California Assembly Bill AB943 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 943AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 9, 2015 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 4, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Travis Allen FEBRUARY 26, 2015 An act to amend Section  47607.3   52074  of the Education Code, relating to charter schools. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 943, as amended, Travis Allen. Charter schools: California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. Existing law establishes the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to advise and assist school districts, county superintendents of schools, and charter schools in achieving their local control and accountability plan goals, and requires individuals and entities contracted by  the fiscal agent of  the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence for those purposes to have expertise, experience, and a record of success in certain areas.  Existing law authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction to assign the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to provide advice and assistance to a charter school that, for 3 out of 4 consecutive school years, fails to improve pupil outcomes for one or more priorities identified in the school's charter, as specified.  This bill would require the  fiscal agent of the  California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to  give priority to a contractor with   also consider, for charter schools, whether a potential contractor has  a record of success in working with charter schools in improving pupil  outcomes, provided that the contractor meets specified conditions.   outcomes.  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 52074 of the   Education Code   is amended to read:  52074. (a) The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is hereby established. (b) The purpose of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is to advise and assist school districts, county superintendents of schools, and charter schools in achieving the goals set forth in a local control and accountability plan adopted pursuant to this article. (c) The Superintendent shall, with the approval of the state board, contract with a local educational agency, or consortium of local educational agencies, to serve as the fiscal agent for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. The Superintendent shall apportion funds appropriated for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to the fiscal agent. (d) The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall be governed by a board consisting of the following five members: (1) The Superintendent or his or her designee. (2) The president of the state board or his or her designee. (3) A county superintendent of schools appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. (4) A teacher appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. (5) A superintendent of a school district appointed by the Governor. (e)  (1)    At the direction of the governing board of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, the fiscal agent shall contract with individuals, local educational agencies, or organizations with the expertise, experience, and a record of success to carry out the purposes of this article. The areas of expertise, experience, and record of success shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:  (1)   (A)  State priorities as described in subdivision (d) of Section 52060.  (2)   (B)  Improving the quality of teaching.  (3)   (C) Improving the quality of school district and schoolsite leadership.  (4)   (D)  Successfully addressing the needs of special pupil populations, including, but not limited to, English learners, pupils eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal, pupils in foster care, and individuals with exceptional needs.  (2) For charter schools, the fiscal agent shall also consider whether a potential contractor has a record of success in working with charter schools in improving pupil outcomes.  (f) The Superintendent may direct the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to advise and assist a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school in any of the following circumstances: (1) If the governing board of a school district, county board of education, or governing body  or   of  a charter school requests the advice and assistance of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. (2) If the county superintendent of schools of the county in which the school district or charter school is located determines, following the provision of technical assistance pursuant to Section 52071 or  47607.3   47607.3,  as applicable, that the advice and assistance of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is necessary to help the school district or charter school accomplish the goals described in the local control and accountability plan adopted pursuant to this article. (3) If the Superintendent determines that the advice and assistance of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is necessary to help the school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school accomplish the goals set forth in the local control and accountability plan adopted pursuant to this article.  SECTION 1.   Section 47607.3 of the Education Code is amended to read: 47607.3. (a) If a charter school fails to improve outcomes for three or more pupil subgroups identified pursuant to Section 52052, or, if the charter school has less than three pupil subgroups, all of the charter school's pupil subgroups, in regard to one or more state or school priorities identified in the charter pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 47605 or subparagraph (A) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 47605.6, in three out of four consecutive school years, all of the following shall apply: (1) Using an evaluation rubric adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 52064.5, the chartering authority shall provide technical assistance to the charter school. (2) The Superintendent may assign, at the request of the chartering authority and with the approval of the state board, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to provide advice and assistance to the charter school pursuant to Section 52074. The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall give priority to a contractor with a record of success in working with charter schools in improving pupil outcomes, provided that the contractor meets all of the conditions in subdivision (e) of Section 52074. (b) A chartering authority shall consider for revocation any charter school to which the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence has provided advice and assistance pursuant to subdivision (a) and about which it has made either of the following findings, which shall be submitted to the chartering authority: (1) That the charter school has failed, or is unable, to implement the recommendations of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. (2) That the inadequate performance of the charter school, based upon an evaluation rubric adopted pursuant to Section 52064.5, is either so persistent or so acute as to require revocation of the charter. (c) The chartering authority shall consider increases in pupil academic achievement for all pupil subgroups served by the charter school as the most important factor in determining whether to revoke the charter. (d) A chartering authority shall comply with the hearing process described in subdivision (e) of Section 47607 in revoking a charter. A charter school may not appeal a revocation of a charter made pursuant to this section.