BILL NUMBER: AB 2446AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 31, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 2, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 15, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 28, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 24, 2010 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Furutani FEBRUARY 19, 2010 An act to amend, repeal, and add Section 51225.3 of the Education Code, relating to graduation requirements. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2446, as amended, Furutani. Graduation requirements. Existing law prohibits a pupil from receiving a diploma of graduation from high school unless he or she completes specified requirements, including, but not limited to, completing one course in visual or performing arts or foreign language. This bill, commencing with the 2011-12 school year and until July 1, 2016, would add completion of a course in career technical education, as defined, as an alternative to the requirement that a pupil complete a course in visual or performing arts or foreign language. This bill would provide that if the governing board of a school district or county office of education elects to offer career technical education courses pursuant to these provisions, that prior to offering these career technical education courses, the governing board of the school district or county office of education would be required, at a regularly scheduled board meeting, to provide parents, teachers, pupils, and the public with specified information relating to the impact that offering these courses would have on graduation requirements and admission requirements to the California State University and the University of California. The bill would require the State Department of Education to report to the Legislature, on or be fore January 1, 2015, specified information relating to this alternative means of satisfying the requirement. The bill would authorize the Superintendent of Public Instruction to use existing state resources and federal funds for purposes of completing the report, and to apply for and receive grants and donations if existing resources are not available or sufficient. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:noyes . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares the following: (1) The foundational principle of the Education Code is that all pupils shall have access to equitable educational opportunities and resources. (2) The future of the state is dependent upon minimizing, if not entirely alleviating, the inequities in our public schools so that all pupils will have more equitable opportunities to learn skills needed for entry into the workforce, to pursue postsecondary educational goals, and to contribute to the social cohesion of the state. (3) Current law specifies the courses a pupil must complete to graduate from high school. However, too many pupils are dropping out of high school or graduating without the necessary foundation to succeed in the workplace or in postsecondary education. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that: (1) By specifying the types of coursework that pupils must complete in order to graduate, pupils will have world class skills and the workforce of the state will be competitive in the global economy. (2) Pupils will be prepared to meet the academic and technical skills challenges of the high school curriculum and that they will take advantage of the range of course options available to them. (3) In order to increase the rigor of the coursework and to ensure that pupils are prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century, the courses required for high school graduation must be aligned with the standards and frameworks that are adopted by the state board. (c) It is further the intent of the Legislature that the decision by a school district or county office of education to designate a career technical education course or courses as satisfying a high school graduation requirement pursuant to subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 51225.3 of the Education Code not diminish the visual or performing arts requirements or foreign language requirements for admission to the California State University or the University of California. SEC. 2. Section 51225.3 of the Education Code is amended to read: 51225.3. (a) A pupil shall complete all of the following while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school: (1) At least the following numbers of courses in the subjects specified, each course having a duration of one year, unless otherwise specified: (A) Three courses in English. (B) Two courses in mathematics. (C) Two courses in science, including biological and physical sciences. (D) Three courses in social studies, including United States history and geography; world history, culture, and geography; a one-semester course in American government and civics; and a one-semester course in economics. (E) One course in visual or performing arts, foreign language, or, commencing with the 2011-12 school year, career technical education. (i) For the purposes of satisfying the requirement specified in this subparagraph, a course in American Sign Language shall be deemed a course in foreign language. (ii) For purposes of this subparagraph, "a course in career technical education" means a course in a district-operated career technical education program that is aligned to the career technical model curriculum standards and framework adopted by the state board, including courses through a regional occupational program or center operated by a county superintendent of schools or pursuant to a joint powers agreement. (iii) This subparagraph does not require a school or school district that currently does not offer career technical education courses to start new career technical education programs for purposes of this section. (iv) A school district or county office of education that currently does not offer career technical education courses and elects to offer career technical education courses that a pupil may complete to satisfy the graduation requirement specified in this subparagraph shall fund new career technical education courses within existing resources and shall be prohibited from requiring supplemental reimbursement from the state. (v) If a school district or county office of education elects to allow a career technical education course to satisfy the requirement imposed by this subparagraph, the governing board of the school district or county office of education, prior to offering that alternative to pupils, shall notify parents, teachers, pupils, and the public at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing board about all of the following: (I) The intent to offer career technical education courses to fulfill the graduation requirement specified in this subparagraph. (II) The impact that offering career technical education courses, pursuant to this subparagraph, will have on the availability of courses that meet the eligibility requirements for admission to the University of California and the California State University, and whether the career technical education courses to be offered pursuant to this subparagraph are approved to satisfy those eligibility requirements. (III) The distinction, if any, between the high school graduation requirements of the school district or county office of education