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AB-395 California Community College Guided Pathways Grant Program.(2023-2024)

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Date Published: 03/09/2023 09:00 PM
AB395:v98#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 09, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 395

Introduced by Assembly Member Reyes

February 02, 2023

An act relating to public postsecondary education. An act to add Section 88923 to the Education Code, relating to community colleges.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 395, as amended, Reyes. Community colleges: matriculation: assessment. California Community College Guided Pathways Grant Program.
Existing law establishes the California Community College Guided Pathways Grant Program under the administration of the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and requires the chancellor’s office to distribute grants, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to community colleges that satisfy certain requirements, including, among other requirements, integration of existing student-success programs and development of clearly structured, coherent guided pathways programs, as defined.
This bill, on or before August 1, 2024, and on or before August 1 of every even-numbered year thereafter, would require each community college to develop an educational plan, as provided, to provide a detailed sequence of courses for each degree, certificate, diploma, or license, or any other form of transfer to a postsecondary educational institution, offered by the community college and ensure that the community college offers the courses required for a degree, certificate, diploma, or license, or any other pathway of transfer to a postsecondary educational institution, in a consistent manner to ensure students can plan their academic futures. The bill, on or before June 1, 2025, and on or before June 1 of every even-numbered year thereafter, would require the chancellor’s office to submit a report to the Director of Finance and the Legislature, based on the educational plans received from community colleges, as specified, that includes a summary of the educational plans and related information, as provided. By imposing new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
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.

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, the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, provides that the purpose of the act is to increase California community college student access and success by providing effective core matriculation services of orientation, assessment and placement, counseling, and other education planning services, and academic interventions.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation relating to student matriculation and assessment at the California Community Colleges.

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NOYES  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 88923 is added to the Education Code, to read:

88923.
 (a) As used in this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Education program” means a planned sequence of courses leading to a degree, certificate, diploma, or license, or any other pathway of transfer to a postsecondary educational institution.
(2) “Postsecondary educational institution” means a campus of the University of California or the California State University, an institution of higher education, as defined in Section 66010, a private postsecondary educational institution, as defined in Section 94858, or any other four-year institution of higher education offering a baccalaureate degree program.
(3) “Sequence of courses” means the courses required to successfully complete a degree, certificate, diploma, or license, or any other pathway of transfer to a postsecondary educational institution.
(4) “Time to completion” means the number of semesters or quarters required for a student attending a community college full time who maintains good academic standing to successfully complete a degree, certificate, diploma, or license, or any other pathway of transfer to a postsecondary educational institution.
(b) On or before August 1, 2024, and on or before August 1 of every even-numbered year thereafter, each community college, in collaboration with the governing board of the community college district that maintains the community college and the academic senate of the community college or the community college district, shall develop an educational plan for the next two consecutive academic years for the community college. An educational plan shall be modified and brought up to date annually, as deemed necessary by the governing board of the community college district. On or before December 1, 2024, and on or before December 1 of every even-numbered year thereafter, the educational plan shall be made available to the public on the community college’s internet website. Each educational plan shall provide a detailed sequence of courses for each degree, certificate, diploma, or license, or any other form of transfer to a postsecondary educational institution, offered by the community college, and ensure that the community college offers the courses required for a degree, certificate, diploma, or license, or any other pathway of transfer to a postsecondary educational institution, in a consistent manner to ensure students can plan their academic futures. Each educational plan shall include, but is not limited to, both of the following:
(1) A catalog of courses offered by the community college for the semesters or quarters of the two consecutive academic years required in the educational plan.
(2) (A) The sequence of courses required by the community college to successfully complete each degree, certificate, diploma, or license, or any other pathway of transfer to a postsecondary educational institution, offered by the community college for the two consecutive academic years required in the educational plan.
(B) The sequence of courses shall be offered in a manner that ensures each course required for a degree, certificate, diploma, or license, or any other pathway of transfer to a postsecondary educational institution, is offered to students at least once annually, or, if the time to completion is less than one academic year, at least once within the allotted time to completion.
(c) (1) On or before January 1, 2025, and on or before January 1 of every even-numbered year thereafter, the educational plan created pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be submitted to the chancellor’s office.
(2) On or before June 1, 2025, and on or before June 1 of every even-numbered year thereafter, the chancellor’s office shall submit a report to the Director of Finance and the Legislature, pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code, that includes a summary of the educational plans received by the chancellor’s office pursuant to paragraph (1). The report shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following:
(A) A summary of each community college’s progress in implementing subdivision (b).
(B) A determination of whether each community college’s course offerings align with the educational plan and time to completion for each degree, certificate, diploma, or license, or any other pathway of transfer to a postsecondary educational institution, offered by the community college.
(C) Any recommendations on statutory or regulatory changes to improve the ability of community colleges to implement subdivision (b).
(d) This section does not require a student to successfully complete any degree, certificate, diploma, license, or other pathway of transfer to a postsecondary educational institution within two academic years.
(e) Community colleges may use funding appropriated for purposes of this part and the Student Equity and Achievement Program established pursuant to Section 78222 to implement this section.

SEC. 2.

 If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
SECTION 1.

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation relating to student matriculation and assessment at the California Community Colleges.