Bill Text: CA ACR166 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Introduced

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

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Bill Title: Dropout Recovery Week

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 54-18)

Status: (Passed) 2014-09-02 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Res. Chapter 147, Statutes of 2014. [ACR166 Detail]

Download: California-2013-ACR166-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: ACR 166	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Atkins

                        JULY 1, 2014

   Relative to Dropout Recovery Week.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   ACR 166, as introduced, Atkins. Dropout Recovery Week
   This measure would declare the week of August 4, 2014, to August
10, 2014, inclusive, as Dropout Recovery Week, and would state that
the Legislature intends to encourage the support of dropout recovery
high schools with creative teaching strategies, alternative
assessments, and adequate resources.
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, The America's Promise Alliance found, in 2014, that
pupils drop out of high school because they are overwhelmed by the
effects of toxic living conditions such as homelessness, violent
surroundings, abuse or neglect, and catastrophic family health
events; and
   WHEREAS, The 2014 Building a GradNation Report found that the
nation cannot achieve its graduation goals without increasing
California's graduation rate for Latino and African American pupils
and without providing more investment for dropout recovery; and
   WHEREAS, Research by the Alliance for Excellent Education
concludes that if only one-half of the dropouts from a single year
were to earn a diploma, the economic benefits to California would
include an additional $1.4 billion in earnings annually for the
reengaged pupils and an annual increase in state and local tax
revenues of $167 million; and
   WHEREAS, Research further shows that reengaged learners
demonstrate higher levels of civic engagement, contribute to the
cultural strength of their communities, and are significantly less
likely to be unemployed, on public assistance, or arrested for a
violent crime; and
   WHEREAS, Research by WestEd demonstrates the challenges faced by
schools seeking to reengage dropouts in that one-half of the dropouts
who return to school stay for one year or less, one-third of
returning dropouts fail to complete even one course after they
reenroll, and as few as 18 percent of returning dropouts graduate;
and
   WHEREAS, Successful dropout recovery high schools in California
are operating under Section 52052.3 of the Education Code in
partnership with the Workforce Investment Act, the California
Conservation Corps, and other federal and state career technical
education partners to provide significant social, economic, and
academic benefits for their pupils and for California's population as
a whole; and
   WHEREAS, These successful dropout recovery high schools utilize
multiple strategies, including accelerated learning pedagogies,
competency-based instruction, and open entry-open exit enrollment;
and
   WHEREAS, These successful dropout recovery high schools attract
and retain high-quality staff committed to transforming their pupils
from being at risk of failure to being at promise of success; now,
therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate
thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby declares the week of
August 4, 2014, to August 10, 2014, inclusive, as Dropout Recovery
Week, in honor of the schools and staff who work to reengage pupils
who have previously dropped out of school, and in honor of the pupils
who overcome significantly personal challenges to reengage in high
school and become transformed learners in preparation for college and
a future career; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature intends to encourage the support of
dropout recovery high schools with creative teaching strategies,
alternative assessments, and adequate resources; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.