BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1221
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 1221 (Hancock)
As Amended July 2, 2014
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :25-10
EDUCATION 6-1 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Buchanan, Ch�vez, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Gonzalez, Nazarian, | |Bradford, |
| |Weber, Williams | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Eggman, Gomez, Holden, |
| | | |Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Weber |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Olsen |Nays:|Bigelow, Donnelly, Jones, |
| | | |Linder, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Modifies eligibility, types of grants, amount of
grants, and outcome measures of the After School Education and
Safety (ASES), the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st
CCLC), and the 21st Century After School Safety and Enrichment
for Teens (ASSETs) programs. Specifically, this bill :
Makes the following changes to the ASES program:
1)Replaces references to "direct grants" with "after school
grants."
2)Establishes a minimum total after school grant amount for each
schoolsite by multiplying the applicable rate per pupil per
day of pupil attendance by 20 pupils being served for 180
regular school days.
3)Authorizes additional funding, not to exceed $15,000 per site,
per school year, to be provided for transportation in programs
located in an area that has a population density of less than
11 persons per square miles. Requires programs to submit to
the California Department of Education (CDE) for consideration
evidence of the need for after school transportation funds.
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Authorizes transportation funds to be used to supplement, but
not supplant, local transportation services.
4)Deletes intent statement that a grantee who serves additional
pupils by operating a longer day program not receive
additional funding for this purpose.
5)Authorizes, to the extent consistent with federal and state
privacy laws, local educational agencies to submit pupil data
to an operator of a summer program, and changes references to
the "Standardized Testing and Reporting program (STAR)" to
"statewide test and assessment scores."
Changes to the 21st CCLC program:
6)Modifies legislative intent to express the intent of the
Legislature for the 21st CCLC program to provide year-round
opportunities for expanded learning.
7)Deletes federal grants for family literacy services and
reduces from 10 to five the minimum percentage of federal
funds that are to be available for grants for equitable access
or family literacy services. Rather than providing grants
specifically for family literacy, this bill deems, in
accordance with federal law, federal funding for programs that
promote parent involvement and family literacy as allowable
uses of funds designated for technical assistance, evaluation
and training services.
8)Gives priority to grant applications that will provide
year-round expanded learning programming. Defines "year-round
expanded learning programs" as any combination of an applicant
that offers summer programming to complement existing after
school programs, or an applicant that offers after school
programs to complement existing summer programs. Specifies
that the applicant is not required to be the same entity that
operates the existing program, but requires the applicant to
identify the grantee with whom the applicant is coordinating
for the purpose of providing year-round programming.
9)Replaces references to "core funding" with "after school
funding."
Changes to the ASSETs program:
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10)Revises the purpose of the ASSETs program as assisting pupils
to pass the high school exit exam and instead states the
purpose of ASSETs as supporting college and career readiness.
11)Strikes the provision requiring priority for funding to be
given to programs that serve pupils attending a school in the
lowest three deciles of the most recent score on the Academic
Performance Index (API) and instead requires priority for
funding to be given to programs that previously received
funding.
12)Strikes obsolete provisions.
Changes to all three programs:
13)Requires an application to certify collection and use of
pupil social, behavioral, or skill development data collection
to support quality program improvement processes. These pupil
data outcomes may relate to specific social-emotional
competencies, including, but not necessarily limited to,
social skills, self-control, academic mindset, perseverance,
conflict resolution, and school-connectedness.
14)Strikes as consideration of outcomes STAR test scores,
positive behavioral changes, homework completion rates, and
skill development as reported by schoolday teacher or after
school staff, and instead requires programs to submit evidence
of a data-driven program quality improvement process that is
based on the CDE's guidance on program quality standards,
using unique statewide pupil identifiers.
15)Defines "expanded learning" as before school, after school,
summer, or intersession learning programs that focus on
developing the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs
and interests of pupils through hands-on, engaging learning
experiences. Expresses the intent of the Legislature that
expanded learning programs be pupil-centered, results driven,
include community partners, and complement, but do not
replicate, learning activities in the regular schoolday and
school year.
