Today's Law As Amended


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SB-686 California Promise Neighborhoods Act of 2019.(2019-2020)



As Amends the Law Today


SECTION 1.
 The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a) All children throughout the state, regardless of their family’s socioeconomic, English learning, or special education status or what neighborhoods they reside in, deserve access to a high-quality education, health services, and social services that will prepare them to succeed in college and in their careers, and that will allow them to become productive citizens contributing to the wealth of our state and nation.
(b) Many children living in California’s most distressed communities lack access to opportunities that will ensure adequate academic, social, and health preparation for achieving success and help end family and neighborhood poverty.
(c) Innovative and comprehensive collective impact approaches to break the cycle of poverty are necessary for creating opportunities for children to succeed and ultimately help turn around poor neighborhoods.
(d) Long-term investments in underserved children’s academic, social, and health development and the strengthening of a system of family and community support shared by various cradle-to-college-to-career stakeholders are also needed to sustain the future of our communities in California.
(e) Through collaborative, two-generation efforts illustrated in this measure, the communities and cities in California are encouraged to provide services and resources more efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of the whole child, whole family, and whole community in California’s poorest neighborhoods.
(f) The place-based, equity-focused approach of Promise Neighborhoods supports implementation of “The California Way,” the initiative by the State Department of Education to engage pupils, parents, and communities as part of a collaborative decisionmaking process around how to fund and implement local improvement efforts, and provide supplemental resources to ensure that California’s English learners, foster youth, and pupils in poverty have the learning supports they need.

SEC. 2.

 Chapter 17 (commencing with Section 11550) is added to Part 7 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, to read:

CHAPTER  17. California Promise Neighborhoods Act of 2019
11550.
 This chapter shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Promise Neighborhoods Act of 2019.
11551.
 For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:
(a) “Cradle-to-college-to-career” means a system of integrated services, both public and private, which begins in the early years of a child’s life and leads to appropriate postsecondary success for all pupils and students that includes academic, occupational, and independent living that benefits the individual and community as a whole.
(b) (1) “Eligible entity” means a nonprofit organization, including faith-based organizations to the extent permitted by law, an institution of higher education, or an Indian tribe or tribal organization, serving as a lead agency representative of the proposed geographic area to be served and in partnership with at least one public elementary or secondary school, traditional or charter, or school district located within the identified geographic area.
(2) An eligible entity may include other entities in the partnership, including, but not limited to, any of the following entities, though these organizations may not inhabit the lead role:
(A) A school, traditional or charter, school district, or superintendent of a school district within the designated geographic boundary.
(B) An institution of higher education.
(C) The office of a chief elected official or a unit or agency of local government.
(D) Health organizations within the designated geographic boundary.
(E) Social service agencies within the designated geographic boundary.
(c) “Grant program” means the California Promise Neighborhood Grant Program.
(d) “Promise Neighborhood” means a specific geographic area that a selected eligible entity intends to serve that represents a community focused on revitalization through the establishment of a cradle-to-college-to-career network of services aimed at improving the health, safety, education, and economic development of the defined area.
11552.
 (a) (1) The California Promise Neighborhood Grant Program is hereby established to be administered by the department.
(2) The purpose of the grant program is to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to implement a comprehensive, integrated continuum of cradle-to-college-to-career solutions, including academic, health, and social programs, and family and community supports, through a pipeline of coordinated services based on the best available evidence in neighborhoods with high concentrations of low-income families, schools identified for differentiated assistance or intensive intervention, and other indicators of at-risk youth or high need, such as indicators of poor health for children, poor school climate, high rates of juvenile delinquency, adjudication, or incarceration, or high rates of foster care placement.
(3) It is the intent of the Legislature that programs in the continuum should improve academic achievement, including improving outcomes of early development, child and youth social and health development, and college and career readiness, as well as build strong family and community supports to help families move out of poverty.
(b) (1) The department shall develop an application process for eligible entities to apply to become Promise Neighborhoods consistent with Section 11554.
(2) The department shall aim to achieve geographic equity by increasing opportunities to remote communities, including rural and tribal communities, through the selection process.
