BILL NUMBER: AB 770AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 19, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Irwin FEBRUARY 25, 2015 An act to add Part 54 (commencing with Section 88800) to Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to community colleges. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 770, as amended, Irwin. Community colleges: basic skills and innovation strategies. 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 authorizes the establishment of community college districts under the administration of community college governing boards, and authorizes these districts to provide instruction at community college campuses throughout the state.This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to provide more opportunities for campuses of the California Community Colleges to participate in basic skills innovation strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in improving student success and in increasing the number of underprepared students who complete college-level English and mathematics courses.This bill would establish a financial grant and professional development funding program, which would authorize the governing board of a community college district to apply to the chancellor for funds for purposes of community colleges within the district adopting or expanding the use of evidence-based models of academic assessment and placement, remediation, and student support that accelerate the progress of underprepared students toward achieving postsecondary educational and career goals. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:noyes . 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) Over 70 percent of students enrolling, for the first time, in courses offered by campuses of the California Community Colleges are classified as underprepared for college-level work and in need of remediation. (b) National research has found that, regardless of incoming preparation levels, the more semesters of remediation students are required to take, the less likely those students are to complete college-level English and mathematics courses, which are gateway courses to most postsecondary degree and credential programs, and for transfer to four-year postsecondary institutions. (c) Research in California has demonstrated that relatively few students who enter remediation ultimately attain a postsecondary degree, credential, or transfer to a four-year institution, and that students of color are disproportionately affected. (d) Drawing on national initiatives aimed at increasing student completion of college-level English and mathematics courses, efforts in California have demonstrated the success of innovative ways to deliver English and mathematics remediation. (e) In those pilot efforts, students' odds of completing college-level English courses more than double, and their odds of completing college-level mathematics courses are more than four times higher in comparison to students in traditional remediation. However, at most community college campuses, these new approaches are offered on a small scale and are not available to most students. SEC. 2. Part 54 (commencing with Section 88800) is added to Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code , to read: PART 54. Community Colleges Basic Skills Innovation Program CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS 88800. A financial grant and professional development funding program, administered by the chancellor, is hereby established. The chancellor shall distribute multiyear financial grants and professional development funding, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, to the governing board of a community college district that applies and satisfies the requirements of this part. Moneys allocated pursuant to this program shall be expended for community colleges within the district to adopt or expand the use of evidence-based models of academic assessment and placement, remediation, and student support that accelerate the progress of underprepared students towards achieving postsecondary educational and career goals. 88805. (a) The governing board of a community college district may apply for funds pursuant to this part for the purpose of making more effective, evidence-based practices available to significantly more underprepared students who enroll at campuses of the California Community Colleges. A community college within the district may receive funds for purposes of implementing these evidence-based practices for the first time or expanding evidence-based practices that are in effect as of the date of the district's application for funds. (b) The evidence-based strategies implemented or expanded pursuant to subdivision (a) shall include innovative basic skills improvement strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in accelerating the progress of underprepared students toward, and increasing the number of underprepared students who successfully achieve, one or more of the following goals: (1) Completing a college-level English or mathematics course, or both, within three semesters after initial enrollment at a participating community college. (2) Earning eight units applicable to a college certificate or degree. (3) Earning a college certificate or degree approved by the California Community Colleges. 88810. (a) In order to receive a grant, the governing board of a community college district shall demonstrate in its application for funding that the community colleges that are to participate in the grant program will redesign their curriculum, career pathways, assessment and placement procedures, or any combination thereof, to implement, or expand the use or application of, one or more of the following practices and principles: (1) Adopting placement tests and related policies that include multiple measures of student performance, including grades in high school courses and input from counselors. (2) Increasing the placement of students directly in gateway English and mathematics courses and career pathways supplemented by remediation. (3) Aligning content in remedial courses with the students' programs of academic study to target students' actual needs. (4) To the extent possible, ensuring that underprepared students complete college-level English or mathematics courses, or both, within a two-course sequence. Students pursuing mathematics-intensive courses of study may require a longer sequence of mathematics coursework. (5) Contextualizing remedial instruction in foundational skills for the industry cluster, pathways, or both, in which the student seeks to advance. (6) Providing proactive student support services that are integrated with the instruction provided. (b) Each participating community college shall be responsible for all of the following: (1) Developing a plan based on one or more of the evidence-based principles and practices described in subdivision (a) that demonstrates a clear strategy for ensuring that all of the following occur within a 5-year period: (A) A significant share of the underprepared students who enroll at participating community colleges' within the community college district achieve one or more of the three goals listed in subdivision (b) of Section 88805. (B) Underprepared students who are enrolled at the community college achieve the goals listed in subdivision (b) of Section 88805 within a shorter time period than before the implementation of this part at the community college. (2) Ensuring that its faculty participate in professional development regarding academic programs or new curriculum developed or expanded pursuant to this part, using grant funds to support that faculty participation. (3) Annually reporting to the chancellor's office on program outcomes, disaggregated by demographic characteristics of its students, for purposes of measuring progress compared to the community college's performance before its implementation of this part. These reports should include all of the following: (A) The number and percentage of underprepared students served by the grant program. (B) The number and percentages of these underprepared students achieving each of the three goals listed in subdivision (b) of Section 88805. (C) The number of faculty involved and faculty needs regarding the innovation and operation of courses pursuant to this part. (c) The chancellor's office shall be responsible for all of the following: (1) Administering the grant program, and distributing and monitoring awards to recipient community college districts. (2) Developing application criteria, administrative guidelines, and other requirements for purposes of administering the grant program. (3) (A) Aggregating, analyzing, and reporting annually the information submitted pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) to the Legislature on the progress of the grant program in achieving its prescribed purpose. (B) A report to be submitted pursuant to this paragraph shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.SEC. 2.It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to provide more opportunities for campuses of the California Community Colleges to participate in basic skills innovation strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in improving student success and increasing the number of underprepared students who complete college-level English and mathematics courses.