BILL NUMBER: AB 1258 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 21, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Chau
FEBRUARY 27, 2015
An act to add and repeal Chapter 13.5 (commencing with
Section 52975) to of Part 28 of
Division 4 of Title 2 of, and to repeal Section 52979 of,
of the Education Code, relating to elementary
and secondary education, and making an appropriation therefor.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 1258, as amended, Chau. Elementary and secondary education:
Computer Science Education Grant Program.
Pilot Program.
Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and
secondary schools in this state, and authorizes school districts and
other local educational agencies to provide instruction to pupils in
kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law establishes
a course of study for pupils in these grades.
This bill would establish the Computer Science Education Grant
Pilot Program under the administration of the
Superintendent of Public Instruction. Under the program, eligible
school districts would could apply to
receive funding one-year grants under
either or both of the 2 competitive grant pilot
programs. One grant pilot program, the
Computer Science Start-Up Courses Grant program,
Pilot Program, would provide grants to establish and
maintain computer science courses, courses in
underserved areas, and the other grant pilot
program, the Computer Science Educator Training Grant
program, Pilot Program, would provide
professional development for educators to teach computer science,
either as a stand-alone course or as integrated into other
courses.
The bill would authorize any school district in the state to apply
for participation in the program. pilot
programs. The bill would specify minimum criteria to
be applied by the Superintendent in evaluating applicant school
districts for possible participation in the program,
pilot programs, and authorize the Superintendent
to convene an advisory group of computer science experts to discuss
and refine these criteria, as specified.
The bill would establish the Computer Science Education Grant
Matching Account in the State Treasury under the
administration of the Superintendent. Treasury.
The bill would authorize the Superintendent
State Treasury to receive, and deposit into the account,
matching funds received from school districts participating
in the programs established under the bill, and any gifts,
grants, or donations received for purposes of the bill from the
federal government or private persons or entities. The bill would
express the intent of the Legislature that no moneys from the state
General Fund be used to fund the grant program
pilot programs established by the bill. The
The bill would continuously appropriate the funds
deposited in the account to the Superintendent for purposes of the
bill, provided that the Superintendent certifies, in writing, to the
Director of Finance that there are sufficient funds in the account to
implement the bill. The bill would limit expenditures from the
account to cover administrative costs to no more than 10% of the
allocations made from the account in any fiscal year. The bill would
authorize the Superintendent to refund to the donor all or a portion
of any gift, grant, or donation made to the account by that donor if
the funds received from that donor have not been encumbered because
there are surplus funds in the account or because this provision has
not become operative.
The bill would require the Superintendent to submit a
an annual report, containing specified data
about the grant program, to the Governor and the Legislature on or
before January 1, 2019. 10, 2018, and on or
before January 10 in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
The provisions of the bill would become inoperative on July 1,
2021, and would be repealed as of January 1, 2022.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 13.5 (commencing with Section 52975) is added
to Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:
CHAPTER 13.5. COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION GRANT PILOT
PROGRAM
Article 1. General Provisions
52975. (a) The Superintendent shall establish a public-private
computer science education grant pilot program through
which an eligible a participating
school district may receive funding to establish and maintain
computer science courses and provide professional development for
educators to teach computer science, either as a stand-alone course
or as integrated into other courses. Any school district
may apply for participation in this grant pilot program.
The grant pilot program shall consist of two parts, the
Computer Science Start-Up Courses Grant program
Pilot Program and the Computer Science Educator Training
Grant program, Pilot Program, and
school districts may apply for participation in either or both of
those two pilot programs.
(b) The Superintendent shall provide notice of this pilot
program to all school districts throughout the state, and
encourage them to apply for participation in this grant pilot
program.
(c) The Superintendent shall award one-year grants to
school districts under this chapter to applicants he or she deems to
be eligible. A school district that receives a grant under this
chapter may apply for a grant in a subsequent year, but grants under
this chapter shall not be automatically renewed for an additional
year. The Superintendent shall not award any grant under this
chapter unless the Superintendent determines that there are
sufficient moneys in the Computer Science Education Grant Matching
Account established under Article 3 (commencing with Section 52978)
to fund that grant. In order to be deemed eligible for the grant
program, pilot program, a school
district, at a minimum, shall meet all of the following criteria:
(1) Demonstrate engaged and committed leadership in support of
introducing pupils who would not otherwise have these opportunities
to computer science.
(2) Demonstrate a plan to engage these pupils with the subject
matter of computer science.
(3) Demonstrate that school district staff are appropriately
trained to carry out the plan.
(4) Demonstrate the capacity to maximize the use of
grant resources by addressing the availability of appropriate
physical space and technology, projected enrollment, and other
specific requirements set forth by the Superintendent.
(5) Demonstrate a history of successful partnerships within the
community and partner support for computer science. Partnership
support may include, but is not necessarily limited to, supplying
materials or technology, instruction support, internships,
mentorships, and apprenticeships.
(6) Demonstrate the capacity to continue in the school years
succeeding the initial grant year.
