Bill Text: CA AB23 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Introduced

California Assembly Bill 23 (Prior Session Legislation)

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

Bill Title: Educational programs: single gender schools and classes.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2017-10-11 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 654, Statutes of 2017. [AB23 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB23-Introduced.html

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 23

Introduced by Assembly Member Ridley-Thomas

December 05, 2016

An act to add Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 232) to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, relating to educational programs, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 23, as introduced, Ridley-Thomas. Educational programs: single gender academies and instructional programs.

Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to initiate and carry on any program or activity, or to otherwise act in any manner, which is not in conflict or inconsistent with, or preempted by, any law and which is not in conflict with the purposes for which school districts are established.

Existing law prohibits discrimination against a person on the basis of, among other things, gender in any program or activity conducted by an educational institution that receives, or benefits from, state financial assistance or enrolls pupils who receive state student financial aid.

This bill would authorize a local educational agency to implement single gender academies and instructional programs if certain requirements are met. The bill would require a local educational agency that implements a single gender academy or instructional program to conduct an evaluation at least once every 2 years, as specified.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 232) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, to read:

Article 4.5. Single Gender Academies and Instructional Programs

232.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that there is a need to increase the diversity of California’s public educational offerings by making single gender academies and instructional programs available to pupils of each gender who, because of their unique educational needs, will benefit from single gender education that is aligned with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1681 et seq.).

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that single gender academies and instructional programs shall be tailored to the differing needs and learning styles of boys as a group and girls as a group.

232.2.

A local educational agency may implement single gender academies and instructional programs if all of the following requirements are met:

(a) The single gender aspect of the academy or instructional program serves an important local educational agency objective.

(b) The local educational agency implements its objective in an evenhanded manner.

(d) The local educational agency provides to pupils of both genders a substantially equal coeducational class, extracurricular activity, or program in the same subject.

232.4.

A local educational agency that implements a single gender academy or instructional program pursuant to Section 232.2 shall conduct an evaluation at least once every two years to ensure that the single gender aspect of the academy or program is based upon genuine justifications and does not rely on overly broad generalizations about the different talents, capacities, or preferences of either gender and that the single gender nature of the academy or program is substantially related to the achievement of the important objective for the academy or program.

SEC. 2.

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to authorize the use of single gender academies and instructional programs that serve important local educational agency objectives at the earliest possible time, it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.