(1)Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and authorizes local educational agencies throughout the state to operate schools and provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law prescribes the course of study a pupil is required to complete while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. These requirements include the completion of 3 courses in social studies, including one-year courses in United States history and geography and world history, culture, and geography, and one-semester courses in American government and economics.

This bill would express legislative findings and declarations relating to service learning. The bill would additionally require, commencing with the high school class graduating during the 202122 school year, and for the high school classes graduating in each subsequent school year, at least one of the courses completed by a pupil to satisfy the graduation requirements referenced above to have a service learning component. The bill would define service learning for this purpose.

The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop curriculum standards for courses that incorporate a service learning component in order to satisfy the requirements of this bill. The bill would require the Superintendent to consult with leaders of community organizations, pupils, parents, classroom teachers, school administrators, postsecondary educators, representatives of business and industry, and other persons with knowledge or experience the Superintendent deems appropriate to the task of developing these curriculum standards. The bill would require the Superintendent to submit these proposed curriculum standards to the State Board of Education on or before March 1, 2018, and for the state board to adopt or reject curriculum standards that incorporate a service learning component into courses on or before July 1, 2018.

If the state board adopts these proposed curriculum standards, the bill would require the curriculum standards to be implemented by school districts, commencing with the 201819 school year, as a component of courses in order to satisfy the graduation requirements enacted by this bill. To the extent the implementation of these curriculum standards would impose new duties on school districts, this bill 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.

Date of Hearing: April 13, 2016

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1689

Author:(Low) – As Introduced Ver:January 21, 2016

Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: Yes Reimbursable: Yes

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to develop curriculum standards for courses that incorporate a service learning component in order to satisfy state and local high school graduation requirements. It sets forth a process for the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt or reject curriculum standards for a service learning component by July 1, 2017. And it requires the high school class graduating during 2020-21 to satisfy the service-learning component, through any subject required for high school graduation, if the standards are approved by the SBE.

FISCAL EFFECT:

1. Proposition 98/GF state mandated reimbursable costs, potentially in the tens of millions, to incorporate a service learning component into high school classes. A 2000 study found per pupil costs for service learning programs ranged from $14 to $1,700 per pupil. Assuming an average per pupil cost of $52, and enrollment of approximately 498,000 for grade 12, statewide costs would be approximately $26 million. This assumes the use of existing staff. School districts may need to hire a service learning programs coordinator, if existing contracts do not allow for an existing teacher to assume this work, which could lead to additional costs.
2. One-time General Fund administrative costs of approximately $460,000 for the California Department of Education to develop curriculum standards for courses that incorporate service learning. Costs include stakeholder advisory group meetings, contracting with a primary standards writer, and other associated staffing costs. This cost does not reflect potential ongoing costs related to modifying the existing frameworks, professional development activities, assessments or the provision of resources for LEAs through CDE's website.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. Service-learning is distinguished from volunteering or community service in that it connects service with structured opportunities to learn from the experience. While some school districts in California incorporate service-learning into the high school curriculum and require it for graduation, inclusion of this subject is not required. According to the author, this requirement will revitalize quality civic and service-learning experiences in the classroom and shape students to become active and informed citizens of our state.
2. Comments. Nothing in current law prevents school districts from implementing service learning programs. Current law also allows school districts to develop local graduation requirements in addition to those required by the state. As noted above, many school districts have local service-learning or volunteer graduation requirements. For example:

• Los Angeles Unified School District requires a service-learning experience of all high school students, measured by an approved project, not a number of hours served.
• Culver City Unified School District requires 60 hours of service-learning in high school for graduation.
• Paramount Unified School District requires 30 hours of community service for graduation, starting with this year’s graduating class.
• Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District requires 40 hours of community service for graduation.
• San Jose Unified School District requires certification of a minimum of 40 hours of community service for graduation.

This bill will require all school districts to implement service-learning as a condition of graduation. If the Commission on State Mandates determines the activities in this bill to be a state mandated activity, districts could submit cost claims for reimbursement of these activities.