and the eligibility requirements for admission to the University of California and the California State University. (vi) This subdivision does not diminish any existing requirements prescribed by Section 51228. (F) Two courses in physical education, unless the pupil has been exempted pursuant to the provisions of this code. (2) Other coursework requirements adopted by the governing board of the school district. (b) The governing board, with the active involvement of parents, administrators, teachers, and pupils, shall adopt alternative means for pupils to complete the prescribed course of study that may include practical demonstration of skills and competencies, supervised work experience or other outside school experience, career technical education classes offered in high schools, courses offered by regional occupational centers or programs, interdisciplinary study, independent study, and credit earned at a postsecondary institution. Requirements for graduation and specified alternative modes for completing the prescribed course of study shall be made available to pupils, parents, and the public. (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a school district shall exempt a pupil in foster care from all coursework and other requirements adopted by the governing board of the district that are in addition to the statewide coursework requirements specified in this section if the pupil, while he or she is in grade 11 or 12, transfers into the district from another school district or between high schools within the district, unless the district makes a finding that the pupil is reasonably able to complete the additional requirements in time to graduate from high school while he or she remains eligible for foster care benefits pursuant to state law. A school district shall notify a pupil in foster care who is granted an exemption pursuant to this subdivision, and, as appropriate, the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the pupil, if any of the requirements that are waived will affect the pupil's ability to gain admission to a postsecondary educational institution and shall provide information about transfer opportunities available through the California Community Colleges. (d) On or before January 1, 2015, the department shall report to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature all of the following information: (1) The number of pupils who took a career technical education course in order to fulfill the requirement specified in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). A school district may report this number through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System. (2) Reasons given by pupils for choosing to enroll in a career technical education course to satisfy the requirement specified in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). (3) The type and number of career technical education courses that were available for pupil enrollment. (4) The number of career technical education courses that satisfied the subject matter requirements for admission to the University of California or the California State University. (5) The extent to which the career technical education courses addressed local workforce needs. (6) The impact on visual and performing arts and foreign language courses that resulted from pupils choosing to enroll in career technical education courses to satisfy the graduation requirement specified in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). (7) Annual pupil dropout and graduation rates for the 2010-11 to 2013-14 school years, inclusive. (e) For purposes of completing the report described in subdivision (d), the Superintendent may use existing state resources and federal funds. If state or federal funds are not available or sufficient, the Superintendent may apply for and accept grants, and receive donations and other financial support from public or private sources for purposes of this section. (f) For purposes of completing the report described in subdivision (d), the Superintendent may accept support, including, but not limited to, financial and technical support, from high school reform advocates, teachers, chamber organizations, industry representatives, research centers, parents, and pupils.(d)(g) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2016, and, as of January 1, 2017, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2017, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed. SEC. 3. Section 51225.3 is added to the Education Code, to read: 51225.3. (a) A pupil shall complete all of the following while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school: (1) At least the following numbers of courses in the subjects specified, each course having a duration of one year, unless otherwise specified: (A) Three courses in English. (B) Two courses in mathematics. (C) Two courses in science, including biological and physical sciences. (D) Three courses in social studies, including United States history and geography; world history, culture, and geography; a one-semester course in American government and civics; and a one-semester course in economics. (E) One course in visual or performing arts or foreign language. For the purposes of satisfying the requirement specified in this subparagraph, a course in American Sign Language shall be deemed a course in foreign language. (F) Two courses in physical education, unless the pupil has been exempted pursuant to the provisions of this code. (2) Other coursework requirements adopted by the governing board of the school district. (b) The governing board, with the active involvement of parents, administrators, teachers, and pupils, shall adopt alternative means for pupils to complete the prescribed course of study that may include practical demonstration of skills and competencies, supervised work experience or other outside school experience, career technical education classes offered in high schools, courses offered by regional occupational centers or programs, interdisciplinary study, independent study, and credit earned at a postsecondary institution. Requirements for graduation and specified alternative modes for completing the prescribed course of study shall be made available to pupils, parents, and the public. (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a school district shall exempt a pupil in foster care from all coursework and other requirements adopted by the governing board of the district that are in addition to the statewide coursework requirements specified in this section if the pupil, while he or she is in grade 11 or 12, transfers into the district from another school district or between high schools within the district, unless the district makes a finding that the pupil is reasonably able to complete the additional requirements in time to graduate from high school while he or she remains eligible for foster care benefits pursuant to state law. A school district shall notify a pupil in foster care who is granted an exemption pursuant to this subdivision, and, as appropriate, the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the pupil, if any of the requirements that are waived will affect the pupil's ability to gain admission to a postsecondary educational institution and shall provide information about transfer opportunities available through the California Community Colleges. (d) This section shall become operative July 1, 2016.