SB 1171

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law appropriates, for the 2021–22 fiscal year, funds from the General Fund to the Superintendent for allocation for the A–G Completion Improvement Grant Program and makes these funds available for expenditure or encumbrance through the 2025–26 fiscal year. Existing law requires grants awarded by that program to be used for activities that directly support pupil access to, and successful completion of, the A–G course requirements, including, but not limited to, paying Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate fees for unduplicated pupils. This bill would authorize A–G Completion Improvement Grant funds to additionally be used for Cambridge Assessment International Education fees for unduplicated pupils. By expanding the purposes for which appropriated funds may be spent, the bill would make an appropriation. (2) Existing law authorizes a school district to evaluate a principal annually for the principal's first and 2nd year of employment as a new principal and authorizes additional evaluations, as specified. Existing law authorizes the criteria for school principal evaluations to be based upon the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders and to include evidence of, among other things, pupil academic growth. Existing law authorizes pupil academic growth to be evaluated pursuant to local and state academic assessments, including, among others, state standardized assessments and performance assessments. This bill would explicitly add the Cambridge International AS & A Level examinations to the list of authorized assessments that may be used to measure pupil academic growth for a principal evaluation. (3) Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to provide access to a comprehensive educational counseling program for all pupils enrolled in the school district. For schools that enroll pupils in grades 6 to 12, inclusive, existing law defines educational counseling to include, among other things, counseling to encourage participation in advanced placement and international baccalaureate programs. This bill would expand the definition of an educational counseling program to explicitly include encouraging participation in Cambridge International AS & A Level programs. (4) Existing law establishes that the State Seal of Biliteracy certifies attainment of a high level of proficiency by a graduating high school pupil in one or more languages, in addition to English, and certifies that the graduate meets certain criteria for being proficient in English and one or more languages other than English. For purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy, proficiency in one or more languages other than English can be demonstrated through at least one of specified methods, including passing a world language Advanced Placement examination with a score of 3 or higher, passing a world language International Baccalaureate examination with a score of 4 or higher, or passing a world language ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) and an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) with scores of Intermediate Mid or higher. This bill would include passing a Cambridge International A Level examination with a score of E or higher or a Cambridge International AS Level examination with a score of e or higher as another method to demonstrate language proficiency in one or more languages other than English for purposes of the State Seal of Biliteracy. (5) Existing law requires the governing board of each school district and county board of education to adopt a local control and accountability plan and to update its respective local control and accountability plan before July 1 of each year. Existing law requires a local control and accountability plan to include, among other things, a description of the annual goals to be achieved for each state priority, as specified, for all pupils and certain subgroups of pupils. The state's delineated priorities include, among others, pupil achievement as measured by, and as applicable, among other things, the percentage of pupils who have passed an advanced placement examination with a score of 3 or higher. This bill would require pupil achievement to also be measured by the percentage of pupils who have passed a Cambridge International A Level examination with a score of E or higher or a Cambridge International AS Level examination with a score of e or higher. To the extent this bill would impose additional duties on school districts and county boards of education in regard to local control and accountability plans, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (6) Existing law establishes the Golden State Pathways Program to promote pathways in high-wage, high-skill, high-growth areas, including technology, health care, education, and climate-related fields that, among other things, allow pupils to advance seamlessly from high school to college and career and provide the workforce needed for economic growth. Existing law appropriates $500,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Education to competitively award grant funds to school districts, charter schools, county offices of education, or regional occupational centers or programs operated by a joint powers authority or county office of education for purposes of the program, and makes these funds available for encumbrance until June 30, 2029. Existing law requires Golden State Pathways Program recipients to commit to providing participating pupils with, among other commitments, the opportunity to earn at least 12 postsecondary credits that are applicable toward the completion of a degree, certificate, or credential through various methods. This bill would include Cambridge Assessment International Education courses as one of methods pupils can use to earn those postsecondary credits. By expanding the purposes for which appropriated funds may be spent, the bill would make an appropriation. (7) Existing law requires an applicant for the California Career Technical Education Incentive Grant Program to demonstrate, among other requirements, that the applicant's career technical education program offers high quality curriculum and instruction that offers the opportunity for participants to earn postsecondary credits through Advanced Placement courses and International Baccalaureate courses or by formal agreement with a postsecondary partner to provide dual enrollment opportunities. This bill would authorize an applicant to use Cambridge Assessment International Education courses to demonstrate that the applicant has met the above-described requirement. (8) This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to annually update information on the Cambridge Assessment International Education program available on the department's internet website to include current information on the various programs available to school districts to offer or access Cambridge Assessment International Education Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced (A) level courses, including online courses. The bill would require the Superintendent to also provide support to high schools that offer Cambridge Assessment International Education AS and A level courses to facilitate communication with the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges, the Academic Senate of the California State University, and the Academic Senate of the University of California to ensure students receive college credit for successful participation in Cambridge Assessment International Education assessments. The bill would authorize a school district that offers Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) , or AS or A level courses and examinations, to help pay the test fees for pupils in need of financial assistance. (9) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. (10) Funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.