16)Replaces references to "supplemental grant" with "summer
grant."
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17)Defines "summer grant" as funding to operate any program in
excess of 180 regular schooldays or during any combination of
summer, intersession, or vacation periods.
18)Modifies the maximum summer grant from a maximum of 30% of
the total grant amount awarded per school year, to either a
maximum of 30% of the total grant amount awarded per school
year or $33,750 for each regular school year for each
elementary school and $45,000 for each regular school year for
each middle or junior high school.
19)Requires the CDE to submit a biennial report to the
Legislature related to the students attending expanded
learning programs and the quality of those programs. Requires
the report to include data using the statewide unique student
identifier and authorizes the inclusion of aggregate reporting
of all of the following:
a) The number, geographical distribution and type of sites
and grantees.
b) Student attendance in the program and regular schoolday.
c) Statewide test and assessment scores.
d) Student demographics and characteristics.
e) Student behavior changes and skill development.
f) The quality of the program based on CDE's guidance on
program quality standards.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Potential loss of General Fund/Proposition 98 of 1988 savings
in the range of $10 million to $12 million annually. The
policy changes in this bill will likely result in less ASES
funding reverting to the General Fund, which has been used for
other education priorities in prior years. For example, the
2014-15 Budget Act re-appropriated $22.5 million from unspent
ASES funds to support other educational priorities, including
the Emergency Repair Program and the California School
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Information Services.
2)Proposition 98/General Fund cost pressure, potentially in the
millions of dollars, to provide minimum grant funding,
transportation grant funding and year-round expanded learning
programs, to the extent existing state and federal after
school funds do not cover these costs. Although the ASES
program reverts unused funding annually to the General Fund,
it is not clear if the policy changes in this bill will result
in expenditures that exceed these annual reversions.
Currently, demand for federal 21st CCLC funding exceeds
available resources.
3)Minor General Fund administrative cost savings to the extent
new reporting requirements streamline the CDE grant monitoring
activities.
COMMENTS : ASES program: The ASES program, passed by voters as
Proposition 49 in 2002, provides almost $550 million annually
for before and after school programs for kindergarten through
grade 9 students. In fiscal year (FY) 2010-11, 450
predominantly districts and county offices of education received
grants, although local governments and nonprofit organizations
working in partnership with local educational agencies may also
apply. After school programs must commence right after school
and at least until six p.m. for 15 hours per week.
The program requires before school programs to operate one and a
half hours a day and after school programs to operate after
school until six p.m. for a minimum of 15 hours per week. ASES
grantees can request supplemental grants in order to operate for
more than 180 days or to operate during summer, intersession or
vacation.
21st CCLC program. In addition to the funds generated by
Proposition 49, the state also receives approximately $130
million annually in federal funds for the 21st CCLC program,
which provides funding for before and after school activities to
pupils in kindergarten through grade 12. The state has chosen
to implement this program almost identical to the state's ASES
program.
ASSETs. The ASSETs program provides grants up to $250,000 per
school site based on $10 per student per day, to serve pupils in
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grades 9 through 12. The program may operate after school only,
or after school and during any combination of before school,
weekends, summer, intersession, and vacation, for at least 15
hours per week, and may operate on one or multiple sites.
According to the CDE, in fiscal year 2012-13, $60.9 million of
the $128 million in federal funds was directed to the ASSETs
program, allocated to 345 sites serving 45,817 students.
This bill, co-sponsored by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction Tom Torlakson and the Partnership for Children and
Youth, makes a number of changes to the ASES, 21st CCLC and the
ASSETs programs. Some of the changes affect all three programs.
The major changes include the following:
New minimum grant. Under the ASES program, direct grants are
provided in three one-year increments with maximum grants at
$112,500 per year for elementary schools and $150,000 per year
for middle or junior high schools based on a per pupil amount of
$7.50 per day. This bill changes "direct grants" to "after
school grants" and establishes a minimum amount for each
schoolsite by providing an amount equal to attendance by 20
pupils, even if there are less than 20 pupils in attendance.