(d) The Superintendent may convene an advisory group of computer
science experts to discuss and refine the eligibility criteria listed
in subdivision (c). For purposes of this subdivision, the
Superintendent may use the same group of computer science experts
selected pursuant to Section 60605.4.
52975.5. This chapter shall become inoperative on July 1, 2021,
and, as of January 1, 2022, is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2022, deletes
or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is
repealed.
Article 2. Computer Science Start-Up Courses Grant and
Computer Science Educator Training Grant Pilot Programs
52976. (a) The Computer Science Start-up
Courses Grant program Pilot Program is
a competitive grant program that is intended to support
innovative ways to introduce pupils in underserved areas
who would not otherwise have those opportunities to computer science
and inspire them to enter computer science careers.
(b) In awarding grants under this section, the Superintendent
shall give priority to applicant school districts with higher
percentages of unduplicated pupils, as defined in Section 42238.02,
and, as much as feasible, shall award grants to school districts that
collectively represent the geographic and socioeconomic diversity of
this state. An applicant for a grant under this section shall submit
a specific plan for an introductory computer science course designed
to be of maximum value in meeting the particular needs of the pupils
of that school district.
52977. (a) The Computer Science Educator
Training Grant program Pilot Program is
intended to support professional development for educators to
acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to teach computer science,
either as a stand-alone course or as integrated into
other courses. The Superintendent shall award training
grants grants, on a competitive basis, to
eligible educators employed by applicant school districts. A
grant recipient
(b) In awarding grants under this
section, the Superintendent shall give priority to applicant school
districts with higher percentages of unduplicated pupils, as defined
in Section 42238.02, and, as much as feasible, shall award grants to
school districts that collectively represent the geographic and
socioeconomic diversity of this state. An applicant for a grant
under this section shall demonstrate a
submit a specific plan for professional development for
educators employed by that school district to acquire the
knowledge and skills necessary to teach computer science,
scien ce to that school district's pupils,
either as a stand-alone course or as integrated into
other courses. Grant funds awarded under this section shall be
allocated on a one-time basis, and may be used to
fund professional development and training related
to computer science education. education for
the participating educators.
Article 3. Funding and Reporting
52978. (a) The Computer Science Education Grant Matching Account
is established in the State Treasury under the
administration of the Superintendent. Treasury.
This account shall be used solely and exclusively for the
program pilot programs created in this chapter.
The purpose of the account is to provide matching funds for the
Computer Science Start-Up Courses Grant and the Computer Science
Educator Training Grant pilot programs established under
Article 2 (commencing with Section 52976). Grants under this chapter,
and related administrative costs, shall be funded by a combination
of funds from the account and matching funds provided by a
participating school district. It is the intent of the Legislature
that no moneys from the state General Fund be used to fund the grant
pilot program established by this chapter.
(b) Notwithstanding any other law, the Superintendent
State Treasury is authorized to receive, and
deposit into the account, matching funds received from
school districts participating in the programs established under this
chapter and any gifts, grants, or donations received for
purposes of this chapter from the federal government or private
persons or entities. Expenditures from the account, with respect to a
particular grant, shall not exceed the amount of corresponding
matching funds.
52978.5. (a) Notwithstanding Section 13340
of the Government Code, the funds deposited in the Computer Science
Education Grant Matching Account shall be continuously appropriated
to the Superintendent for purposes of funding the grants established
under this chapter and chapter,
covering related administrative costs. This
costs, and returning unencumbered funds to donors pursuant to
subdivision (b). The administrative costs of the implementation of
this chapter shall be kept to a minimum, and in no event shall
expenditures from the account to cover administrative costs exceed 10
percent of the allocations made from the account in any fiscal year.
(b) The Superintendent is authorized to refund to the donor all or
a portion of any gift, grant, or donation made to the account by
that donor if the funds received from the donor have not been
encumbered because the Superintendent has determined that there are
surplus funds in the account or because, pursuant to subdivision (c),
this section has not become operative.
(c) This section shall not become
operative unless and until the Superintendent certifies, in writing,
to the Director of Finance that there are sufficient funds in the
account to implement this chapter.
52979. (a) The
Superintendent shall submit an annual report to the
Governor and the Legislature on the programs established under this
chapter. This report shall be submitted on or before January
1, 2019, 10, 2018, and on or before January 10 in
2019, 2020, and 2021, in compliance with Section 9795 of the
Government Code. The report shall include, but not necessarily be
limited to, all of the following data:
(1)
(a) The number of applicants annually.
(2)
(b) The number of participants annually.
(3)
(c) The rate of compliance with academic and employment
requirements.
(4) A list of participating postsecondary educational
institutions.
(5) A needs assessment for program growth based on the eligible
pool of applicants.
(6)
(d) An assessment of the success rates for each
participating school district.
(7)
(e) The amount of grant funds awarded each fiscal year,
classified by school district.
(b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2020, as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute,
that is enacted before January 1, 2020, deletes or extends that date.