AB 1854, as introduced, Linder. Examination fees: Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Examination Fee Grant Program.
Existing law authorizes a system of incentives to encourage high schools to operate International Baccalaureate Diploma Programs, and to encourage pupils in these schools to enroll in, attempt, and pass the International Baccalaureate course of study and examinations that lead to the International Baccalaureate Diploma. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, from funds appropriated for the purpose of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program, to annually allocate to each school district, on behalf of each high school or middle school within the district that offers the program, up to $25,000 for each participating high school and middle school to cover the costs of professional development required by the program and to help pay the test fees for low- and middle-income pupils in need of financial assistance.
Existing law authorizes a school district receiving economic impact aid funds to expend any portion of those funds to pay for all or part of the costs of one or more advanced placement examinations that are charged to economically disadvantaged pupils, as defined.
This bill would, subject to appropriation in the annual Budget Act, establish a grant program, administered by the State Department of Education, for the purpose of awarding grants to cover the costs of advanced placement examination fees or International Baccalaureate examination fees, or both, for eligible economically disadvantaged or foster youth high school pupils, as defined. The bill would authorize a school district to apply to the department for grant funding under the program based on the number of economically disadvantaged or foster youth high school pupils in the school district who will take the next offered advanced placement or International Baccalaureate examinations and would require that grants be expended only to pay the fees required of eligible economically disadvantaged or foster youth high school pupils to take an advanced placement or International Baccalaureate examination, or both. The bill would authorize an eligible economically disadvantage or foster youth high school pupil enrolled in an advanced placement or International Baccalaureate course, or both, to apply to the designated school district staff for a grant to pay the examination fee, as provided. The bill would require funding priority be given to advanced placement examination fees if there is insufficient funding allocated to the grant program in a given fiscal year.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Chapter 19 (commencing with Section 53400)
2is added to Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code,
3to read:
4
(a) Subject to appropriation in the annual Budget Act
9for this purpose, there is hereby established a grant program for
10the purpose of awarding grants to cover the costs of advanced
11placement (AP) examination fees or International Baccalaureate
12(IB) examination fees, or both, for eligible economically
13disadvantaged or foster youth high school pupils. The department
14shall administer this program.
P3 1(b) (1) As used in this section, “eligible economically
2disadvantaged high school pupil” means a pupil in high school
3who is eligible for a state or federal free or reduced-price meal
4program.
5(2) As used in
this section, “eligible foster youth” has the same
6meaning as “foster youth,” as that term is defined in Section
742238.01.
8(c) A school district may apply to the department for grant
9funding pursuant to this section, based on the number of
10economically disadvantaged or foster youth high school pupils in
11the school district enrolled in AP courses or IB courses, or in both,
12who will take the next offered AP or IB examinations. A school
13district that applies to the department for this purpose shall
14designate school district staff to whom pupils may submit
15applications for grants and shall institute a plan to notify pupils of
16the availability of financial assistance pursuant to this section.
17Grants shall be expended only to pay the fees required of eligible
18economically disadvantaged or foster youth high school pupils to
19take an AP or IB examination, or both.
20(d) An eligible economically disadvantaged or foster youth high
21school pupil who is enrolled in an AP or IB course, or both, may
22apply to the designated school district staff for a grant pursuant to
23this section. A pupil who receives a grant shall only pay five dollars
24($5) of the examination fee.
25(e) School districts and county superintendents of schools may
26join together and form collaboratives or consortia in order to
27participate in the grant program established by this section.
28(f) Grants provided pursuant to this section may not be used to
29supplant fee waivers available to low-income pupils who take AP
30or IB examinations.
31(g) If the total school district applications exceed the total funds
32available pursuant to
this section, the department shall prorate the
33grants based upon the ratio of the total amount requested to the
34total amount allocated in the annual Budget Act or another statute
35for this purpose. Funding priority shall be given to AP examination
36fees if there is insufficient funding allocated for the grant program
37in a given fiscal year.
38(h) To facilitate program administration and school district
39reimbursement, the department may enter into a contract with the
40provider of AP or IB examinations. For purposes of the contract
P4 1authorized pursuant to this subdivision, the department is exempt
2from the requirements of Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100)
3of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code and from the
4requirements of Article 6 (commencing with Section 999) of
5Chapter 6 of Division 4 of the Military and Veterans Code.
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