According to the CDE, this is to provide funding to assist small
programs with attendance too low to generate grant funding
sufficient to operate a viable program. The amount is based on
the requirement of a staff-to-pupil ratio of 20 to one. It is
unclear how many applicants will be eligible for the minimum
grant, or how many participants these programs will enroll.
New transportation grant. This bill authorizes additional funds
under the ASES program, up to $15,000 per site, to be provided
to enable programs located in areas with a population density of
less than 11 persons per square miles to provide transportation.
This is to enable programs in extreme rural areas to transport
students to an after school program.
Summer grants. Current law authorizes an ASES and 21st CCLC
grantee to receive a supplemental grant to operate in excess of
180 days or during any combination of summer, intersession, or
vacation for a minimum of three hours per day for an after
school program and two hours a day for a before school program.
The grant amount is either $7.50 per pupil per day, or 30% of
the total grant amount awarded to the school per school year,
whichever is less. This bill changes "supplemental grant" to
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"summer grant," although the purposes for which the grant is
provided remains unchanged (grants can be used for intersession
or vacation, in addition to summer). According to the sponsor,
the majority of grants are used for summer programs. The term
clarifies the use of grants. This bill also changes the grant
amount for summer grants by providing a maximum of $33,750 for
each school year for elementary schools and $45,000 for middle
or junior high schools. This is to determine a grant amount for
programs that may not already have an after school grant.
Priority for programs providing year-round programs. This bill
requires priority for 21st CCLC grants to be awarded to programs
that will provide year-round expanded learning programs, defined
as a program that offers year-round programming, an applicant
adding summer programming to complement existing after school
programs or an applicant adding after school programs to
complement existing summer programs. This bill also specifies
that the applicant is not required to be the same entity that
operates the existing program. According to the sponsor, this
is to enable an applicant coordinating with existing providers
to fill a gap. For example, a school may operate an after
school program, but does not offer a summer program. A separate
organization may submit an application to provide the summer
program.
Family literacy. Federal law allows 21st CCLC funds to be used
for family literacy services. California has chosen to set
aside at least 10% of federal 21st CCLC funds to provide
equitable access and participation in CCLC programs and grants
to provide family literacy services. The author and sponsors
believe that these funds are better used for pupil
participation. This bill incorporates parent involvement and
family literacy as authorized used of grant funds, and reduces
from 10% to 5% the amount reserved for grants to provide
equitable access and participation in CCLC programs. These
grant funds are primarily used for transportation and language
translation services.
Program evaluation. Current law requires programs to submit
annual outcome-based data for evaluating program effectiveness,
including academic performance, impact on school attendance,
pupil behavioral changes, STAR test results, and for the ASSETs
program, performance on the high school exit exam. This bill
strikes these requirements, and instead, requires grantees to
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submit, using the unique statewide pupil identifiers, schoolday
attendance on an annual basis, program attendance on a
semiannual basis, and evidence of a data-driven program quality
improvement process that is based on CDE's guidance on program
quality standards. In 2012, the CDE contracted with the
California Afterschool Network Quality Committee to develop
recommendations for determining quality in California after
school programs. In 2013, a report, Quality Standards for
Expanded Learning, was released that recommended the use of 12
quality standards, including: safe and supportive environment;
active and engaged learning; skill building; youth voice and
leadership; healthy choices and behaviors; quality staff;
diversity, access and equity; clear vision, mission and purpose;
collaborative partnerships; continuous quality improvement;
program management; and sustainability. A "Phase II" workgroup
has since begun the development of indicators of quality
standards and a matrix of existing quality assessment tools.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson states,
"Expanded learning programs - before and after school, summer,
and intersession programs - show positive impacts on students,
including: improved school attendance, English fluency,
academic success, and social-emotional skill development. In
California, state and federally-funded expanded learning
programs serve approximately 420,000 students in nearly 4,500
programs across the state. Developed in collaboration with the
expanded learning community, SB 1221 would simplify and improve
state and local program administration and update state and
local reporting requirements to more effectively support program
quality improvement."
Analysis Prepared by : Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0004757