Amended  IN  Senate  June 07, 2018
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 17, 2018
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 15, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill No. 2098

Introduced by Assembly Members McCarty and Thurmond

February 08, 2018

An act to add and repeal Article 22 (commencing with Section 8460) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, relating to after school programs.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2098, as amended, McCarty. After school programs: computer coding: grant program.
Existing law establishes the After School Education and Safety Program to serve pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 9, inclusive, at participating public elementary, middle, junior high, and charter schools, under which a program can apply for a grant for operating a before school component, an after school component, or both the before and after school components, on one or multiple schoolsites. The After School Education and Safety Program requires an applicant for a grant to ensure that certain requirements are fulfilled, including that all components of the program have an educational and literacy element in which tutoring or homework assistance is provided in one or more of the areas of language arts, mathematics, history and social science, computer training, or science.
This bill, subject to an appropriation of moneys by the Legislature, would establish the After School Kids Code Grant Pilot Program under the administration of the State Department of Education to provide one-time grant funds to eligible after school education and safety programs that focus on computer coding as part of their program curriculum. The bill would require those one-time grant funds to be allocated and expended for the 2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22 fiscal years, as determined by the department. The bill would require the department, in consultation with interested stakeholders, to develop an application process and criteria for determining eligible grant recipients consistent with the purpose of promoting computer coding education. The bill would authorize the department to impose conditions on grant recipients regarding the use of grant funds consistent with the purposes of the program. The bill would require the department to determine the amount and number of grants to be awarded under the program based on the after school program site enrollment and in consideration of the overall funding appropriated for this grant program in the 2018–19 annual Budget Act or other statute. The bill would repeal the program on January 1, 2023.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   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) Computer science drives job growth and innovation throughout California’s economy and society. Computing occupations are the number one source of all new wages in the United States and make up more than one-half of all projected new jobs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, making computer science one of the most in-demand college degrees.
(b) Computer programming or coding is the tool used to power creation and innovation in the digital world. It provides foundational knowledge that all pupils need in the 21st century workplace.
(c) California leads the nation in technology jobs, innovation, and average wage for technology workers. In the 2015–16 academic year, California had 1.2 million technology jobs but only had 4,029 computer science graduates.
(d) It is critical to close the digital divide in California. There remains a large disparity between pupils from affluent schools and pupils from low-income schools with access to coding courses. Schools with the highest percentage of low-income pupils offer computer science or coding courses at a rate less than one-half of that of schools with the lowest percentage of low-income pupils.
(e) The After School Education and Safety Program (ASES) (Article 22.5 (commencing with Section 8482) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code) serves more than 400,000 of the lowest-income pupils in the state. More than 80 percent of ASES participants are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, 35 percent are English learners, and 79 percent are underrepresented minority pupils.
(f) The After School Kids Code Grant Pilot Program (Article 22 (commencing with Section 8460) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code) provides critically needed exposure to coding for after school youth who are the least likely to learn to code in school or at home. The After School Kids Code Grant Pilot Program is intended to inspire pupils to pursue STEM education and develop a growth mindset for learning.

SEC. 2.

 Article 22 (commencing with Section 8460) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, to read:
Article  22. After School Kids Code Grant Pilot Program

8460.
 (a) (1) Subject to moneys appropriated by the Legislature for the purposes of this section, the department shall administer the After School Kids Code Grant Pilot Program. Under the grant program, the department shall provide one-time grant funds to eligible after school education and safety programs established pursuant to Article 22.5 (commencing with Section 8482) that focus on computer coding as part of their program curriculum.
(2) The one-time grant funds provided in paragraph (1) shall be allocated and expended for the 2019–20, 2020–21, and 2021–22 fiscal years, as determined by the department pursuant to subdivision (c).
(b) (1) The department, in consultation with interested stakeholders, shall develop an application process and criteria for determining eligible grant recipients consistent with the purpose of promoting computer coding education.
(2) Priority shall be given to grant applications that demonstrate all of the following:
(A) The applicant offers plans to offer high-quality coding curriculum and a commitment to provide instructional training to coding instructors utilizing a train-the-trainer model.

(B)The applicant has established a plan for sustaining the program beyond the three-year pilot program.

(C)

(B) The applicant inspires pupils to consider science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and careers and emphasizes a growth mindset as a key to success in the 21st century digital world.

(D)

(C) The applicant incorporates a college and career component that includes information about growing STEM opportunities in education and careers, and STEM internships and field trips that expose youth to STEM college opportunities and careers.

(E)

(D) The applicant incorporates introductory digital literacy and responsible use of technology into its program curriculum.
(3) The department may impose conditions on grant recipients regarding the use of grant funds consistent with the purposes of this article.
(c) The department shall determine the amount and number of grants to be awarded under the program based on the after school program site enrollment and in consideration of the overall funding appropriated for this grant program in the 2018–19 annual Budget Act or other statute.

8461.
 This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2023, and as of that date is repealed.