils to stay in school and graduate. (Education Code �
� 54690 et. seq.)
Existing law provides a state-funded grant program to support �
the planning, establishment, and maintenance of partnership �
academies and encourages the establishment of academies whose �
occupational fields address the needs of developing �
technologies. (EC � 54691)
Existing law establishes, commencing with the 2009-10 school �
year, Green Technology Partnership Academies and Goods �
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Movement Partnership Academies, and requires, when funds �
become available, the Superintendent of Public Instruction �
(SPI) to issue grants for the establishment of these specific �
categories of partnership academies in each of the nine �
economic regions established by the state. (EC � 54750)
ANALYSIS�
This bill :
1) Makes findings and declarations regarding California's �
leadership in renewable energy, energy conservation, �
clean technology and climate change policies; the value �
of career technical education programs in keeping pupils �
engaged in school and on track toward graduation; the �
benefits of investing in programs that will prepare �
students for further education and employment in �
industries that focus on renewable energy, energy �
conservation, clean technologies, and climate change �
mitigation, create employment opportunities for �
Californians, and help the state to achieve its climate �
change goals. The bill states that California has the �
opportunity to curtail high school dropout and �
joblessness rates its young people and to develop the �
state's renewable energy resources.
2) States legislative intent to stimulate the state's �
economy by creating partnership academies that will lead �
to the creation of good paying jobs in industries and �
businesses that are in compliance with the state's �
environmental protection laws and regulations and to �
prepare young people and adults to work in clean, green �
industries and professions in jobs that would help �
California achieve its climate change mitigation �
obligations and conserve our state's vital resources of �
water, air quality, land, and energy.
3) Declares that the State Energy Resources Conservation �
and Development Commission (Energy Commission) is �
currently authorized to increase the amount of the �
existing surcharge imposed on the consumption of �
electrical energy and expresses the intent of the �
Legislature that if the Energy Commission takes such �
action, the resulting funds would be available to fund �
academies established pursuant to this act.
4) Defines "clean technology business" and "renewable �
energy business".
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5) Requires the State Controller to annually allocate $8 �
million dollars from the Energy Resources Program �
Account (ERPA), upon appropriation by the Legislature, �
to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) for �
expenditure in the form of grants to school districts. �
Authorizes up to 5% of the funds transferred to the SPI �
pursuant to this bill to be expended to pay �
administrative costs of the program.
6) Requires a school district applying for a grant pursuant �
to this act to meet existing partnership academy program �
requirements and propose to implement or maintain an �
academy that focuses on employment in clean technology �
or renewable energy businesses and provides skilled �
workforces for the products and services for energy or �
water conservation, or both, renewable energy, pollution �
reduction, or other technologies that improve the �
environment in furtherance of state environmental laws. �
7) Requires the SPI to review, in consultation with the �
Energy Commission, grant applications submitted by �
school districts and likewise review ongoing programs to �
ensure those programs are consistent with current state �
energy policies and priorities.
8) Requires the Energy Commission, in consultation with �
California Department of Education (CDE), to develop �
guidelines to ensure that programs receiving grants �
reflect current state energy policies and priorities and �
will provide skills and education linked to the needs of �
relevant industries. Requires the Energy Commission to �
comply with specified public notice requirements in �
adopting or amending the guidelines and exempts the �
guidelines from review by the Office of Administrative �
Law.
9) Requires the SPI in awarding the grants to give first �
priority to school districts that propose to establish a �
CPA at school sites that do not currently participate in �
the CPA program and second priority to school districts �
that would establish partnership academies at school �
sites that do not participate in the green CPA program. �
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10) Requires the SPI to allocate grants for the clean �
technology and renewable energy CPAs as follows:
a) $1,000 per year for each qualified student �
enrolled in grade 9 in an academy during the first �
year of that academy's operation and limits the �
total grant amount for the first year to no more �
than $45,000;
b) $1,000 per year for each qualified student �
enrolled in either grade 9 or 10 in an academy �
during the second year of operation and limits the �
total grant amount for the second year to no more �
than $80,000;
c) $1,000 for each qualified student enrolled in �
any of grades 9 to 11, inclusive, in an academy �
during the third year of that academy's operation, �
and limits the total grant amount for the third �
year to no more than $120,000; and,
d) $1,000 for each qualified student enrolled in �
any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in an academy �
during the fourth and following years of operation �
and limits the total grant amount to no more than �
$150,000 to any one academy for each fiscal year.
