Bill Text: CA AB770 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 770 (Prior Session Legislation)

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

Bill Title: Community colleges: basic skills innovation program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-11-30 - From Senate committee without further action. [AB770 Detail]

Download: California-2015-AB770-Amended.html

BILL NUMBER: AB 770	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 6, 2015
	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.  
program. 
   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 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   multiyear financial   grants
and professional development funding upon appropriation of funds for
that purpose,  for  purposes of  community
colleges within the district  adopting   to
adopt  or  expanding   expand  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: yes.
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   toward 
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.   a three-course
sequence or less. 
   (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   courses, especially overall
grade point average,  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  or vocational  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.   Completing 
 a college-level English or mathematics course, or both, within a
three-course sequence or less.  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   five-year  period:

   (A) A significant share of the underprepared students who enroll
at participating community  colleges'   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.