11553.
 (a) The department shall establish performance standards to measure progress on indicators and results relevant to the evaluation of the grant program under this chapter, including the results and indicators described in subdivision (b).
(b) (1) The department shall establish the following core set of academic results and indicators by which the Promise Neighborhood grant recipients will be measured, and the indicators shall align with the California School Dashboard. Grantees’ project design and implementation of a cradle-to-college-to-career continuum of solutions are subject to, but not limited to, the following academic results and indicators:
(A) Children benefit from a high-quality early learning education program and demonstrate school readiness skills as measured by both of the following:
(i) Children enter kindergarten ready for success as measured by the number and percentage of children who demonstrate age-appropriate functioning at the beginning of the program or school year, as demonstrated by key domains on an early learning developmentally appropriate instrument.
(ii) Children are provided with high-quality early learning experiences as measured by a quality rating instrument.
(B) Pupils are proficient in core academic subjects as measured by both of the following:
(i) The number and percentage of pupils meeting standards in mathematics based on pupil performance on the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments, that are taken annually by pupils in grades 3 to 8, inclusive, and grade 11.
(ii) The number and percentage of pupils meeting standards in English language arts/literacy based on pupil performance on the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments, that are taken annually by pupils in grades 3 to 8, inclusive, and grade 11.
(C) Pupils successfully transition from middle school to high school as measured by chronic absenteeism, as measured by the percentage of pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, who are absent 10 percent or more of the instructional days those pupils are enrolled.
(D) Percentage of pupils who received a high school diploma within four years of entering grade 9 or who complete their graduation requirements at an alternative school.
(E) High school graduates obtaining a postsecondary degree, certification, or credential as measured by all of the following:
(i) Percentage of high school graduates who are placed in the “prepared” level on the college/career indicator.
(ii) The number and percentage of students who enroll in a two-year or four-year college or university after graduation.
(iii) The number and percentage of students who graduate from a two-year or four-year college or university or complete vocational certification.
(2) The department shall establish the following core set of family and community support results and indicators by which the Promise Neighborhood grant recipients will be measured. A grantee shall choose to measure and report on two or more family and community support results and indicators. Grantees’ project design and implementation of a whole community continuum of solutions are subject to, but not limited to, the following family and community support results and indicators:
(A) Pupils feel safe at school and connected to their school community, as measured by locally implemented school climate surveys, including measuring the number and percentage of pupils who feel safe at school and traveling to and from school according to a school climate needs assessment or other instrument.
(B) Pupils live in stable communities as measured by pupil mobility rates in schools within the designated geographic boundary.
(C) Families and community members support learning in Promise Neighborhood schools as measured by both of the following:
(i) For children from birth to grade 8, inclusive, the number and percentage of parents or family members who read to or encourage their children to read three or more times a week or that reported their child read to themselves three or more times a week.
(ii) For children from grades 8 to 12, inclusive, the number and percentage of parents or family members who report talking about the importance of college and career with their children.
(D) Pupils that have access to 21st century learning tools as measured by the number and percentage of pupils who have school and home access to a high-speed broadband internet connected computing device.
11554.
 (a) To be eligible to receive a grant under this chapter, an eligible entity shall submit an application to the department at the time, in the manner, and containing the information as the department may require.
(b) At a minimum, an application shall include all of the following:
(1) A description of a plan to significantly improve the academic, health, and social outcomes of children living in an identified neighborhood and to support the healthy development and well-being of children and youth in the neighborhood by providing a continuum of cradle-to-college-to-career solutions. This plan shall address the needs of the whole child, whole family, and whole community, as identified by the needs assessment described in paragraph (4). The continuum of solutions shall be based on the best available evidence, including, where available, strong or moderately strong evidence. The plan shall also ensure that, over time, pupils not living in the neighborhood who attend the target school or schools have access to services within the pipeline of services.
(2) A description of the geographically defined area or neighborhood to be served and the level of distress in that area based on indicators of need and other relevant indicators. The statement of need in the neighborhood shall be based, in part, on results of a comprehensive needs assessment and segmentation analysis. The application may propose to serve multiple, noncontiguous areas.
