BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 721
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 721 (Alan Lowenthal)
As Amended August 20, 2012
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :35-0
HIGHER EDUCATION 8-1 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Block, Olsen, Achadjian, |Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey, |
| |Brownley, Fong, Lara, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| |Miller, Portantino | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Davis, Donnelly, Fuentes, |
| | | |Hall, Hill, Cedillo, |
| | | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, |
| | | |Solorio, Wagner |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Galgiani | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Establishes specified goals to guide budget and policy
decisions regarding postsecondary education and requires the
development of metrics to measure progress in meeting the goals.
Specifically, this bill :
1)States legislative intent that budget and policy decisions
regarding higher education generally adhere to the following
goals:
a) Improving student access and success.
b) Better aligning degrees and credentials with the state's
economic, workforce, and civic needs.
c) Ensuring the effective and efficient use of resources in
order to increase high-quality outcomes and maintain
affordability.
2)States legislative intent to: a) define appropriate metrics
to monitor progress toward meeting the above goals; and, b)
establish interim targets for the metrics to be achieved by
2025.
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3)Requires the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) to establish a
working group, as specified, to develop a set of between six
and 12 metrics, derived from publicly available data sources,
for purposes of assessing the state's progress toward meeting
each of the above goals.
4)Requires the LAO, in consultation with the Department of
Finance, to submit the recommended metrics to the Legislature
and the Governor by January 31, 2013, and states legislative
intent to adopt statewide metrics following a review of the
LAO's recommendations.
5)Requires the LAO to provide:
a) An annual statewide performance report, commencing
September 30, 2013, using each of the adopted metrics, and
to benchmark each metric against the appropriate interim
target.
b) Its own annual assessment, commencing January 1, 2014,
and as specified, of progress toward achieving the above
goals.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, costs for the workgroup and for the LAO to produce
the annual report and an assessment of the segments' progress
will be absorbable. Additionally, to the extent this bill, as
intended, does not add new data-gathering duties on the
segments, their costs will be minor and absorbable.
COMMENTS : Nearly all states have some form of mandated
statewide accountability program for higher education.
California has relied upon segmental accountability, reflecting
the missions and functions outlined in the state's Master Plan
for Higher Education. However, none of these efforts combine to
measure how California's students perform as a whole, nor does
California engage in a statewide approach to higher education
policy planning.
The Legislature has been considering statewide higher education
goals for a decade, beginning with a study commissioned by the
Senate in 2002 that served as the basis for several legislative
efforts. As part of its recent reports on higher education
oversight, the LAO has recommended that the Legislature and the
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Administration establish a clear public agenda for higher
education, including specific and focused statewide goals that
could serve as the framework for an accountability system
designed to align higher education performance with the state's
needs. The most recent Master Plan review, as reflected in ACR
184 (Ruskin), Res. Chapter 163, Statutes of 2010, noted the lack
of public policy goals based upon the outcomes required to meet
California's needs and found the establishment of statewide
goals will enable increased accountability across the entire
higher education system and within segments.
Analysis Prepared by : Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916)
319-3960
FN: 0005079