11) Stipulates that a "qualified student" has the same �
meaning as described in statutory provisions governing �
the CPAs but shall also include a 9th grade student who �
meets the at-risk criteria specified in Section 54690 of �
the Education Code, who is enrolled in an academy for �
the 9th grade, obtains 90 percent of the credits each �
academic year in courses that are required for �
graduation, and successfully completes a school year �
during 9th grade with an attendance record of not less �
than 80 percent.
12) Authorizes the SPI to award a grant to a school district �
that has received a grant under the existing CPA program �
subject to the provisions of this bill and the �
availability of funds.
13) Requires the SPI to encourage school districts that �
receive grants pursuant to this bill to work and �
coordinate with regional occupational centers and �
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programs (ROC/Ps) for the required career technical �
education (CTE) sequence of courses.
14) Requires the SPI, in consultation with the Energy �
Commission, commencing January 1, 2013 and each year �
thereafter that the article is operative, to provide a �
report to the Legislature that includes, but is not �
limited to, a description of the curriculum and �
substance of the programs funded by grants awarded. �
Requires the first annual report to include the �
identification of gaps in available curricula relating �
to clean technology and renewable energy that are �
consistent with current state energy policy and �
priorities. Requires, commencing in 2014, the report to �
also include pupil participation data and data collected �
for purposes of academy certification.
15) Makes the provisions of this bill inoperative on June �
30, 2017, and repeals them as of January 1, 2018, unless �
a later enacted statute that becomes operative on or �
before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends this date.
16) States that the act addresses the fiscal emergency �
declared and reaffirmed by the Governor by proclamation �
on January 20, 2011.
STAFF COMMENTS�
1) Need for the bill . According to the author's office �
activities relating to reducing energy consumption and �
developing green technologies are creating new job �
opportunities and workforce demands. By creating �
integrated programs of study that will train students to �
work in these fields, the author hopes this bill will �
help meet workforce demands for clean energy and �
technology industries while also reducing high school �
dropout rates. The purpose of this bill is to create a �
dedicated funding stream through 2016-17 to support the �
establishment of partnership academy programs that will �
prepare students for further study and employment in the �
growing job sectors of clean technology and renewable �
energy.
2) Partnership academies . Partnership academies are �
educational programs that provide integrated academic �
and career technical education to students in grades �
10-12 inclusive who present a high risk of dropping out �
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of school. (Partnership academies are funded as �
three-year programs, although some school districts �
operate four-year programs, allowing for the �
participation of 9th graders.) More than half of the �
students selected to participate in a CPA must be �
considered to be "at risk" as demonstrated by irregular �
attendance, underachievement, low motivation or �
disinterest in the regular academic program, or having �
an economically disadvantaged background.
Partnership academies are structured as schools within a �
school and develop in response to regional workforce and �
economic needs, typically focusing on one of the 15 �
industry sectors identified in the California Career �
Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards adopted �
by the State Board of Education. The curriculum of an �
academy is focused on a career theme and is coordinated �
with related academic classes. Key elements of a �
partnership academy include business partnerships, �
teacher teams, mentoring, and internships. Students are �
matched with mentors in their junior year and typically �
begin an internship after completing their junior year. �
According to the CDE, there are currently 461 �
Partnership Academies operating in California schools.
3) Student engagement and dropout prevention . The �
California Dropout Research Project released a report �
entitled, "Solving California's Dropout Crisis" which �
estimated that only about two-thirds of California's �
students graduate on time. According to the report, �
dropping out and low achievement have many shared causes �
such as poor attendance, low engagement and low-quality �
instruction. One of the recommendations in the report �
suggested that the state should consider more options �
for students to meet the graduation requirements, noting �
that "An increasing number of states have pursued the �
idea of multiple pathways for students to meet high �
school graduation requirements through career and �
technical education courses."
Many high schools are working toward personalizing the �
learning experience through small learning communities �
or career-themed programs of study, such as partnership �
academies, that provide a rigorous and relevant �
curriculum focused on preparing students for work and �
further study beyond high school. A 2007 Profile of �
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Partnership Academies prepared by the California Center �
for College and Career and the Career Academy Support �
Network at the University of California Berkeley in �
collaboration with the CDE indicates that partnership �
academies have a positive effect on increasing student �
performance and graduation rates. The study also showed �
that the graduation rate for partnership academy seniors �
during the 2004-05 school year was higher than the �
statewide population, and that CPA students passed the �
high school exit exam at higher rates than did the �
general student population. To the extent that this �
bill would enable school districts to establish new �
academies, this bill could help schools increase student �
engagement and reduce dropout rates while addressing �
workforce demands that will be driven by emerging clean �
technology and green industries.
