BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 173
Page 1
Date of Hearing: July 2, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 173 (Liu) - As Amended: June 12, 2014
Policy Committee: EducationVote:6-0
Higher Education 11-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires the California Community Colleges
Chancellor's Office (CCC Chancellor's Office) and the California
Department of Education (CDE) to coordinate and issue guidelines
and policy recommendations to the Legislature regarding adult
education in the areas of assessment, performance
accountability, teacher requirements, and fee policies.
Requires the CCC Chancellor's Office and CDE to annually report
on the number and types of adult education courses being taught,
including noncredit courses, and the number of students being
served. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the CCC Chancellor's Office in conjunction with the
CDE, to coordinate and issue assessment policy guidelines for
purposes of placement in adult education courses, as
specified.
2)Requires, as part of existing reporting requirements, the CCC
Chancellor's Office and the CDE to do the following:
a) Develop and issue policy recommendations regarding a
comprehensive accountability system for adult education
courses;
b) Develop recommendations for all adult education funded
providers for assessment, evaluation, and data collection
to document participant outcomes and placement and other
measures they deem appropriate. Specifies that
accountability measures may include receipt of a secondary
school diploma or its recognized equivalent, placement in a
postsecondary educational institution, training, and
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employment. Requires all funded programs to annually
submit demographic and other student-level outcome
information.
c) Provide fee policy recommendations and guidelines to be
used by school districts and community college districts.
Declares legislative intent that registration and course
fees be equivalent across all programs, that fees should
not generate income beyond the cost of providing the
courses, and that fees should not create a barrier to
student access to adult education programs.
d) Make recommendations and policy guidelines regarding the
use of a single student identifier to be used by school
districts and community college districts.
e) Annually report on the number and types of courses being
taught and the number of students being served with funding
provided to the regional consortia, and requires the CCC
Chancellor's Office to annually report on the number and
types of noncredit courses being taught and the number of
students being served with funding provided to the
community colleges for the courses offered.
3)Requires the CCC Chancellor's Office to identify any deficits
in course offerings based upon levels, types, and needs for
adult education programs identified by the existing Adult
Education Consortia plans.
4)Requires, by July 1, 2015, the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing (CTC) and the Academic Senate for California
Community Colleges to meet to review their current
requirements for noncredit adult education and adult education
instructors, and develop and submit recommendations to the
appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature
for modifying or establishing reciprocity standards for
instructors of adult education courses.
5)Expresses the intent of the Legislature to evaluate the
guidelines for the accountability system established under
current law and to consider allocating base adult education
funds and noncredit adult education funds to providers on the
basis of a combination of identified needs, enrollment, and
outcomes for specified courses.
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FISCAL EFFECT
1)Administrative costs to the CTC in the range of $150,000 to
$200,000 (special funds) to review, develop, and recommend
reciprocity standards for adult education instruction by July
1, 2015.
2)General Fund administrative costs to CCC Chancellor's Office
in the range of $80,000 to $100,000. While many requirements
of this bill are one-time and an extension of ongoing AB 86
consortium work, some activities require additional resources.
For example, the CCC Chancellor's office indicates the
requirement to identify any deficits in course offerings based
upon levels, types, and needs for adult education programs
identified in the consortia plans could prove difficult to
assess and require additional resources.
3)General Fund administrative costs to CDE potentially in the
range of $150,000 to $350,000 to implement the reporting
requirements of the bill. CDE did not receive additional
resources to implement the requirements of AB 86. The
department dedicated two consultants on a part-time basis
(approximately $100,000) to AB 86 consortium work. This bill
adds new requirements related to assessments, accountability
and fee recommendations that will likely result in additional
staff time and resources.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . The two largest providers of adult education are
school districts and community colleges. A 2012 report by the
Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) found that the two systems
have unclear lines of responsibility, an overly broad mission,
inconsistent state-level policies, lack of coordination among
providers, and limited student data, despite serving the same
student populations. The report suggested the system was in
need of comprehensive restructuring.
In recognition of some of these system challenges, the 2013-14
education budget trailer bill (AB 86, Chapter 48, Statutes of
2013) required the CDE and the CCC Chancellor's Office to
jointly implement an adult education planning process. The
legislation appropriated $25 million to distribute to regional
consortia to develop plans with the shared goal of better
serving the educational needs of California's adult learners.
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This bill enhances the reporting requirements of AB 86 to
provide guidelines and policy recommendations to the
Legislature regarding adult education in the areas of
assessment, performance accountability, teacher requirements,
and fee policies.
2)Adult programs and AB 86 focus . California adult education
schools offer the following 10 programs:
a) Adult Basic Education
b) English as a Second Language
c) High School Diploma or Adult Secondary Education,
including GED certification
d) Citizenship Preparation
e) Career Technical Education
f) Adults with Disabilities
g) Health and Safety
h) Parent Education
i) Home Economics
j) Courses for Older Adults
AB 86 required the consortia to address the following five
types of programs:
a) Elementary and secondary basic skills, including classes
required for a high school diploma
b) Classes and courses for immigrants in English as a
second language, citizenship, and workforce preparations
c) Education programs for adults with disabilities
d) Short-term career technical education programs with high
employment potential
e) Programs for apprentices
This bill extends the focus of AB 86 and does not address
other adult education courses, specifically: parenting, health
and safety, home economics and courses for older adults.
Nothing in this bill precludes adult education providers from
continuing to offer these courses.
Staff recommends a clarifying amendment to Education Code
52524 (b) to reference only those five areas of study in
paragraphs (2) through (6) of section 84757, making the bill
consistent with the focus of the AB 86 consortium.
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3)CTC reporting concerns . The CTC has indicated the reporting
deadline of July 1, 2015 does not allow for sufficient time to
meet, develop and report reciprocity standards for adult
education instruction. Staff recommends the committee extend
the deadline to July 1, 2016, as recommended by the CTC.
Analysis Prepared by : Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081