California Assembly Bill AB451 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 451AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE FEBRUARY 22, 2010 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member  De Leon   Portantino  FEBRUARY 24, 2009  An act to amend Sections 52055.57 and 52059 of, and to add Section 52055.575 to, the Education Code, relating to public school accountability.   An act to add Section 13998 to the Government Code, relating to economic development.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 451, as amended,  De Leon   Portantino  .  Public school accountability: grants.   Economic development: research.   The California Council on Science and Technology is a nonprofit corporation organized pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code. Existing law provides that the council was established at the request of the Legislature for the specific purpose of offering expert advice to state government on public policy issues significantly related to science and technology.   This bill would request that the council undertake an assessment of, and report to the Legislature with recommendations on how to improve the global competitiveness of the state's science and technology economy. The bill would authorize the council to convene a panel of experts to conduct the assessment and to draft the report.   (1) The Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999 requires the State Department of Education to identify local educational agencies that are in danger of being identified within 2 years as program improvement local educational agencies under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and to notify those local educational agencies, in writing, of this status and provide those local educational agencies with research-based criteria to conduct a voluntary self-assessment. The Public Schools Accountability Act requires a local educational agency identified as a program improvement local educational agency under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to perform specified tasks, including conducting a self-assessment and implementing a local educational agency plan. The Public Schools Accountability Act authorizes a local educational agency identified for corrective action and subject to a sanction to apply for a one-year, nonrenewable grant of federal improvement funding to assist in its improvement process. The Public Schools Accountability Act specifies the grant amount for each eligible local educational agency based on the severity of the agency's performance problems.   This bill would delete those requirements and increase the specified amounts for the one-year, nonrenewable grant. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education to consider whether the local educational agency received funding pursuant to (2) below when determining whether the local educational agency shall contract with a district assistance and intervention team or other technical assistance provider. For the 2009-10 fiscal year only, the bill would require that a local educational agency that received a sanction prior to January 1, 2010, and received a one-year, nonrenewable grant be provided with an additional one-time, nonrenewable grant of federal improvement funding, as specified.   (2) This bill would authorize a local educational agency that is not in corrective action and has schools under its jurisdiction in year 4 or 5 and beyond of program improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind Act to apply for a one-year, nonrenewable grant of federal improvement funding in the amount of $150,000 to assist in improving those schools and would authorize the agency to expend the grant funding over the time period allowable under federal law. As a condition of receiving funding, the bill would require a local educational agency to comply with specified requirements, including providing schools in year 4 or 5 and beyond of program improvement with funding to implement technical assistance, establishing a district school liaison team, ensuring that all pupils enrolled in a school in year 4 or 5 and beyond of program improvement continue to have the option to transfer to another public school served by the local educational agency, and ensuring that all pupils enrolled in a school in year 4 or 5 and beyond of program improvement continue to have supplemental educational services available to them. In allocating those funds, the bill would require the department to give first priority to schools in year 5 and beyond of program improvement under federal law. Educational agencies that receive funding must allocate a minimum of 85% of the grant to improve academic achievement of pupils, and may allocate 15% for technical assistance activities that benefit all program improvement schools, as specified. The bill would require local educational agencies that receive funds to provide annual evaluation reports containing specified data to the Superintendent. These provisions would become operative only if an appropriation is made for other purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.   (3) This bill also would make conforming changes.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:   (a) California has long been known as an international leader in science and technology. Whole industries, including the biotechnology, computer hardware, computer software, semiconductor, and wireless communication industries, have spawned from companies that started in California. These industries have helped build a vibrant state economy and have provided benefits to people around the globe.   (b) One of the catalysts for California's leadership in science and technology has been its long history of rich investment in science, technology, and higher education. However, the state's leadership in science and technology is threatened by an erosion of science, technology, and education infrastructure within the state.   (c) It is in the public interest to assess California's science and technology economy, plan for the future of that economy, and develop recommendations to improve the global competitiveness of, and to generate new employment opportunities within, that economy.   SEC. 2.   Section 13998 is added to the   Government Code   , to read:   13998. (a) The California Council on Science and Technology is hereby requested to undertake an assessment of the global competitiveness of the state's science and technology economy, and to report to the Legislature with recommendations on how to improve the global competitiveness of the state's science and technology economy. The assessment and report may include, but are not limited to, all of the following: (1) A discussion of the status of the state's science and technology economy. (2) A discussion of the changing nature of science and technology in the 21st century. (3) A directory of public and private innovation facilities and infrastructure in the state. (4) A comprehensive plan for future public and private investments in the state's science and technology economy. (5) Recommendations for new strategies and methodologies to improve the global competitiveness of the state's science and technology economy. (6) Recommendations for generating new employment opportunities within the state's science and technology economy. (b) The California Council on Science and Technology may convene a panel of science and technology experts to conduct the assessment and to draft the report. These experts may include, but are not limited to, individuals with expertise in science and technology from industry, colleges and universities, and research laboratories. (c) The assessment and report may be completed within one year of being awarded.  All matter omitted in this version of the bill appears in the bill as amended in the Assembly, June 1, 2009. (JR11)