Bill Text: CA AB2086 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Cal Grant Program: qualifying institutions: publication

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2010-09-24 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 248, Statutes of 2010. [AB2086 Detail]

Download: California-2009-AB2086-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 2086	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 16, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 6, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 22, 2010
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 7, 2010

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Coto

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2010

   An act to amend  Section   Sections 10600 and
 69432.7 of the Education Code, relating to postsecondary
education.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2086, as amended, Coto. Cal Grant Program: qualifying
institutions: publication of license examination passage rates.
   Existing law, the Ortiz-Pacheco-Poochigian-Vasconcellos Cal Grant
Program, establishes the Cal Grant A and B entitlement awards, the
California Community College Transfer Cal Grant Entitlement awards,
the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C awards, and
the Cal Grant T awards under the administration of the Student Aid
Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under
these programs for participating students attending qualifying
institutions.
   For purposes of the Cal Grant Program, existing law defines
"qualifying institution" as a California private or independent
postsecondary educational institution that participates in specified
federal student aid programs, a nonprofit institution that is
headquartered and operating in California that meets specified
criteria, or a California public postsecondary educational
institution.
   This bill would redefine "qualifying institution" for purposes of
the Cal Grant Program to mean an institution that is within any of
those 3 categories and that complies with a requirement to provide
information on where to access license examination passage rates for
graduates of specified programs if that data is electronically
available through the Internet Web site of a state licensing or
regulatory agency.  The bill  would   also
  declare the intent of the Legislature that the Commission
on Teacher Credentialing and the State Department of Education, to
the extent practicable while implementing a specified requirement to
  report data to the California Education Information
System, facilitate the compliance of qualifying institutions with the
requirement to provide information by making the report accessible
electronically through the Internet and providing a link to the Web
site where data on the passage rates of recent program graduates can
also be retrieved electronically. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

   SECTION 1.    Section 10600 of the  
Education Code   is amended to read: 
   10600.  (a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this
chapter to make complete, current, and reliable information relating
to education available to the Legislature and to all public
educational agencies in California at maximum efficiency and economy
through statewide compatibility in the development and application of
information systems and electronic data-processing techniques
insofar as they relate to data required in reports to the department.

   (b) It is the further intent of the Legislature to recognize the
importance, and enhance the stature, of the education profession
throughout the state.
   (c) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
   (1) According to recent studies, there is a shortage of qualified
teachers, particularly in the areas of special education, English
language acquisition and development, mathematics, and science,
throughout California.
   (2) In order for California to remain competitive in the global
economy, the Legislature recognizes the necessity of continuing to
support the recruitment of individuals to the teaching profession and
effective teacher preparation and professional development programs.
The Legislature also recognizes the importance of quality
instruction to the academic achievement of pupils and of providing
each pupil in the public schools with instruction by a highly
qualified teacher.  Data from the California Education
Information System will allow teacher candida   tes to make
informed decisions about choosing a program of teacher preparation by
providing aggregate information on the effectiveness of teacher
preparation programs and the related academic proficiency of 
 subgroups of pupils, including, but not limited to, English
learners, special education pupils, and socioeconomically
disadvantaged pupils. 
   (3) State and local policymakers, local educational agencies, 
teacher candidates,  teachers, parents, and pupils all need
reliable information regarding participation in the teacher
workforce, teacher movement between schools and school districts, the
departure of teachers from the workforce before retirement, the
appropriateness of teacher assignments, and the effectiveness of
teacher credentialing, preparation, induction, recruitment, and
support, and would benefit from the availability of more extensive
information regarding the teaching profession.
   (4) Data regarding the teacher workforce is currently collected
and maintained by numerous state and local educational agencies. In
order for the Legislature to fulfill its intent in enacting this
chapter, it is necessary to integrate the data collected by those
existing data systems to provide an understanding of the teacher
workforce in the state and the effectiveness of teacher preparation
programs. For purposes of integrating data regarding the teacher
workforce in the state, Item 6110-001-0890 of Section 2.00 of the
Budget Act of 2005 (Chapter 38 of the Statutes of 2005) appropriated
funds for the department to contract for a teacher data system
feasibility study to determine the feasibility of converting existing
data systems into an integrated, comprehensive, longitudinally
linked teacher information system that can yield high-quality program
evaluations. 
   (5) Consolidating public information on the effectiveness of
teacher preparation programs will assist teacher candidates in
enrolling in the program that is the best fit for their career goals.
It is therefore the intent of the Legislature that the Commission on
Teacher Credentialing and the department, to the extent practicable
while implementing the reporting requirements in subdivision (g) of
Section 10601.5, facilitate the compliance of qualifying institutions
with paragraph (2) of subdivision (l) of Section 69432.7 by making
the report accessible electronically through the Internet and
providing a link to the Web site where data on the passage rates of
recent program graduates can also be retrieved electronically. 
   (d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the vital goals
described in this section be accomplished through the establishment
of a comprehensive state education data information system in the
department that includes information regarding the teacher workforce.