1. Concerns. The California Department of Education is concerned that the timeline in the bill is unworkable. The bill requires standards to be submitted to the SBE by March 1, 2018 and the SBE is required adopt or reject these standards by July 1, 2018. The standards would have to be implemented by school districts at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year so that the graduation requirement can be enforced starting with the graduating class of 2021-22. This could prove very difficult to implement at the local level. The CDE recommends moving the implementation date out another year.
2. Previous legislation.
   1. AB 524 (Low) of 2015 is nearly identical to this bill. AB 524 was held on this committee's suspense file.
   2. AB 1911 (Wesson and Hertzberg) of 2000, would have required school districts offering grades 9 - 12 to offer students the opportunity to enroll in courses that include service-learning activities for credit toward graduation. This bill was held on Suspense in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Analysis Prepared by: Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 6, 2016

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Patrick O'Donnell, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1689 (

Author:Low) – As Introduced Ver:January 21, 2016

SUBJECT: School curriculum: coursework for high school graduation: service learning

SUMMARY: Requires, beginning with the high school class of 2021-22, that at least one of the courses required to completed by a by a student prior to graduation have a service-learning component, and requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to develop curriculum standards for service-learning. Specifically, this bill:

1. Makes findings and declarations relative to the importance of service-learning as a means of improving educational performance, developing character, values, self-esteem, civic responsibility, and knowledge of local community issues and concerns.
2. Requires the SPI to develop curriculum standards for courses that incorporate a service-learning component in order to satisfy the requirement described below.
3. Requires that, in developing the curriculum standards, the SPI consult with specified individuals, including leaders of community organizations, pupils, parents, classroom teachers, school administrators, postsecondary educators, representatives of business and industry. Requires that this consultation represent, as much as feasible, the diverse regions and socioeconomic communities of this state.
4. Requires the SPI to submit the standards to the State Board of Education (SBE) for its review on or before March 1, 2018.
5. Requires the SBE to adopt or reject the standards by July 1, 2018. Requires that, if the SBE adopts the standards, school districts to implement the standards by the 2018-19 school year, as specified below.
6. Requires that, if the SBE rejects the standards, the SBE submit a written explanation of the reasons why the standards were rejected to the SPI, the Legislature, and the Governor.
7. Requires that, commencing with the high school class of 2021-22, at least one of the courses completed by a student to meet graduation requirements has a service-learning component.
8. Defines service-learning as method through which pupils or participants learn and develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in, and meets the needs of, a community, is coordinated with a secondary school and with the community; and helps foster civic responsibility.
9. States that service-learning is a method that is integrated into, and enhances, the standards-based academic curriculum of the pupils; and provides structured time for the pupils or participants to reflect on the service experience.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Specifies requirements for graduation from high school, including: three courses in English; two courses in mathematics; two courses in science; three courses in social studies; one course in visual or performing arts, foreign language, or career technical education; and two courses in physical education.
2. Requires that, of the three courses in social studies, two must be year-long courses in United States history and geography, and in world history, culture, and geography, and that the remaining two are a one-semester courses in American government and civics, and a one-semester course in economics.
3. Establishes the Instructional Quality Commission (formerly the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission) as an advisory body to the State Board of Education (SBE) on matters related to curriculum, instructional materials, and content standards.

FISCAL EFFECT: The Office of Legislative Counsel has keyed this bill as a state-mandated local program.

COMMENTS:

Need for the bill. The author’s office states, “Service-learning is a powerful instructional strategy for improving the educational performance of pupils, along with contributing to the development of character, values, self-esteem, civic responsibility, and knowledge of local community issues and concerns. Like community service, service-learning requires students to serve their communities. Service-learning, however, takes community service one step further by incorporating the service experiences of students directly into their school work.

While some school districts in California incorporate community service or service-learning into the high school curriculum and require it for graduation, there is a missed opportunity for students in other districts that do not integrate service-learning into their educational experience.

According to a 1998 report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), senior pupils who are engaged in volunteer work, whether through school or on their own, are likely to have significantly higher civic assessment scale scores than pupils who did not participate in volunteer work. The date of the study is significant in that it was the last time NAEP tested students’ progress in civics.

Recognizing the need for civic and service-learning in our state, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson formed the California Task Force on K-12 Civic Learning in 2013 to assess civic education in schools. It found that too often the emphasis in the classroom is on memorization rather than participatory skills and experiential learning. Many classes did not assess whether students are prepared for their roles and responsibilities as citizens or the degree to which schools provide students with learning opportunities that achieve civic outcomes.

Young people who recall their civic learning experiences are more likely to vote, know general facts about the U.S. political system, and continue to be engaged in their community. AB 1689 will revitalize quality civic and service-learning experiences in the classroom and shape our students to become active and informed citizens of our state.”

Service-learning vs. community service/volunteering. Service-learning is often confused with volunteering or community service. Service-learning is distinguished from volunteering or community service in that it connects service with structured opportunities to learn from the experience. The federal Learn and Serve program of the Corporation for National and Community Service defined service-learning as “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.”

This bill defines service-learning based on the definition used in the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (reauthorized through the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009).

