BILL NUMBER: SB 730INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Hancock FEBRUARY 22, 2013 An act to add Section 11302 to the Education Code, relating to school districts. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 730, as introduced, Hancock. School districts: middle college high schools. Under existing law, the Legislature declares that the goal of the middle college high school is to select at-risk high school pupils who are performing below their academic potential and place them in an alternative high school located on a community college campus in order to reduce the likelihood that the pupils will drop out of school before graduation. Existing law requires the California Community Colleges and the State Department of Education to collaborate with each other and their respective local community colleges and local school districts to ensure the continued success of existing middle college high schools and to promote the establishment of new middle college high schools. This bill would, as a condition of participation in the middle college high school program, require the governing board of a community college district to enter into a formal partnership with a school district or school districts located within the service area of the community college district in order to provide high school pupils with specified academic opportunities. The bill would require the partnership agreement to outline the terms of the partnership and authorize the partnership agreement to include other terms. The bill would authorize the governing board of a community college district participating in a middle college high school partnership to exempt pupils from fees for services, and to assign a higher enrollment priority to middle college high school pupils. The bill would require a community college district and school district that enter into a partnership agreement to provide for an independent evaluation of the partnership and would require the evaluation, which would include specified information, to be presented to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the State Department of Education, on or before January 1, 2017. By requiring a district that participates in the middle college high school program on the effective date of this act to either enter into a partnership agreement or unwind an ongoing program, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 11302 is added to the Education Code, to read: 11302. (a) The governing board of a community college district may enter into a formal partnership agreement with a school district or school districts located within the service area of the community college district in order to provide high school pupils with the opportunity to benefit from all of the following: (1) Advanced scholastic courses. (2) Career-technical pathway courses. (3) Vocational courses. (4) Basic skills remediation courses. (5) High school exit examination preparation. (6) College preparation. (7) English as a second language courses. (8) Courses designed to prevent pupils from dropping out of school, including an alternative high school pursuant to this chapter. (b) (1) As a condition of participation in the middle college high school program, a community college district shall enter into a partnership agreement with each school district partner. (2) The partnership agreement shall outline the terms of the partnership and may include, but is not necessarily limited to, all of the following: (A) The scope and nature of the partnership as a fully established middle college high school or contract education program. (B) The funding mechanisms and transfer of apportionments from the school district to the community college district for additional pupil services. (C) Enrollment fees. (D) Fee waivers. (E) Processes for sharing information, including information related to pupils. (c) (1) The governing board of a community college district that is a party to a partnership agreement may, in whole or in part, exempt pupils from fees for services, including, but not limited to, fees charged pursuant to Section 66060, 76060.5, 76223, or 79121, or Article 2 (commencing with Section 76350) of Chapter 2 of Part 47 of Division 7 of Title 3. (2) Pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 76001, the governing board of a community college district that is a party to a partnership agreement may assign a higher enrollment priority to pupils attending a middle college high school as described in this chapter. (3) A pupil participating in a cohort pursuant to this chapter may attend and earn college course credit and precollegiate credit either at his or her middle college high school or at the participating community college. (d) If a community college district enters into a partnership agreement with a school district pursuant to this section, the community college district and school district shall provide for an independent evaluation of the partnership. On or before January 1, 2017, the independent evaluation shall be provided to the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the department. The independent evaluation shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following: (1) Recommendations for the improvement of, and issues related to, admitting middle college high school pupils, enrolling middle college high school pupils, and course priority provided to middle college high school pupils. (2) A review and analysis of the partnership, including, but not limited to, the number of pupils participating in each cohort, the number of pupils who continue in the middle college high school program in the following school year, and other indicators of pupil success. SEC. 2. If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.