BILL NUMBER: AB 835CHAPTERED BILL TEXT CHAPTER 224 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 PASSED THE SENATE JULY 14, 2011 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 18, 2011 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 29, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 26, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 31, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 21, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Mitchell (Coauthors: Assembly Members Dickinson, Nestande, and Solorio) FEBRUARY 17, 2011 An act to amend Section 88532 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 835, Mitchell. Community colleges: Economic and Workforce Development Program. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, establishes the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program. Existing law provides for the awarding of grants for this program, and provides that this program shall only be implemented during fiscal years for which funds are appropriated for these purposes. Existing law requires the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as part of the program, to assist economic and workforce regional development centers and consortia to improve linkages and career-technical education pathways between high schools and community colleges, in a manner that, among other things, improves the quality of career exploration and career outreach materials. Existing law also requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to develop an implementation strategy for achieving this goal, as specified. The bill would authorize a community college district to enroll high school pupils who are not residents of the district in a program developed and implemented by the district, as specified. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 88532 of the Education Code is amended to read: 88532. (a) The board of governors shall assist economic and workforce regional development centers and consortia, including middle and junior high schools or high schools and regional occupational centers and programs, to improve linkages and career-technical education pathways between high schools and community colleges for the benefit of pupils and students in both education systems. This assistance shall include all of the following: (1) Expanding certificate programs in identified economic development program strategic priority areas. (2) Aligning existing technical preparation programs and career-technical education curriculum between high schools and community colleges to more targeted industry-driven programs through the models consistent with economic and workforce development strategic priority areas. (3) Promoting the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program's successful integration of business and emerging industries with career technical programs provided in high schools. (4) Creating new articulated courses between high schools and community colleges and, where appropriate, four-year institutions. (5) Accelerating education and training for those students who choose to be prepared for career and technical employment opportunities in less traditional and more expeditious methods while maintaining and improving student competencies. (6) Exploring new and more relevant career and technical practicum models that integrate coursework and student internship. (7) Improving the quality of career exploration and career outreach materials. (8) Disseminating materials and curriculum to all middle schools and senior high schools. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, a community college district may enroll a high school pupil who is not a resident of that community college district in a program that is developed and implemented by the community college district pursuant to this section, and the district shall not be subject to any other geographic limitations for these purposes if the program is designed to serve high school pupils or involves multiple school districts or community college districts, or both, and the program is not offered at the pupil's high school. (c) The chancellor shall develop an implementation strategy for the program objectives delineated in this section as a part of the annual expenditure plan submitted to the advisory committee for the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program and the board of governors. (d) This section shall be operative only in fiscal years for which funds have been appropriated by the Legislature expressly for the purposes of this section. (e) The board of governors shall ensure that elementary and secondary school educators strongly collaborate with college faculty in implementing this section.