Service-learning supports academic achievement, narrows achievement gap. A 2011 meta-analysis of 62 studies involving 11,837 students found that, compared to controls, students who participated in service-learning programs demonstrate significant gains in five outcome areas: attitudes toward self, attitudes toward school and learning, civic engagement, social skills, and academic performance. The analysis also found that following certain recommended practices—linking to curriculum, community involvement, and reflection—were associated with better outcomes. A 2005 analysis of 217,000 student surveys found that “service [service-learning was not measured] of only one hour per week among lower-income students was related to significant reduction of the gap in achievement-related assets between higher and lower-income students.”

Nationally, community service increasing but service-learning declining. A 2008 national study published by the Corporation for National and Community Service found that “while school-based community service remains robust, the substantial growth in service-learning documented by federally funded studies conducted in 1979 and 1999 has not continued. In fact, the 2008 survey reveals a reversal of that trend, with the percentage of schools with service-learning declining from 32 percent in 1999 to 24 percent in 2008.” The study attributed that trend, in part, to the higher value placed on service as a means to promote civic behaviors than academic engagement. The study concluded, “When faced with budget constraints and state curriculum requirements, many schools are likely to place service activities outside of the curriculum and use methods other than service-learning in the classroom.”

CalServe program eliminated. From 1990 to 2012, the CDE operated the CalServe program, using federal funds from the Learn and Serve program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. CalServe provided funding to California’s county offices of education, districts, and schools to support the statewide implementation of service-learning. Federal funding for Learn and Serve America was eliminated from the 2011–12 budget, which eliminated CalServe's partnerships. Some participating school districts have continued to use service-learning as an instructional method.

Some districts have a volunteer or service-learning graduation requirement. While the state does not collect data on service-learning courses or community service graduation requirements, many school districts have local service-learning or volunteer graduation requirements. These vary in terms of time requirements and integration with coursework. As of 2015, some districts with such requirements included:

• Los Angeles Unified School District requires a service-learning experience of all high school students, measured by an approved project, not a number of hours served.
• Culver City Unified School District requires 60 hours of service-learning in high school for graduation.
• Paramount Unified School District requires 30 hours of community service for graduation, starting with this year’s graduating class.
• Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District requires 40 hours of community service for graduation.
• San Jose Unified School District requires certification of a minimum of 40 hours of community service for graduation.

Service-learning in other states. According to the Education Commission of the States, Maryland is the only state with a service-learning graduation requirement. The District of Columbia also has such a requirement. Maryland’s service-learning requirement was instituted in 1992, and requires students to either complete seventy-five hours of student service that includes preparation, action, and reflection components, or a locally-designed program in student service that has been approved by the State Superintendent of Schools.

Twenty-two other states offer credit toward graduation for service-learning or community service. Some states have created service-learning elective courses, and others offer a half or full credits for service that meets certain criteria. A few states encourage or explicitly permit districts to offer service-learning as part of required coursework or as a graduation requirement.

Every Student Succeeds Act and civic education. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), enacted in 2015, provides several potential funding sources for civic education programs. According to the Education Commission of the States, ESSA provides (subject to appropriation) 1) two competitive grant programs for non-profit organizations to run academies in civics and to disseminate innovative approaches to civics education, 2) a requirement that LEAs use a certain percentage of their federal allocations to support a well-rounded education, including civic education, and 3) a new research and innovation fund that allows LEAs, in partnership with non-profit organizations, to create and replicate innovations in different subject areas, including civics.

Is service-learning on this scale feasible now? In order to create meaningful opportunities for students to serve and learn from the experience, teachers must engage in thoughtful curriculum and service placement design. Doing this for the 400,000 annual graduates of California schools is a significant task, especially at a time when schools are managing many complex changes to curriculum, instruction, and school finance. The Committee may wish to consider if school districts can reasonably meet the requirements of this bill in the current policy environment.

Previous legislation. AB 524 (Low) of this Session, which was approved by this Committee on a 5-2 vote, would have required, beginning with the high school class of 2020-21, that at least one of the courses required for graduation include a service-learning component. The bill would have defined service-learning and also required the SPI to develop curriculum standards for courses that incorporate a service-learning component. This bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 1911 (Wesson and Hertzberg) of the 1999-2000 Session, as heard by this Committee, would have required school districts offering grades 9 - 12 to offer students the opportunity to enroll in courses that include service-learning activities for credit toward graduation. This bill died in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

California Association of Private School Organizations

California State PTA

Opposition

None received

Analysis Prepared by: Tanya Lieberman / ED. / (916) 319-2087