BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair
AB 2352 (Chesbro) - Early and Middle College High Schools
Amended: As Introduced Policy Vote: Education 6-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: August 4, 2014
Consultant: Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: This bill exempts a student attending an early
college high school (ECHS) from lower community college
enrollment status, as specified. In addition, this bill
provides that a community college district (CCD) may claim state
apportionment funding for middle college high school (MCHS) and
ECHS students for courses required for the students' MCHS or
ECHS programs even if the courses do not comply with existing
statutory criteria applicable to other high school students
taking community college courses.
Fiscal Impact: Easing restrictions on CCDs enrolling and/or
providing courses to high school students will create
substantial ongoing Prop 98 General Fund cost pressure, to
increase community college apportionments. See staff comments.
Background: Early College High Schools are small, autonomous
schools that blend high school and college into a coherent
educational program. They are designed so that all students can
achieve two years of college credit at the same time they are
earning a high school diploma (within four to five years of
entering ninth grade). Early College High Schools are designed
to target pupils from backgrounds that are underrepresented in
postsecondary education, including students who have not had
access to the academic preparation needed to meet college
readiness standards, students for whom the cost of college is
prohibitive, students of color, first generation college-goers,
and English language learners. Early college high schools are
not necessarily co-located on a community college campus, and
there is no requirement to be near a community college.
Middle College High School is a collaborative program that
enables high-potential, "at-risk" students to obtain a high
school education while concurrently receiving direct access to
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college courses and services. The high school is typically
located on and integrated into the community college
environment, whereby high school students attend classes at a
community college and earn credit toward a high school diploma
while having the opportunity to concurrently take college
courses and to receive more intensive counseling and
administrative attention.
Proposed Law: This bill exempts from the low enrollment priority
status requirement, a student attending an ECHS, if the student
is seeking to enroll in a community college course that is
required for the student's ECHS program.
In addition, this bill provides that a CCD may claim state
apportionment funding for MCHS and ECHS students for courses
required for the students' MCHS or ECHS programs even if the
courses do not comply with existing statutory criteria
applicable to other high school students taking community
college courses. Namely, the courses would be exempt from the
following rules governing concurrent enrollment:
1) The class is open to the general public.
2) The class is advertised as open to the general public, as
specified.
3) If the class is offered at a high school campus, the class
shall not be held during the
time the campus is closed to the general public, as
specified.
4) If the class is a physical education (PE) class, no more
than 10% of its enrollment
may be comprised of special part-time or full-time
students. A CCD shall not receive
state apportionments for special part-time and full-time
students enrolled in PE
courses in excess of 5% of the CCD's total reported
full-time equivalent enrollment of
special part-time and full-time students.
Related Legislation: AB 1451 (Holden) removes certain
restrictions on concurrent enrollment and authorizes school
districts to enter into partnerships with community college
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districts to provide high school pupils opportunities for
advanced scholastic work, career technical or other coursework
at a community college campus. AB 1451 will also be heard on
August 4, 2014 in this Committee.
Staff Comments: This bill exempts ECHS students from low
enrollment priority when seeking to enroll in a community
college course that is required for the student's ECHS program,
which will make it easier for some high school students to
enroll in certain courses. This bill also allows community
colleges to receive apportionments for courses taught on MCHS or
ECHS campuses that are closed to the public, making it easier to
serve more high school students. This bill also exempts ECHS and
MCHS students from restrictions on their enrollment in community
college PE courses, making it easier to enroll in PE courses.
All of these changes are intended to make it easier to provide
community college course instruction to high school students,
with community college apportionment funds. While the cost is
unknown, because it depends on how the changes affect
enrollment, every apportionment increase of 1% statewide would
cost an additional $58 million in Prop 98 General Fund.
To the extent that this bill results in more students earning
college credits that will allow them to move through a public
postsecondary institution more quickly in the future, there may
be future cost savings from reduced time in college (which may
also mean reduced time receiving state-funded financial aid).