BILL NUMBER: AB 2682ENROLLED BILL TEXT PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 25, 2010 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 27, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 20, 2010 AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 15, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 28, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 12, 2010 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Block FEBRUARY 19, 2010 An act to add Section 78219 to the Education Code, relating to community colleges. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2682, Block. Community colleges: student assessments: pilot project: California Community Colleges Common Assessment. Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. The Seymour-Campbell Matriculation Act of 1986 requires, contingent on the appropriation of funds for the purposes of the act, matriculation services to be made available by the colleges. The act requires those services to include assessment and counseling upon enrollment, including administration of assessment instruments to determine student competency in computational and language skills. This bill would include in that act a requirement for the board to establish a pilot project, with specified objectives, that seeks to create a centrally delivered system of student assessment to be used as one of multiple measures, consistent with specified law, for the purposes of community college placement and advisement. The bill would require the board to convene an advisory committee for the pilot project and report on specified progress by February 28, 2011. The bill would require the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in developing the California Community Colleges Common Assessment, to use the existing test item banks created by the California State University and the K-12 system as part of the state's college readiness assessment. The bill would require the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to work with the California State University to align and leverage the state's college readiness assessment to facilitate the implementation of the California Community Colleges Common Assessment. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 78219 is added to the Education Code, to read: 78219. (a) The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges shall establish a pilot project that seeks to create a centrally delivered system of student assessment to be used as one of multiple measures, consistent with existing regulations, for the purposes of community college placement and advisement. The pilot project shall include all of the following objectives: (1) Creation of a centrally delivered system of student assessment that provides a single assessment instrument for use by community colleges in the curriculum areas of English, mathematics, and English as a second language. (2) Creation of a secure, centrally housed assessment test data warehouse that shall collect both of the following: (A) All available assessment scores generated by assessed students at all participating community colleges. (B) All available K-12 assessment data and transcript information for students at all participating community colleges. The use of this data shall be limited to placing and advising community college students to enhance their success with and completion of their postsecondary education objectives. (3) Creation of an Internet Web portal that can be accessed by community college personnel and students and that provides all of the following: (A) An assessment profile, generated for each student upon request, which includes all assessment information available in the data warehouse created pursuant to paragraph (2). This profile shall be accessible for counseling, matriculation, and course placement purposes. (B) A pretest application that emulates the structure of the centrally delivered student assessment created pursuant to paragraph (1) that students can practice on and familiarize themselves with before taking future assessments. (C) An advisement tool that provides students with information on historical success rates of remedial courses for students at various levels of academic remediation. (b) The board shall convene an advisory committee for the pilot project established pursuant to subdivision (a) that includes, but is not limited to, representatives from all of the following entities: (1) The office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. (2) The Legislative Analyst's Office. (3) The Department of Finance. (4) The State Department of Education. (5) The Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges. (6) The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges. (7) The California Community Colleges Matriculation Professionals Association. (c) The board shall report on progress made on the pilot project established pursuant to subdivision (a) on or before February 28, 2011. The report shall include all of the following: (1) The estimated costs for full implementation of the centralized delivery and warehousing of assessment instruments required pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a). (2) The technical feasibility of expanding the pilot project established pursuant to subdivision (a). (3) Feedback on any potential legislative changes needed to deliver test scores to and from the data warehouse created pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a). (4) The best model for providing ongoing funding for the pilot project established pursuant to subdivision (a). (d) In developing the California Community Colleges Common Assessment, the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall use the existing test item banks created by the California State University and the K-12 system as part of the state' s college readiness assessment, including, but not necessarily limited to, the Early Assessment Program. (e) The Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the California State University shall work together to align and leverage the state's college readiness assessment, including the Early Assessment Program, to facilitate the effective and economical implementation of the California Community Colleges Common Assessment.