   SECTION 1.   SEC. 2.  Section 69432.7 of
the Education Code is amended to read:
   69432.7.  As used in this chapter, the following terms have the
following meanings:
   (a) An "academic year" is July 1 to June 30, inclusive. The
starting date of a session shall determine the academic year in which
it is included.
   (b) "Access costs" means living expenses and expenses for
transportation, supplies, and books.
   (c) "Award year" means one academic year, or the equivalent, of
attendance at a qualifying institution.
   (d) "College grade point average" and "community college grade
point average" mean a grade point average calculated on the basis of
all college work completed, except for nontransferable units and
courses not counted in the computation for admission to a California
public institution of higher education that grants a baccalaureate
degree.
   (e) "Commission" means the Student Aid Commission.
   (f) "Enrollment status" means part-time status or full-time
status.
   (1) "Part time," for purposes of Cal Grant eligibility, means 6 to
11 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent.
   (2) "Full time," for purposes of Cal Grant eligibility, means 12
or more semester units or the equivalent.
   (g) "Expected family contribution," with respect to an applicant,
shall be determined using the federal methodology pursuant to
subdivision (a) of Section 69506 (as established by Title IV of the
federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070
et seq.)) and applicable rules and regulations adopted by the
commission.
   (h) "High school grade point average" means a grade point average
calculated on a 4.0 scale, using all academic coursework, for the
sophomore year, the summer following the sophomore year, the junior
year, and the summer following the junior year, excluding physical
education, reserve officer training corps (ROTC), and remedial
courses, and computed pursuant to regulations of the commission.
However, for high school graduates who apply after their senior year,
"high school grade point average" includes senior year coursework.
   (i) "Instructional program of not less than one academic year"
means a program of study that results in the award of an associate or
baccalaureate degree or certificate requiring at least 24 semester
units or the equivalent, or that results in eligibility for transfer
from a community college to a baccalaureate degree program.
   (j) "Instructional program of not less than two academic years"
means a program of study that results in the award of an associate or
baccalaureate degree requiring at least 48 semester units or the
equivalent, or that results in eligibility for transfer from a
community college to a baccalaureate degree program.
   (k) "Maximum household income and asset levels" means the
applicable household income and household asset levels for
participants in the Cal Grant Program, as defined and adopted in
regulations by the commission for the 2001-02 academic year, which
shall be set pursuant to the following income and asset ceiling
amounts:
         CAL GRANT PROGRAM INCOME CEILINGS


+--------------------+--------------+--------------+
|                        Cal Grant                 |
|                           A,                     |
|                        C, and T      Cal Grant B |
+--------------------+--------------+--------------+
|Dependent and Independent students with           |
|dependents*                                       |
+--------------------+--------------+--------------+
|Family Size                                       |
+--------------------+--------------+--------------+
|  Six or more             $74,100        $40,700  |
+--------------------+--------------+--------------+
|  Five                    $68,700        $37,700  |
+--------------------+--------------+--------------+
|  Four                    $64,100        $33,700  |
+--------------------+--------------+--------------+
|  Three                   $59,000        $30,300  |
+--------------------+--------------+--------------+
|  Two                     $57,600        $26,900  |
+--------------------+--------------+--------------+
|Independent                                       |
+--------------------+--------------+--------------+
|  Single, no              $23,500        $23,500  |
|dependents                                        |
+--------------------+--------------+--------------+
|  Married                 $26,900        $26,900  |
+--------------------+--------------+--------------+


   *Applies to independent students with dependents other than a
spouse.
          CAL GRANT PROGRAM ASSET CEILINGS


+----------------------+-------------+-------------+
|                         Cal Grant                |
|                             A,                   |
|                          C, and T    Cal Grant B |
+----------------------+-------------+-------------+
|Dependent**                $49,600       $49,600  |
+----------------------+-------------+-------------+
|Independent                $23,600       $23,600  |
+----------------------+-------------+-------------+


   **Applies to independent students with dependents other than a
spouse.


   The commission shall annually adjust the maximum household income
and asset levels based on the percentage change in the cost of living
within the meaning of paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) of Section 8
of Article XIII B of the California Constitution. An applicant who
qualifies to be considered under the simplified needs test
established by federal law for student assistance shall be presumed
to meet the asset level test under this section. Prior to disbursing
any Cal Grant funds, a qualifying institution shall be obligated,
under the terms of its institutional participation agreement with the
commission, to resolve any conflicts that may exist in the data the
institution possesses relating to that individual.
   (  l  ) (1) "Qualifying institution" means an institution
that complies with paragraph (2) and is any of the following:
   (A) A California private or independent postsecondary educational
institution that participates in the Pell Grant program and in at
least two of the following federal campus-based student aid programs:

   (i) Federal Work-Study.
   (ii) Perkins Loan Program.
   (iii) Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program.
   (B) A nonprofit institution headquartered and operating in
California that certifies to the commission that 10 percent of the
institution's operating budget, as demonstrated in an audited
financial statement, is expended for the purposes of institutionally
funded student financial aid in the form of grants, that demonstrates
to the commission that it has the administrative capacity to
administer the funds, that is accredited by the Western Association
of Schools and Colleges, and that meets any other state-required
criteria adopted by regulation by the commission in consultation with
the Department of Finance. A regionally accredited institution that
was deemed qualified by the commission to participate in the Cal
Grant Program for the 2000-01 academic year shall retain its
eligibility as long as it maintains its existing accreditation
status.
   (C) A California public postsecondary educational institution.
   (2) (A) The institution shall provide information on where to
access license examination passage rates for the most recent
available year from graduates of its programs leading to employment
for which passage of a state licensing examination is required, if
that data is electronically available through the Internet Web site
of a state licensing or regulatory agency. For purposes of this
paragraph, "provide" may exclusively include placement of an Internet
Web site address labeled as an access point for the data on the
passage rates of recent program graduates on the Internet Web site
where enrollment information is also located, or on applications for
enrollment or other program information distributed to prospective
students.
   (B) The institution shall be responsible for certifying to the
commission compliance with the requirements of subparagraph (A).
   (m) "Satisfactory academic progress" means those criteria required
by applicable federal standards published in Title 34 of the Code of
Federal Regulations. The commission may adopt regulations defining
"satisfactory academic progress" in a manner that is consistent with
those federal standards.