Bill Text: CA AB1238 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Advanced placement program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-02 - From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [AB1238 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB1238-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 1238	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 31, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hernandez

                        FEBRUARY 27, 2009

   An act to amend Section 52240 of the Education Code, relating to
pupils.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1238, as amended, Hernandez. Advanced placement program.

   Existing 
    (1)     Existing  law contains
legislative findings and declarations regarding advanced placement
courses. Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that
certain state funding that is currently provided to school districts
be made available to provide financial assistance to economically
disadvantaged pupils in the payment of advanced placement examination
fees. Existing law further states the intent of the Legislature that
a competitive grant program also be established for the purpose of
awarding grants to economically disadvantaged pupils to cover the
costs of advanced placement examination fees, thereby creating a
second source of financial assistance for economically disadvantaged
pupils taking advanced placement examinations. 
   This bill would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to these
provisions.  
   This bill would require school districts maintaining any of grades
9 to 12, inclusive, to offer advanced placement courses in certain
areas of study, including English literature and composition, United
States history, Spanish language, calculus, and chemistry. The bill
would authorize small rural school districts, as defined, to offer
online courses for the purposes of fulfilling this requirement.
Because the bill would require school districts to provide a higher
level of service, it would impose a state-mandated local program.
 

   (2) 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 these
statutory provisions. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  no
  yes  . State-mandated local program:  no
  yes  .


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 52240 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   52240.  (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (1) Advanced placement courses, for which school credit is
awarded, provide rigorous academic coursework opportunities for high
school pupils and help to improve the overall curriculum at schools
where they are provided.
   (2) The successful completion of advanced placement courses and
subsequent advanced placement examinations, which are conducted by
the College Entrance Examination Board and for which college credit
is awarded, provide a cost-effective means for high school pupils to
obtain college-level coursework experience.
   (3) To the extent that economically disadvantaged pupils are
provided financial assistance to take advanced placement
examinations, they will be provided with successful college-level
experience and be encouraged to pursue postsecondary education
opportunities.
   (b) It is the intent of the Legislature, therefore, that certain
state funding that currently is provided to school districts be made
available to provide financial assistance to economically
disadvantaged pupils in the payment of advanced placement examination
fees. It is further the intent of the Legislature that a competitive
grant program also be established for the purpose of awarding grants
to economically disadvantaged pupils to cover the costs of advanced
placement examination fees, thereby creating a second source of
financial assistance for economically disadvantaged pupils taking
advanced placement examinations. 
   (c) (1) School districts maintaining any of grades 9 to 12,
inclusive, shall offer advanced placement courses in the following
areas of study: 
   (A) English literature and composition.  
   (B) United States history.  
   (C) Spanish language.  
   (D) Calculus.  
   (E) Chemistry.  
   (2) A small rural school district, as defined in paragraph (3),
may offer online courses in order to fulfill the requirements of
paragraph (1).  
   (3) For purposes of this section, a "small rural school district"
means a school district that has an annual enrollment of fewer than
600 pupils based on prior school year CBEDS data and is, for the
purposes of this section, designated a rural school by the
Superintendent based on the appropriate school locale codes, as used
by the National Center for Education Statistics of the United States
Department of Education. 
   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.