California Assembly Bill AB2534 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2534AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 5, 2012 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 20, 2012 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 29, 2012 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Block FEBRUARY 24, 2012 An act to add and repeal Section 78016.7 of the Education Code, relating to the California Community Colleges. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2534, as amended, Block. The California Community Colleges: veterans  career technical  education pilot program. 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. Existing law establishes community college districts, administered by a governing board, throughout the state, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction to students at the community college campuses maintained by the districts. This bill would require the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to establish a voluntary pilot program, until January 1,  2021, for purposes of authorizing a community college district to establish and maintain a career technical education program that factors experiential learning for veterans   2018, to identify, explore, and develop best practices for statewide policy on credit for experiential learning for veterans  for career technical education course credit, certificates, and associate degrees. The bill would require the chancellor to consider specified information to select no more than 3 to 5 applicant campuses to participate in the pilot program.  The bill would require participating community college districts to report specified information to the Office of the Chancellor, which would be required to provide that information to the Legislative Analyst's Office by July 1, 2017.  The bill would require the Legislative Analyst's Office  to use this information  to provide a report to the Legislature that  evaluates the pilot program  assesses the pilot program's effect on student veterans' success in reaching their educational goals  , as specified, by  June 30, 2020   December 1, 2017  . 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.   The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) The California Community Colleges, with their mission to serve all Californians, have opened their doors to military veterans returning from a decade of combat service across the world. (b) The California Community Colleges, in serving this veteran population, should identify, explore, and develop best practices for statewide policy on credit for experiential learning for military veterans through a pilot program. (c) Where possible, community colleges participating in this pilot program should recognize the federal training and education received by veterans and identify course options to expedite the attainment of degree and certificate goals by military veterans.   SEC. 2.   SECTION 1.  Section 78016.7 is added to the Education Code, to read: 78016.7. (a) The Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall establish a voluntary pilot program  for purposes of authorizing a community college district to establish and maintain a career technical education program that factors experiential learning for veterans  to identify, explore, and develop best practices for a statewide policy on awarding credit for experiential learning for veterans  for career technical education course credit, certificates, and associate degrees. (b) The governing board of a community college district may apply for a campus within its district to be selected to participate in the pilot program, and the chancellor shall select no more than three to five of those campuses to participate in the pilot program. In selecting campuses for the pilot program, the chancellor shall consider all of the following: (1) The geographic, socioeconomic, and demographic diversity of students attending the campus. (2) The percentage of veterans on a campus and a campus' existing veteran services and programs. (3) The community college district's program and planning capacity. (4) The potential for support from funding partners in industry, the military, labor, or other private funding sources to reduce the cost of attendance for students participating in the pilot program.  (5) The community college district's plan to recognize federal training and education and to identify innovative options for expediting the attainment of degree and certificate goals by veterans.  (c) The pilot program shall use  existing  resources  , including, but   and strategies, which include, but are  not limited to, the American Council on  Education   Education's guidelines and  recommendations,  partnerships between the community college district and branches of the Armed Forces of the United States that faci   litate the transition of veterans into workforce partnership jobs, course offerings that maximize the awarding of credit to complete academic requirements, and stackable credential programs,  to determine the value of a veteran's prior professional military training, education, and experience. (d) Career technical education course credit and certificates for the pilot program may include credit earned as a result of prior military service. (e)  The   For purposes of the pilot program, the  governing board of a community college district may approve credit courses that are not part of an approved educational program for a campus that participates in the pilot program, in accordance with Section 70901, for the duration of the pilot program.  (f) Community college districts participating in the pilot program shall report all of the following information to the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, which shall provide this information to the Legislative Analyst's Office on or before July 1, 2017:   (1) The geographic, socioeconomic, and demographic diversity of students participating in the pilot program.   (2) Summary statistics on enrollment, financing sources, completion rates, and credit granted for prior learning experience for the pilot program.   (f)   (g)  On or before  June 30, 2020   December 1, 2017  , the Legislative Analyst's Office shall provide a report to the Legislature that  evaluates the pilot program established by this section, drawing   assesses the pilot program's effect on student veterans' success in reaching their educational goals using information provided pursuant to subdivision (f). In preparing this report, the Legislative Analyst's Office may draw  upon campus reports; campus visits; interviews with faculty, students, and administrators; and other sources the Legislative Analyst's Office deems relevant. The report shall include all of the following:  (1) An identification of best practices that emerge from the pilot program that the Legislature may want to consider for statewide policy regarding credit for experiential learning for veterans.   (1)   (2)  The geographic, socioeconomic, and demographic diversity of students participating in the pilot program.  (2)   (3)  Summary statistics on enrollment, financing sources, completion rates, and credit granted for prior learning experience for the pilot program.  (3)   (4)  An assessment of the pilot program's effect on student veterans' success in reaching their educational goals.  (4)   (5)  Recommendations regarding the extension, expansion, or modification of the pilot program.  (g)  (h)  This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,  2021    2018  , and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1,  2021   2018  , deletes or extends that date.