California Assembly Bill AB1523 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1523AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 2, 2012 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 17, 2012 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 9, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Perea JANUARY 18, 2012 An act to add Article 7.6 (commencing with Section 54755) to Chapter 9 of Part 29 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to career technical education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1523, as amended, Perea. Career technical education: transportation for the 21st century partnership academies. Existing law provides for the establishment of partnership academies by participating school districts and establishes criteria qualifying pupils in grades 10, 11, and 12 for enrollment in the academies. Existing law establishes the parameters for the Superintendent of Public Instruction to issue grants to school districts maintaining high schools that meet the partnership academy eligibility requirements. This bill would establish one new category of partnership academies, the transportation for the 21st century partnership academy. Commencing with the  2012-13   2013-14  school year, when funds become available for additional partnership academies, as specified, the Superintendent would be required to issue grants for the establishment of partnership academies in each geographical area of the California High-Speed Rail Project's planned 10 project sections, and would be required to give priority to partnership academies dedicated to educating pupils in transportation for the 21st century. The selection of school districts to establish the new partnership academies and the planning and development of the new partnership academies would be required to be conducted pursuant to the procedures and requirements established for all partnership academies under existing law. The bill would provide that the funding priorities it creates may be satisfied when the specified number of transportation for the 21st century partnership academies are funded, as specified. The bill, in the event a school district applies to convert an existing school program to a transportation for the 21st century partnership academy and meets all the specified criteria for that new partnership academy, would authorize the  department   State Department of Education  , in coordination with the Superintendent, to provide that academy with first-year implementation funds. In order to be eligible for funding for a transportation for the 21st century partnership academy, the bill would require the coursework and internship or preapprenticeship programs of the proposed academy to focus on the use of environmentally sound technologies and practices.  This   The  bill would require staff development opportunities to be included in the academy plans. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Article 7.6 (commencing with Section 54755) is added to Chapter 9 of Part 29 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read: Article 7.6. Transportation for the 21st Century Partnership Academies 54755. (a) Commencing with the  2012-13   2013-14  school year, when funds become available for additional partnership academies within the total number of grants available for all partnership academies pursuant to Section 54691, the Superintendent shall issue grants for the establishment of partnership academies and shall give priority to the establishment of partnership academies dedicated to educating pupils in transportation for the 21st century until no less than one transportation for the 21st century partnership academy has been established in each geographical area of the California High-Speed Rail Project's planned 10 project sections. The academies may include, but are not limited to, educating pupils in construction, engineering, operations, maintenance, manufacturing of rolling stock, mechanical functions, equipment operations, and information technology. (b) (1) The selection of school districts to establish the transportation for the 21st century partnership academies and the planning and development of the transportation for the 21st century partnership academies shall be conducted pursuant to the procedures and requirements established in Section 54691 for all partnership academies. The planning grants shall be made available for academies pursuant to this article from the total number of grants established pursuant to Section 54691. (2) In the event a school district applies to convert an existing school program to a partnership academy and meets all the criteria for a partnership academy pursuant to Section 54692 and paragraph (3), the department, in coordination with the Superintendent, may provide that academy with first-year implementation funds, as appropriate. (3) (A) In order to be eligible for funding pursuant to this article, the coursework and internship or preapprenticeship programs of the proposed academy shall focus on the use of environmentally sound technologies and practices. The proposed academy shall demonstrate this through its efforts to obtain input from environmental industry, utilities, and professional trade organizations. (B) Staff development opportunities also shall be included in the academy plans to ensure that teaching staff has the opportunity to be educated in the use of emerging technologies and to become familiar with new materials and current practices in the field. (c) The priority established in this section may be satisfied when the specified number of transportation for the 21st century partnership academies meeting the requirements of this article are funded by any of, or a combination of, funds appropriated for the establishment of partnership academies.