(3) A description of the applicant’s measurable short-term, long-term, and annual goals for expected outcomes of the grant, based on program and project indicators, as described above, that includes all of the following:
(A) Performance goals for each year of the grant.
(B) Projected participation rates over time and any plans to expand the number of children served over time by the grant program.
(C) Annual goals for evaluating progress in improving systems, such as changes in policies, environments, or organizations that affect children and youth in the neighborhood.
(4) An analysis of the needs and assets of the neighborhood identified, including all of the following:
(A) A description of the process through which the needs assessment and segmentation analysis was produced, including a description of how family and community members were engaged in the analysis.
(B) An explanation of how the applicant will use the needs assessment and segmentation analysis to determine the children with the highest needs and ensure that those children receive the appropriate services from the continuum of cradle-to-college-to-career solutions.
(C) A description of both the academic indicators and the family and community support indicators that the applicant will use in conducting the needs assessment.
(5) (A) A description of solutions that will be used in the continuum of cradle-to-college-to-career solutions based on data collected, including a description of solutions specifically targeting children, family members, community members, and children not attending schools or programs operated by the applicant and its partners.
(B) The process by which each solution will be implemented and an expected timeline for launching each solution.
(C) The estimated per child cost and cost projections over time, including administrative costs, to implement each solution.
(D) The estimated number of children, by age, in the neighborhood who will be served by each solution, including the percentage of all children of the same age group within the neighborhood proposed to be served with each solution and the annual targets required to increase the proportion of children served to reach scale over time.
(E) How the segmentation analysis was used to target the children and youth to be served.
(F) Financial projections of the cost of solutions over time.
(G) The best available evidence supporting each proposed solution.
(6) A description of the process used to develop the application, including the involvement of family and community members.
(7) A description of the process by which to develop, launch, and implement a longitudinal data system that integrates pupil-level data from multiple sources to measure progress on academic and family and community support indicators for all children in the neighborhood.
(8) A description of how the applicant has done all of the following:
(A) Linked or is making progress to link the longitudinal data system to school-based, local educational agency, and state data systems.
(B) Made or will make data accessible to parents, families, community residents, program partners, researchers, and evaluators at either the individual or aggregate level as appropriate while abiding by federal, state, and other privacy laws and requirements.
(C) Managed and maintained the system, and plans to manage and maintain the system over time.
(9) An explanation of how the applicant will continuously evaluate and improve the continuum of cradle-to-college-to-career solutions, including both of the following:
(A) A description of the metrics that will be used to inform each solution of the pipeline.
(B) The processes for using data to improve instruction, optimize integrated pupil supports, provide for continuous program improvement, and hold staff and partner organizations accountable.
(10) An identification of the fiscal agent, which may be any eligible entity.
(11) A list of federal, state, local, and private sources of funding that the applicant will secure to comply with the matching funds requirement in Section 11555.
(c) Before receiving a grant under this chapter, the applicant shall do all of the following:
(1) Collect data, including publicly available data, for the academic indicators and use them as program and project indicators.
(2) Collect data, including publicly available data, for the family and community support indicators and use them as program and project indicators.
(3) Perform an analysis of community assets within, or accessible to, the neighborhood, including, at a minimum, all of the following:
(A) Early learning programs and networks, including home visiting, high-quality childcare, Early Head Start programs, Head Start programs, and prekindergarten programs.
(B) Community centers, after school programs, and other opportunities for activities outside of school hours.
(C) Transportation.
(D) Parks.
(E) The availability of healthy food options and opportunities for physical activity.
(F) Existing family and pupil supports.
(G) Businesses and employers located in the community.
(H) Institutions of higher education.
(4) Provide evidence of successful collaboration that has led to changes in child outcomes within the neighborhood.
(d) An eligible entity, as part of the application, shall submit a preliminary memorandum of understanding, signed by each partner entity or agency. The preliminary memorandum of understanding shall describe, at a minimum, all of the following:
(1) Each partner’s commitment and contribution toward achieving each result at population level by using a backbone agency to coordinate a collective impact initiative.
