(a) It is the intent of the state that school districts, community college districts, the California State University, and the University of California coordinate their efforts to provide instruction in basic skills in an efficient and effective way.
(b) The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall solicit applications from community college districts seeking funding for plans to provide instruction in basic skills to students enrolled, or who will enroll, at California State University campuses. As used in this section, “chancellor” means the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
(c) A community college district that chooses to apply for a grant under this section shall include the following components of its plan in its application:
(1) A list of the community colleges and the California State University campuses that will work jointly to develop effective instruction in basic skills and provide instruction to focus on students enrolled, or who will enroll, at California State University campuses.
(2) A commitment from the California State University campuses listed in paragraph (1) that these campuses will direct students to instruction at community colleges.
(3) A narrative explaining the strategy for directing students to instruction at community colleges and integrating this instruction with programs at California State University campuses.
(4) A letter from each of the presidents of the California State University campuses listed in the application pursuant to paragraph (1) indicating support for the plan and identifying the fiscal impact for his or her particular campus.
(5) A narrative describing any effective evidence-based instructional strategies and practices the community colleges have implemented for the delivery of basic skills instruction and any efforts the community colleges have made to incorporate effective evidence-based instructional strategies and practices within the delivery of their basic skills instruction.
(6) A narrative describing how faculty was involved in the development of the plan.
(7) A narrative describing if and how the community college district intends to incorporate the use of student success data to inform the delivery of its basic skills instruction.
(8) A narrative describing the measures the community colleges listed pursuant to paragraph (1) will undertake to collaborate with local school districts serving kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to better articulate English and mathematics instruction between high schools located in the community college district and the community colleges and the California State University campuses listed pursuant to paragraph (1).
(d) (1) The chancellor, in consultation with the Chancellor of the California State University, shall award grants of two million dollars ($2,000,000) each to five of the applicant community college districts.
(2) The grants shall be awarded based on the projected success of the applicant districts in maximizing the following factors, which are listed below in order of decreasing priority:
(A) The number of students enrolled, or who will enroll, at California State University campuses and who would benefit from access to instruction in basic skills at the community colleges participating in the plan.
(B) The number of California State University campuses participating in the plan.
(C) The number of community college campuses participating in the plan.
(D) The likelihood that the plan would be implemented effectively.
(E) The use of effective evidence-based instructional strategies and practices the community colleges have implemented for the delivery of basic skills instruction. Community college districts are encouraged to align the delivery of basic skills instruction with California State University campus programs that will accelerate the progress of underprepared students toward college completion.
(e) (1) Upon awarding the grants, the chancellor shall allocate one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the grant funds to each community college district selected for a grant.
(2) The chancellor shall release the remainder of a grant amount only after the community college district has submitted records demonstrating that students enrolled, or planning to enroll, at California State University campuses have accessed instruction in basic skills at the community colleges pursuant to the plan. Notwithstanding this reporting condition, the chancellor shall release any amount of a grant that remains as of May 1, 2018, to the community college district by June 30, 2018.
(f) As a condition of receiving a grant pursuant to this section, a community college district shall provide all of the following information to the chancellor by February 1, 2017:
(1) The number of students enrolled, or who will enroll, at California State University campuses who were provided, or are being provided, instruction by community colleges pursuant to the adopted plan.
(2) The number of students who successfully completed basic skills instruction at the community colleges, defined as demonstrating competency on California State University assessments or successful completion of appropriate college-level courses.
(3) The number of students provided instruction at the community colleges who subsequently enrolled at a California State University campus and demonstrated competency on California State University assessments or successful completion of appropriate college-level courses.
(4) To the extent available, first-year retention and success rates at the California State University of students who received basic skills instruction at the community colleges pursuant to the plan.
(5) A qualitative description of the local successes or challenges that community colleges encountered when partnering with California State University campuses to provide instruction in basic skills to students enrolled, or who will enroll, at those campuses.
(6) A narrative describing the use of effective evidence-based practices by the community colleges to deliver basic skills instruction to accelerate the progress of underprepared students toward achieving postsecondary educational and career goals. This narrative shall also include a description of the efforts of the community colleges to implement or expand the use of effective evidence-based practices to deliver basic skills instruction.
(7) A narrative describing the measures implemented by the community college district to collaborate with local school districts serving kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to better articulate English and mathematics instruction between high schools located in the community college district and the community colleges and the California State University campuses listed pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c).
(g) No later than April 1, 2017, and following consultation with the Chancellor of the California State University, the chancellor shall analyze the information provided under subdivision (f), and report to the Legislature, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the Department of Finance on the effectiveness of the plans in delivering instruction in basic skills to students enrolled, or who will enroll, at California State University campuses. This report shall also include a report on costs avoided by the California State University, if any, and recommendations on expanded use of community colleges to deliver basic skills instruction to California State University students. A report to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(h) The attendance of students enrolled in a basic skills course pursuant to this section may be reported by a community college district for apportionment purposes.
(i) The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the chancellor for allocation to community college districts to establish a basic skills partnership program at five community college districts in accordance with this section.
(j) For the purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (i) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for community college districts,” as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 41202 of the Education Code, for the 2014–15 fiscal year, and included within the “total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B,” as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202 of the Education Code, for the 2014–15 fiscal year.
(Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 22, Sec. 19. (SB 81) Effective June 24, 2015.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018