California Assembly Bill AB1258 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1258AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chau FEBRUARY 27, 2015 An act to  amend Section 51020 of   add Chapter 13.5 (commencing with Section 52975) to Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of, and to   repeal Section 52979 of,  the Education Code, relating to elementary and secondary education  , and making an appropriation therefor  . LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1258, as amended, Chau. Elementary and secondary education:  goals.   Computer Science Education Grant Program.   Existing law sets standards and guidelines for educational programs for the public schools of the state, including establishing required courses of study for specific grades, and defines various terms for purposes of those provisions, including the term "goal."   Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and authorizes school districts and other local educational agencies to provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law establishes a course of study for pupils in these grades.  This bill would  make a nonsubstantive change to the definition of "goal."   establish the Computer Science Education Grant Program under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Under the program, eligible school districts would apply to receive funding under either or both of the 2 grant programs. One grant program, the Computer Science Start-Up Courses Grant program, would provide grants to establ   ish and maintain computer science courses, and the other grant program, the Computer Science Educator Training Grant program, would provide professional development for educators to teach computer science, either as a stand-alone course or   integrated into other courses.   The bill would authorize any school district in the state to apply for participation in the program. The bill would specify minimum criteria to be applied by the Superintendent in evaluating applicant school districts for possible participation in the program, and authorize the Superintendent to convene an advisory group of computer science experts to discuss and refine these criteria, as specified.   The bill would establish the Computer Science Education Grant Matching Account in the State Treasury under the administration of the Superintendent. The bill would authorize the Superintendent to receive, and deposit into the account, matching funds received from school districts participating in the programs established under the bill, and any gifts, grants, or donations received for purposes of the bill from the federal government or private persons or entities. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature that no moneys from the state General Fund be used to fund the grant program established by the bill. The bill would continuously appropriate the funds deposited in the account to the Superintendent for purposes of the bill, provided that the Superintendent certifies, in writing, to the Director of Finance that there are sufficient funds in the account to implement the bill.   The bill would require the Superintendent to submit a report, containing specified data about the grant program, to the Governor and the Legislature on or before January 1, 2019.  Vote: majority. Appropriation:  no   yes  . Fiscal committee:  no   yes  . State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Chapter 13.5 (commencing with Section 52975) is added to Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the   Education Code   , to read:   CHAPTER 13.5. COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM Article 1. General Provisions 52975. (a) The Superintendent shall establish a public-private computer science education grant program through which an eligible school district may receive funding to establish and maintain computer science courses and provide professional development for educators to teach computer science, either as a stand-alone course or integrated into other courses. Any school district may apply for participation in this grant program. The grant program shall consist of two parts, the Computer Science Start-Up Courses Grant program and the Computer Science Educator Training Grant program, and school districts may apply for participation in either or both of those two programs. (b) The Superintendent shall provide notice of this program to all school districts throughout the state, and encourage them to apply for participation in this grant program. (c) The Superintendent shall award grants to school districts under this chapter to applicants he or she deems to be eligible. The Superintendent shall not award any grant under this chapter unless the Superintendent determines that there are sufficient moneys in the Computer Science Education Grant Matching Account established under Article 3 (commencing with Section 52978) to fund that grant. In order to be deemed eligible for the grant program, a school district, at a minimum, shall meet all of the following criteria: (1) Demonstrate engaged and committed leadership in support of introducing pupils who would not otherwise have these opportunities to computer science. (2) Demonstrate a plan to engage these pupils with the subject matter of computer science. (3) Demonstrate that school district staff are appropriately trained to carry out the plan. (4) Demonstrate capacity to maximize the use of grant resources by addressing the availability of appropriate physical space and technology, projected enrollment, and other specific requirements set forth by the Superintendent. (5) Demonstrate a history of successful partnerships within the community and partner support for computer science. Partnership support may include, but is not necessarily limited to, supplying materials or technology, instruction support, internships, mentorships, and apprenticeships. (6) Demonstrate the capacity to continue in the school years succeeding the initial grant year. (d) The Superintendent may convene an advisory group of computer science experts to discuss and refine the eligibility criteria listed in subdivision (c). For purposes of this subdivision, the Superintendent may use the same group of computer science experts selected pursuant to Section 60605.4. Article 2. Computer Science Start-Up Courses Grant and Computer Science Educator Training Grant Programs 52976. The Computer Science Start-up Courses Grant program is intended to support innovative ways to introduce pupils who would not otherwise have those opportunities to computer science and inspire them to enter computer science careers. 52977. The Computer Science Educator Training Grant program is intended to support professional development for educators to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to teach computer science, either as a stand-alone course or integrated into other courses. The Superintendent shall award training grants to eligible educators employed by applicant school districts. A grant recipient under this section shall demonstrate a plan for professional development for educators to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to teach computer science, either as a stand-alone course or integrated into other courses. Grant funds awarded under this section shall be allocated on a one-time basis, and may be used to fund professional development and training related to computer science education. Article 3. Funding and Reporting 52978. (a) The Computer Science Education Grant Matching Account is established in the State Treasury under the administration of the Superintendent. This account shall be used solely and exclusively for the program created in this chapter. The purpose of the account is to provide matching funds for the Computer Science Start-Up Courses Grant and the Computer Science Educator Training Grant programs established under Article 2 (commencing with Section 52976). Grants under this chapter, and related administrative costs, shall be funded by a combination of funds from the account and matching funds provided by a participating school district. It is the intent of the Legislature that no moneys from the state General Fund be used to fund the grant program established by this chapter. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, the Superintendent is authorized to receive, and deposit into the account, matching funds received from school districts participating in the programs established under this chapter and any gifts, grants, or donations received for purposes of this chapter from the federal government or private persons or entities. Expenditures from the account, with respect to a particular grant, shall not exceed the amount of corresponding matching funds. 52978.5. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, the funds deposited in the Computer Science Education Grant Matching Account shall be continuously appropriated to the Superintendent for purposes of funding the grants established under this chapter and covering related administrative costs. This section shall not become operative unless and until the Superintendent certifies, in writing, to the Director of Finance that there are sufficient funds in the account to implement this chapter. 52979. (a) The Superintendent shall report to the Governor and the Legislature on the programs established under this chapter. This report shall be submitted on or before January 1, 2019, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. The report shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following data: (1) The number of applicants annually. (2) The number of participants annually. (3) The rate of compliance with academic and employment requirements. (4) A list of participating postsecondary educational institutions. (5) A needs assessment for program growth based on the eligible pool of applicants. (6) An assessment of the success rates for each participating school district. (7) The amount of grant funds awarded each fiscal year, classified by school district. (b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2020, as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2020, deletes or extends that date.   SECTION 1.   Section 51020 of the Education Code is amended to read: 51020. "Goal" means a statement of broad direction or intent that is general and timeless and is not concerned with a particular achievement within a specified time period.