BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Carol Liu, Chair
2013-2014 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 1023
AUTHOR: Liu
INTRODUCED: February 14, 2014
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: March 26, 2014
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Lynn Lorber
NOTE : This bill has been referred to the Committees on
Education and Human Services. A "do pass" motion should
include referral to the Committee on Human Services.
SUBJECT : Community colleges: support services for foster
youth.
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the Chancellor's Office of the California
Community Colleges, in cooperation with the Department of
Social Services and county child welfare agencies, to enter
into agreements to provide additional funds for services in
support of foster youth.
BACKGROUND
EOPS
Current law establishes the Community College Extended
Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) to increase the
enrollment of students who are affected by language, social and
economic disadvantages, improve the delivery of programs and
services to the disadvantaged, and increase the number of
students who successfully complete their chosen educational
objectives, are placed into career employment, and transfer to
four-year institutions. EOPS is to supplement the regular
educational programs of the community college. (Education Code
� 69640-69656)
A student must meet the following to be eligible for EOPS:
1) Be a resident of California.
2) Be enrolled full-time (12 units); the EOPS director is
authorized to allow up to 10% of EOPS students to be
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enrolled in nine units.
3) Not have completed more than 70 units of degree applicable
credit coursework.
4) Qualify to receive a Board of Governors Grant
(low-income).
5) Be educationally disadvantaged as determined by the EOPS
director. (California Code of Regulations, Title 5, �
56220)
To remain eligible for EOPS, a student must apply for financial
aid, maintain academic progress, and complete and meet an
educational plan and responsibility agreement. (5 CCR � 56222)
CARE
Current law authorizes the Chancellor's office, in cooperation
with the Department of Social Services and Employment
Development Department, to enter into agreements with community
college districts that have established cooperative agencies
resources for education (CARE) programs. The purpose of the
CARE program is to provide additional funds for support
services that are to include at a minimum child care and
transportation allowances, books and supplies, counseling, and
other related services. Community college districts are
authorized to apply for funds by providing specific information
such as how many students will be served and the level of
cooperation with other agencies serving the students.
Participants in CARE must be at least 18 years of age, be a
single head-of-household, be receiving public assistance, and
desire to complete his/her high school education or pursue a
job-related curriculum The Board of Governors is required to
adopt guidelines and be responsible for the administration of
funds for the CARE program. (EC � 79150-79155)
Student Success
Current law established the Student Success Act, which applies
to all community college students, for the purpose of
increasing student access and success by providing effective
core matriculation services, including orientation, assessment
and placement, counseling and other education planning services
and academic interventions. Community colleges have the
responsibility to provide student services and support,
including orientation, assessment, counseling and education
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planning, referral to specialized support services, and
evaluation of each student's progress and referral to
appropriate interventions. Students have the responsibility to
identify an academic and career goal, declare a specific course
of study, be diligent in class attendance and completion of
assigned coursework, and complete courses and maintain academic
progress toward an educational goal.
(EC � 78210-78219; 5 CCR � 55500-55534)
ANALYSIS
This bill authorizes the Chancellor's Office of the California
Community Colleges, in cooperation with the Department of
Social Services and county child welfare agencies, to enter
into agreements to provide additional funds for services in
support of foster youth. Specifically, this bill:
1) Authorizes the Chancellor's Office of the California
Community Colleges, in cooperation with the Department of
Social Services and county child welfare agencies, to
enter into agreements to provide additional funds for
services in support of foster youth.
2) Authorizes a community college district to apply to the
Board of Governors for funding to administer this program.
The bill requires the application to:
a) Demonstrate that all existing
resources have been exhausted.
b) Provide the number of foster youth who
will be served.
c) Describe the extent of cooperation
between the local county child welfare department,
the State Department of Social Services (DSS), the
local EOPS, and the community college district.
3) Establishes eligibility for participation in this program
as a student meeting both of the following requirements:
a) Be a current or former foster youth in
California whose dependency was established by the
court on or after the youth's 16th birthday.
b) Be no older than 25 years of age at
the beginning of the academic year of participation.
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4) Authorizes the chancellor to allow students who are
enrolled in at least nine units per semester to
participate.
5) Requires support services to include but not be limited
to:
a) Child care and transportation allowances.
b) Allowances for books and supplies.
c) Counseling and mental health services.
d) Career counseling.
e) Matriculation and transfer counseling.
f) Monitoring of academic progress.
g) Tutoring and mentoring.
h) Independent living skills support.
i) Housing assistance.
j) Frequent in-person contact.
aa) Other related services.
6) Requires the Board of Governors (BOG), beginning January
31, 2017, and biennially thereafter, to submit a report to
the Governor, the education policy committees of the
Legislature, and California Child Welfare Council
describing its efforts to serve students who are current
and former foster youth. This bill requires the reports
to include a review on a campus-by-campus basis of the
enrollment, retention, transfer, and completion rates of
foster youth, including categorical funding of those
programs.
7) Requires the BOG, in conjunction with the DSS, to adopt
guidelines for this program, and requires the BOG to be
responsible for the administration of the program funds.
8) States legislative intent that any student who
participates in this program meet the requirements of the
Student Success Act, to the extent the community college
meets its responsibilities to provide support and services
to students.
9) States legislative findings and declarations relative to
the poor educational outcomes of foster youth.
