California Senate Bill SB897 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 897AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE FEBRUARY 20, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Senator Steinberg JANUARY 13, 2014 An act to amend Section 84830 of, and to add  Sections 33134 and   Section  52377.5 to, the Education Code, and to repeal Section 86 of Chapter 48 of the Statutes of 2013, relating to educational programs. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 897, as amended, Steinberg. Educational programs: competitive grant programs and adult education.  (1) Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to, among other things, execute, under the direction of the State Board of Education, the policies which have been decided by the state board and direct, under general rules and regulations adopted by the state board, the work of all appointees and employees of the state board.   This bill, for any competitive grant program administered by the State Department of Education, would require the Superintendent to consider whether, as a condition of receipt of funds, the grant recipient shall be required to include specified social studies standards in the program funded by the grant.   (2)   (1)  Existing law provides for the allocation of funds appropriated by the Budget Act of 2013 for the establishment of the California Career Pathways Trust. Existing law requires these funds to be apportioned, and available for expenditure in the 2013-14 fiscal year to the 2015-16 fiscal year, inclusive, to school districts, county superintendents of schools, charter schools, and community colleges in the form of one-time competitive grants for career pathways programs that accomplish certain objectives, including, among other things, funding specialists in work-based learning who, through specified actions, connect school districts, county superintendents of schools, charter schools, and community colleges with business entities, and establishing regional collaborative relationships and partnerships with business entities, community organizations, and local institutions of postsecondary education. Existing law also requires the Superintendent  of Public Instruction  to consult with the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and organizations representing businesses in considering grant applications pursuant to those provisions. This bill would  authorize the specialists funded by the one-time competitive grants to connect school districts, county superintendents of schools, charter schools, and community colleges with public sector entities, and would authorize the one-time competitive grants to be available for career pathways programs that establish regional collaborative relationships and partnerships with public sector entities.   provide that business entities include public sector entities for purposes of these provisions.  The bill would require the Superintendent to also consult with representatives of the public sector in considering the grant applications.  The bill, for a career pathways program connected with a public sector entity, would require the Superintendent to consider whether, as a condition of receipt of funds, the grant recipient shall be required to include specified social studies standards in the career pathways program funded by the grant.  (3)   (2)  Existing law, pursuant to funding made available in the annual Budget Act, requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the State Department of Education to jointly provide 2-year planning and implementation grants to regional consortia of community college districts and school districts for purposes of developing regional plans to better serve the educational needs of adults. Existing law requires the grant funds to be used by each regional consortium to create and implement a plan to better provide adults in the region with certain classes and programs, including, among other things, elementary and secondary basic skills, including classes required for a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate  ,  and classes and courses for immigrants eligible for educational services in citizenship and English as a 2nd language, and workforce preparation classes in basic skills. This bill would require the classes and courses related to elementary and secondary basic skills and the classes and courses for immigrants, as described above, to include basic instruction in American government and civics that includes, but is not limited to, instruction on (A) federal, state, and local government, (B) the 3 branches of government, (C) the importance of civic engagement, and (D) registering to vote. The bill would apply these requirements to any funding provided for the 2-year planning and implementation grants in the 2015-16 fiscal year, or any other statute providing this funding that takes effect on or after January 1, 2015.  The bill would authorize a regional consortium to comply with these requirements by incorporating into its classes and courses any state employee civics orientation on federal and state government developed and made available online by the department.  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.   Section 33134 is added to the Education Code, to read: 33134. For any competitive grant program administered by the department, the Superintendent shall consider whether, as a condition of receipt of funds, the grant recipient shall be required to include the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards in the program funded by the grant.   SEC. 2.  SECTION 1.  Section 52377.5 is added to the Education Code, to read: 52377.5. (a) Funding appropriated in Item 6110-280-0001 of the Budget Act of 2013 for career technical education shall be allocated for the establishment of the California Career Pathways Trust. (b) The funds appropriated in Item 6110-280-0001 of the Budget Act of 2013 shall be apportioned to school districts, county superintendents of schools, charter schools, and community colleges in the form of one-time competitive grants. Funds shall be available for expenditure in the 2013-14 fiscal year to the 2015-16 fiscal year, inclusive. (c) Grants shall be available for K-14 career pathways programs that accomplish any of the following: (1) Fund specialists in work-based learning, as defined in Section 51760.1, to convene, connect, measure, or broker efforts to establish or enhance a locally defined career pathways program that connects school districts, county superintendents of schools, charter schools, and community colleges with business entities  or public sector entities  . (2) Establish regional collaborative relationships and partnerships with business entities  or public sector entities  , community organizations, and local institutions of postsecondary education. (3) Develop and integrate standards-based academics with a career-relevant, sequenced curriculum following industry-themed pathways that are aligned to high-need, high-growth, or emerging regional economic sectors. (4) Provide articulated pathways to postsecondary education aligned with regional economies. (5) Leverage and build on any of the following: (A) Existing structures, requirements, and resources of the Carl D. Perkins, California Partnership Academies, and regional occupational programs, including staff knowledge, community relationships, and course development. (B) Matching resources and in-kind contributions from public, private, and philanthropic sources. (C) The California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program and its sector strategies and deputy sector navigators. (D) Participation in the local California Community Colleges Skills Panel. (d) As a condition of receipt of funds, a grant recipient under this section shall identify and set aside funding within its own budget and obtain funding commitments from program partners sufficient to support the ongoing costs of the program. (e) The Superintendent shall consult with the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, organizations representing businesses, and representatives of the public sector in considering grant applications under this section.  (f) For purposes of this section, business entities shall include public sector entities.   (g) For a career pathways program connected with a public sector entity, the Superintendent shall consider whether, as a condition of receipt of funds, the grant recipient shall be required to include the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards in the career pathways program funded by the grant.   (f)   (h)  No later than December 1, 2016, grant recipients and the Superintendent shall report to the Department of Finance and to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature outcome  measures, which   measures that  shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following: (1) Pupil and student academic performance indicators. (2) The number and rate of school or program graduates. (3) Attainment of certificates, transfer readiness, and postsecondary education enrollment. (4) Transitions to appropriate employment, apprenticeships, or job training.  SEC. 3.   SEC. 2.  Section 84830 of the Education Code is amended to read: 84830. (a) The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the State Department of Education shall, pursuant to funding made available in the annual Budget Act, jointly provide two-year planning and implementation grants to regional consortia of community college districts and school districts for the purpose of developing regional plans to better serve the educational needs of adults. (1) Eligibility shall be limited to consortia consisting of at least one community college district and at least one school district within the boundaries of the community college district, either of which may serve as the consortium's fiscal agent, as determined by the applicant consortium. (2) If a community college district chooses not to participate in a consortium, a neighboring community college district may form a consortium with school districts within the boundaries of the nonparticipating community college district. (3) Consortia may include other entities providing adult education courses, including, but not necessarily limited to, correctional facilities, other local public entities, and community-based organizations. (b) Grant funds provided pursuant to this section shall be used by each regional consortium to create and implement a plan to better provide adults in its region with all of the following: (1) Elementary and secondary basic skills, including classes required for a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate. (2) Classes and courses for immigrants eligible for educational services in citizenship and English as a second language, and workforce preparation classes in basic skills. (3) Education programs for adults with disabilities. (4) Short-term career technical education programs with high employment potential. (5) Programs for apprentices.  (c) (1) The classes and courses described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) shall include basic instruction in American government and civics that includes, but is not limited to, instruction on all of the following:   (A) Federal, state, and local government.   (B) The three branches of government.   (C) The importance of civic engagement.   (D) Registering to vote.   (2) The requirements of paragraph (1) shall apply to any funding for the regional consortia provided in the 2015-16 fiscal year, annual Budget Acts enacted after the 2015-16 fiscal year, or other legislation that takes effect on or after January 1, 2015.   (c)   (d)  Each regional consortium's plan shall include, at a minimum: (1) An evaluation of current levels and types of adult education programs within its region, including education for adults in correctional facilities; credit, noncredit, and enhanced noncredit adult education coursework; and programs funded through Title II of the federal Workforce Investment Act, known as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (Public Law 105-220). (2) An evaluation of current needs for adult education programs within its region. (3) Plans for parties that make up the consortium to integrate their existing programs and create seamless transitions into postsecondary education or the workforce. (4) Plans to address the gaps identified pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2). (5) Plans to employ approaches proven to accelerate a student's progress toward his or her academic or career goals, such as contextualized basic skills and career technical education, and other joint programming strategies between adult education and career technical education. (6) Plans to collaborate in the provision of ongoing professional development opportunities for faculty and other staff to help them achieve greater program integration and improve student outcomes. (7) Plans to leverage existing regional structures, including, but not necessarily limited to, local workforce investment areas.  (d)   (e)  The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the State Department of Education may identify additional elements that consortia must include in a plan.  (e)   (f)  (1) On or before March 1, 2014, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the State Department of Education shall submit a joint report to the Legislature and the Governor. This report shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following: (A) The status of developing regional consortia across the state, including identification of unserved geographic areas or emerging gaps in regional program delivery. (B) The status and allocation of grant awards made to the regional consortia. (2) The report shall be submitted to the Legislature as provided in Section 9795 of the Government Code.  (f)   (g)  (1) On or before March 1, 2015, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the State Department of Education shall submit a joint report to the Legislature and the Governor. This report shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following: (A) The plans developed by the regional consortia across the state. (B) Recommendations for additional improvements in the delivery system serving adult learners. (2) The report shall be submitted to the Legislature as provided in Section 9795 of the Government Code.  (g)   (h)  It is the intent of the Legislature to work toward developing common policies related to adult education affecting adult schools at local educational agencies and community colleges, including policies on fees and funding levels.  (h)   (i)  It is the intent of the Legislature to provide additional funding in the 2015-16 fiscal year to the regional consortia to expand and improve the provision of adult education.  (i) (1) The classes and courses described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) shall include basic instruction in American government and civics that includes, but is not limited to, instruction on all of the following:   (A) Federal, state, and local government.   (B) The three branches of government.   (C) The importance of civic engagement.   (D) Registering to vote.   (2) The requirements of paragraph (1) shall apply to any funding for the regional consortia provided in the 2015-16 fiscal year, annual Budget Acts enacted after the 2015-16 fiscal year, or other legislation that takes effect on or after January 1, 2015.   (3) Consortia may comply with the requirements of paragraph (1) by incorporating into their classes and courses any state employee civics orientation on federal and state government developed and made available online by the State Department of Education.   SEC. 4.   SEC. 3.  Section 86 of Chapter 48 of the Statutes of 2013 is repealed.