(2) Each partner’s financial and programmatic commitment toward the strategies described in the application, including an identification of the fiscal agent.
(3) The governance structure proposed for the Promise Neighborhood, including a system for how the lead entity will serve as a backbone agency and hold partners accountable, representation of the geographic area on the eligible entity’s governing and advisory boards, and resident engagement from the neighborhood in the organization’s decisionmaking.
(4) Each partner’s long-term commitment to providing cradle-to-college-to-career pipeline services that, at a minimum, accounts for the cost of supporting the pipeline, including the period after grant funds are no longer available, and potential changes in local government.
(5) Each partner’s mission and plan that will govern the work that partners do together, including an aligned theory of improvement.
(6) Each partner’s long-term commitment to supporting the pipeline through data-driven decisionmaking, including data collection, monitoring, reporting, and sharing.
(7) Each partner’s commitment to ensuring sound fiscal management and controls, including evidence of a system of supports and personnel.
(8) Each partner’s commitment to mobilizing local government service integration to improve outcomes for families and children in the neighborhood as measured by increased employment, improved education, decreased poverty, reduced crime, and improved health status.
11555.
 (a) Contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute for this purpose, the department shall competitively award grants, each not to exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000), to up to 20 eligible entities across the state, to be expended pursuant to Section 11556.
(b) (1) (A) Each grant recipient shall contribute matching funds in an amount equal to not less than 100 percent of the grant award.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), an applicant proposing a project for a Promise Neighborhood in a rural community or in tribal community shall provide matching funds or in-kind donations equal to at least 50 percent of the grant award.
(2) (A) The matching funds described in paragraph (1) shall come from federal, state, local, or nonpublic, nongovernmental, or other private sources, with at least 10 percent coming from private sources.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), for an applicant proposing a project for a Promise Neighborhood in a rural community or in tribal community, the matching funds described in paragraph (1) shall come from federal, state, local, or nonpublic, nongovernmental, or other private sources, with at least 5 percent coming from private sources.
(3) (A) An applicant that is unable to meet the matching requirements required by paragraphs (1) and (2) shall include in its application a request to the department to reduce the matching requirement, including the amount of the requested reduction, the total remaining match contribution, and a statement of the basis for the request.
(B) The department may grant a request pursuant to subparagraph (A) if it finds the request reasonable and that doing so would further the purposes of this chapter.
(c) The department may award technical assistance funding to an entity with the expertise required to support all awarded Promise Neighborhoods throughout the grant period. Support shall include the formation and coordination of professional learning communities to share data and best practices between Promise Neighborhoods and inform state and local policy.
11556.
 (a) Each grant recipient under this chapter shall use the grant funds for both of the following purposes:
(1) To implement the pipeline services based on results of the needs analysis described in the application and plans to build organizational capacity.
(2) To continuously evaluate the success of the program and improve the program based on data and outcomes.
(b) Each grant recipient may use grant funds to develop the administrative capacity necessary to successfully implement a continuum of solutions, such as managing partnerships, integrating multiple funding sources, supporting longitudinal data system, and accessing technical assistance. Each grant recipient and its partners shall not expend more than 20 percent on those administrative and capacity building costs.
11557.
 Each grant recipient under this chapter shall prepare and submit an annual report to the department that shall include all of the following:
(a) Information about the number and percentage of children, family members, and community members in the Promise Neighborhood who are served by the grant recipient, including a description of the number and percentage of children accessing each of the pipeline services and the number of family and community members served by each program.
(b) Disaggregated data at population and program levels related to the grant recipient’s programs’ success in annual growth along program and project indicators. Data should be disaggregated by all of the following:
(1) Gender.
(2) Major racial and ethnic groups.
(3) English proficiency status.
(4) Migrant status.
(5) Disability status.
(6) Economic disadvantage status.
(7) Information relating to the performance metrics.
(8) Other indicators that may be required by the department.
11558.
 The operation of this chapter is contingent upon the enactment of an appropriation in the annual Budget Act for purposes of this chapter.