10) Provides that this bill is to become operative in a fiscal
year only if the BOG certifies by resolution that
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sufficient funds have been appropriated for that fiscal
year.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need . According to a 2013 study, At Greater Risk:
California Foster Youth and the Path from High School to
College, youth in foster care were 47% less likely to
enter community college than the general student
population and 51% less likely to return after the first
year.
http://www.stuartfoundation.org/docs/default-document-libra
ry/at-greater-risk-california-foster-youth-and-the-path-fro
m-high-school-to-college.pdf?sfvrsn=6 This bill creates
an additional supplemental component of the community
college Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS),
which has shown to improve the academic success of
educationally disadvantaged students. The program
established by this bill is modeled upon the existing
cooperative agencies resources for education (CARE)
program, specifically to service students who are CalWORKs
recipient and single head of household, which is a
component of EOPS. The CARE program provides services and
support in addition to those provided through EOPS, such
as child care and transportation allowances, books and
supplies, counseling, and other services needed to meet
the needs of those students. These programs support
students in meeting their educational goals as well as the
requirements of the Student Success Act.
2) Unique needs . The Student Success Task Force reported
that students who maintained full-time enrollment (12
units) were more likely to meet their educational goals.
Current regulations establish eligibility for EOPS to
include full-time enrollment. However, a report cited
above found that maintaining full-time enrollment is an
obstacle for students who are current or former foster
youth; many do not continue to attend beyond the first
year. Consistent with regulations regarding students
receiving services from the community college Disabled
Student Programs and Services, this bill authorizes
students with at least nine units, rather than 12 units,
to participate at the discretion of the campus. The goal
is to provide the support and services to students
necessary to assist them in meeting the requirements of
the Student Success Act.
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3) Number of students and fiscal impact . The exact number of
current or former foster youth attending community college
is unknown because these students self-identify. Based on
data currently available from community colleges, it is
possible that approximately 16,000 current and former
foster youth would be eligible for the program established
by this bill. This bill provides that it is to be
implemented only if sufficient funds are appropriated.
The existing CARE program received $9.3 million in the
2013-14 fiscal year and served 6,482 students in the
2012-13 fiscal year.
4) Author's amendments . The author intends to amend this
bill as follows:
a) Clarify that the program established by this
bill is to expand the number of students receiving
services and specialized support, and not displace
other students.
b) Specify that funds to implement this program are
separate from the existing CARE funds.
c) Clarify which services are provided directly by
the community college and which are referrals to
other entities (such as housing).
d) Clarify that eligible foster youth are those
whose dependency was established or continued by the
court on or after the youth's 16 birthday.
e) Correct a drafting error to give authority for
carry fewer than 12 units to the EOPS director,
rather than the chancellor. This is consistent with
current law and regulations.
f) Strike the requirement that the Board of
Governor certify by resolution that sufficient funds
have been appropriated. The bill would continue to
provide that the bill be implemented only if
sufficient funds are appropriated, consistent with
current law regarding the CARE program.
SUPPORT
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Abode Services
Alameda County Office of Education
Alliance for Children's Rights
Aspiranet
Beyond Emancipation
Bienvenidos Children's Center
Bill Wilson Center
Butte College
Butte County Independent Living Program
California Alliance of Child and Family Services
California CASA Association
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State University, Chico
California State University, San Marcos
California Youth Connection
Camellia Network
CASA, Alameda
CASA, Amador
CASA, Butte and Glenn Counties
CASA, Contra Costa County
CASA, Del Norte County
CASA, Eastern Sierra
CASA, El Dorado
CASA, Fresno and Madera Counties
CASA, Kern County
CASA, Kings County
CASA, Lassen Family Services
CASA, Los Angeles
CASA, Marin
CASA, Mendocino and Lake Counties
CASA, Merced County
CASA, Monterey County
CASA, Orange County
CASA, Sacramento
CASA, San Benito County
CASA, San Bernardino County
CASA, San Francisco
CASA, San Joaquin County
CASA, San Luis Obispo County
CASA, San Mateo County
CASA, Santa Barbara County
CASA, Santa Cruz
CASA, Shasta County
CASA, Solano County
CASA, Sonoma County
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CASA, Stanislaus Couty
CASA, Tulare County
CASA, Ventura County
CASA, Yolo County
Cerritos College
Child Advocates of Nevada County
Child Advocates of Placer County
Child Advocates of Silicon Valley
Children's Hope Foster Family Agency
Children's Law Center of California
College of the Desert
College OPTIONS
County of Los Angeles, Department of Children and Family
Services
Court Appointed Special Advocates Program, Alameda County
Court Appointed Special Advocates Program, Santa Cruz County
Cuyamaca College Unlimited Potential Program
East Bay Children's Law Offices
Encompass Community Services
Evergreen Valley College
Every Child Foundation
Family Care Network, Inc.
First Place for Youth
Five Acres
Foster & Kinship Care Education Program, Los Rios Community
College District
Foster Care Counts
Gavilan College
Glenn County Office of Education
Hartnell College Foster & Kinship Care Education Program
Humboldt State University
Imperial County Behavioral Health Services
Imperial Valley College EOPS
Imperial Valley College, Financial Assistance Office
Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program
Larkin Street Youth Services
Legal Services for Children
Loyola Marymount University
National Association of Social Workers, California Chapter
National Center For Youth Law
National Council of Jewish Women-California
New Alternatives, Inc.
Norco College
Peacock Acres
Pepperdine University
Promises2Kids
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Public Counsel
Redwood Children's Services, Inc.
Redwood Community Action Agency
Richstone Family Center
Riverside Community College District
San Gabriel Children's Center
San Joaquin County Human Services Agency
San Jose State University Guardian Scholars Program
Santa Ana College
Santa Monica College Guardian Scholars Program
Shasta College
Shasta College
Shasta County Independent Living Program
SIATech
Skyline College
Social Advocates for Youth
Soroptimist International of Visalia
Southbay Community Services
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Riverside
Victor Valley Community College
W&W Community Development, Inc.
West Hills College Coalinga
West Los Angeles College
YWCA Santa Monica/Westside
OPPOSITION
None on file.