2006 – 2007 Legislation:

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the following legislation to benefit California's students and education system. Specifically, these bills make positive changes to career technical education, charter schools, California High School Exit Exam and postsecondary education.

• SB 52 - This bill requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to streamline the number of Career Technical Education (CTE) credentials in order to facilitate the recruitment and retention of CTE instructors.
• SB 13 - This bill requires school districts to answer new specific questions related to Career Technical Education on the California Department of Education application for new construction plan approval.
• AB 597 - This bill requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to create and manage a website that provides information and resources on Career Technical Education (CTE) in elementary and secondary schools. This bill also requires that the CDE select by July 1, 2008, an elementary or secondary school CTE program to develop the website and content.
• AB 428 - This bill requires district governing boards to annually provide written notification to parents or guardians of pupils enrolled in grades 9-12 of information related to college admission requirements and career technical education courses.

The Governor's 2007-08 budget provides $52 million to continue systematic investments aimed at restoring and reinvigorating high school vocational programs though curriculum enhancements, as well as course sequencing and articulation between K-12 tech-prep programs and community college economic development programs. In March 2007, the Governor hosted California's first career technical education summit. The summit brought together education, business, labor, foundation and political leaders to strategize how career tech education can maintain California's competitive edge in the global marketplace.

• AB 177 - This bill extends the authorization for the Los Angeles County Board of Education to charter a community school from June 20, 2008 to June 30, 2013
• SB 345 - This bill: Authorizes a charter school to pay teacher salaries on alternative schedules in the same manner as a school district, authorizes the chief executive of a charter school, or their designee, to issue work permits for charter school pupils and authorizes the Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART) operating pursuant to a joint powers agreement between the Clovis Unified School District (CUSD) and the Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) to receive the charter school general-purpose funding for fiscal year 2007-08.

In September, Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 20 by Senator Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) which appropriates $18 million in Proposition 98 funding to the Charter School Facility Grant Program. The Charter School Facility Grant Program provides assistance with facilities rent and lease costs for charter schools located in low-income communities. Specifically, this program allows eligible schools to receive $750 per pupil or 75-percent of the charter school's annual facilities rent and lease costs. To qualify for the funding the charter schools must be housed in an area where more than 70% of the students receive a free and reduced lunch.

California High School Exit Exam Legislation:

• AB 347 -This bill provides intensive instruction and services for an additional two years to 12th grade students who have not passed the California High School Exit Exam. The enactment of this bill satisfies the requirements of the settlement agreement reached in Valenzuela v. O'Connell, et. al, a lawsuit challenging the California High School Exit Exam.

The Governor's 2007-08 budget includes $72.4 million for supplemental instruction and $188.1 million for after-school and summer instruction to help students pass the exit exam.

• SB 190 -This bill modifies current law governing the meeting of the Regents of the University of California and the California State University Board of Trustees and clarifies the requirement for meetings that must be open to the public. This bill requires that actions on executive compensation occur in open public meetings.
• AB 580 - Allows the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to select an employee from other than the first three ranks on a merit system employment list.
• AB 1061 - This bill revises the items that must be reported by school districts on the School Accountability Report Card for each school in the district.
• SB 95 - This bill authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction to apportion funds per eligible participating pupil for outdoor science education programs, if funds are made available in the State Budget.
• SB 139 - This bill makes changes to the State Nursing Assumption Program of Loans for Education and established the Health Care Workforces Clearinghouse within the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to serve as the central source of health care workforce and educational data in the state.

2005 – 2006 Legislation:

To view more information on a specific piece of legislation, select it from the list below.

• AB 172 – Preschool Funding
• AB 1381 – Los Angeles Unified School District
• AB 2722 – Adoption and Use of Instructional Materials
• SB 361 – Community College Funding
• SB 1133 – School Funding
• SB 1209 – Teacher Credentialing
• SB 1309 – Nursing Act Pipeline of 2006
• SB 1655 – Teacher Recruitment

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