4) Related efforts . AB 2855 (Hancock, Chapter 685, �
Statutes of 2008), established, commencing with the �
2009-10 school year, Green Technology Partnership �
Academies and Goods Movement Partnership Academies as �
new categories of partnership academies.
AB 519 (Assembly Budget Committee, Chapter 757, Statutes �
of 2008), appropriated $12 million from the Public �
Interest Research Development and Demonstration Fund for �
transfer to the CDE for expenditure in one-time funds �
for local grants to be allocated over three years for �
the creation of partnership academies that focus on �
clean technology, renewable energy, pollution reduction, �
and other "green" environmental technologies.
The CDE reports there are currently 54 green technology �
academies funded through AB 519. According to the CDE, �
AB 519 funding sunsets June 30, 2012, with funding for �
the first cohort of 38 green academies ending 2011.
Conceivably, partnership academies that stand to lose �
their funding when AB 519 funds expire could apply for �
funds this act would make available. However, it is not �
clear if the priority language contained in the bill �
would allow AB 519 partnership academies to participate �
in this program. To allow these existing clean �
technology and energy academies to apply for funding �
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that could be available after the initial priorities are �
met, the Committee may wish to consider an amendment �
that would add a third priority to allow partnership �
academies established pursuant to AB 519 to apply for �
and receive a grant award through the Clean Technology �
and Renewable Energy Job Training, Career Technical �
Education, and Dropout Prevention Program.�
5) Fiscal and administrative effect . The Energy Resources �
Program Account (ERPA) is funded from a surcharge on �
rate payers and provides funding for the administration �
of the Energy Commission. The Governor's 2011-12 Budget �
proposes approximately $70.3 million for the ERPA, of �
which approximately $8 million would be available for �
supporting the establishment of the partnership �
academies specified in this bill. Of the $8 million, �
this bill provides up to $400,000 to the CDE for costs �
associated with administering the program and meeting �
the reporting requirements.
To the extent the annual report provides meaningful data, the �
reporting requirement imposed on the SPI and the Energy �
Commission could allow the Legislature to consider �
whether funding for the program should be extended �
beyond the sunset date.
6) Prior legislation . This bill is substantially similar �
to SB 675 (Steinberg, 2010), which would have allocated �
funds from the ERPA to the California Department of �
Education for developing and maintaining programs that �
focus on training and employment in clean technology and �
renewable energy industries. SB 675 was vetoed by �
Governor Schwarzenegger; the veto message read, in part: �
"?given the current uses of the ERPA account at the �
Commission and the precariously low balance in that �
fund, this bill would require the Commission to �
increase the surcharge on electricity users �
throughout California to pay for its provisions. �
And even after doing so, the Commission would still �
be required in the future to cut its core programs �
to pay for this bill, including those related to �
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power plant licensing, renewable energy facility �
licensing, and energy efficiency.
More importantly, I will not support increasing the �
surcharge on electricity users to fund a K-12 �
Education program. To do so would start a �
dangerous precedent for finding unrelated revenue �
sources to fund, expand, or create K-12 programs �
outside of the Proposition 98 guarantee.
Additionally, the bill only gives a minor role to �
the Commission in developing the guidelines for the �
program. Just as the Commission is not an expert �
in navigating our state's complex education system, �
neither are CDE employees proficient in the �
emerging technologies and future of our green �
economy. As such, the Commission should be CDE's �
partner in putting together this program so as to �
provide our students with the right skills to enter �
our green economy."
�Additional prior legislation includes:
AB 2855 (Hancock, Chapter 685, Statutes of 2008), �
established, commencing with the 2009-10 school year, �
the Green Technology Partnership Academies and the Goods �
Movement Partnership Academies as two new categories of �
CPAs.
SB 1672 (Steinberg, 2008), would have established the �
Renewable Energy, Climate Change, Career Technical �
Education, and Clean Technology Job Creation Bond Act of �
2010, to be operative only if approved by voters at an �
unspecified election in 2010. This measure was passed �
by this Committee on a 7-1 vote and was subsequently �
held by the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SB 70 (Scott, Chapter 352, Statutes of 2006) provided �
for 50 new first-year, grade 10 partnership academy �
planning grants through 2009-10.
SUPPORT
�
Riverside County School Superintendents' Association
OPPOSITION
�
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California Manufacturers & Technology Association