California Senate Bill SB253 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 253AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 15, 2009 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 29, 2009 AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 31, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Senator Wyland FEBRUARY 24, 2009 An act to add Section  52377.5   52377.3  to the Education Code, relating to career technical education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 253, as amended, Wyland. Career technical education: recognition certificates. Existing law authorizes a school district to issue diplomas or certificates evidencing the completion of a prescribed course of study following a pupil's satisfactory completion of that course of study. This bill would authorize a school district or county office of education to offer a pupil a career technical education certificate if the pupil meets specified requirements, including completion of 4 semester-long career technical education courses, a structured work-based learning experience, and a related culminating project. The bill would prohibit the award of a career technical education certificate awarded under the bill from being construed as equivalent to the award of a high school diploma or as a change to the statutory curriculum or compulsory education requirements. 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. Section  52377.5   52377.3  is added to the Education Code, to read:  52377.5.   52377.3.  (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a school district or county office of education may award a pupil a career technical education certificate if all of the following requirements are met: (1) The pupil has satisfactorily completed four semester-long career technical education courses. To the extent possible, the courses shall be within the same industry sector as identified in the California Career Technical Education Model Curriculum standards adopted by the state board. (2) The pupil has satisfactorily participated in a structured work-based learning experience related to the career technical education courses. (3) The pupil has satisfactorily completed a culminating project related to the career technical education courses. (b) The award of a career technical education certificate under this section shall in no way be construed as equivalent to the award of a high school diploma or as a change to the requirements of Section 48200 or 51225.3.