(1)Existing law requires, as a condition for receiving Student Success and Support Program funding, that the governing board of each community college district maintain a student equity plan, as specified, and requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to make an annual report related to those plans.

This bill would add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to the categories of students required to be addressed in the student equity plans. The bill would also add any additional categories of students determined by the governing board of the community college. To the extent that these provisions would impose new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)Existing law requires the chancellor to establish a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that Student Success and Support Program funding is used to support evidence-based practices to implement student equity plan goals and coordinate services for the targeted student populations.

This bill would, instead of the list, require the chancellor to provide guidance to community college districts regarding expenditures and activities to ensure that Student Success and Support Program funding is used to support these purposes.

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 the statutory provisions noted above.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 78220 and 78221 of the Education Code proposed by AB 504 to be operative only if this bill and AB 504 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

(1)Existing law requires, as a condition for receiving Student Success and Support Program funding, that the governing board of each community college district maintain a student equity plan, as specified, and requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to make an annual report related to those plans.

This bill would add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to the categories of students required to be addressed in the student equity plans. The bill would also add any additional categories of students determined by the governing board of the community college. To the extent that these provisions would impose new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)Existing law requires the chancellor to establish a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that Student Success and Support Program funding is used to support evidence-based practices to implement student equity plan goals and coordinate services for the targeted student populations.

This bill would, instead of the list, require the chancellor to provide guidance to community college districts regarding expenditures and activities to ensure that Student Success and Support Program funding is used to support these purposes.

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 the statutory provisions noted above.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 78220 and 78221 of the Education Code proposed by AB 504 to be operative only if this bill and AB 504 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.

(1)Existing law requires, as a condition for receiving Student Success and Support Program funding, that the governing board of each community college district maintain a student equity plan, as specified, and requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to make an annual report related to those plans.

This bill would add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to the categories of students required to be addressed in the student equity plans. The bill would also add any additional categories of students determined by the governing board of the community college. To the extent that these provisions would impose new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)Existing law requires the chancellor to establish a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that Student Success and Support Program funding is used to support evidence-based practices to implement student equity plan goals and coordinate services for the targeted student populations.

This bill would, instead of the list, require the chancellor to provide guidance to community college districts regarding expenditures and activities to ensure that Student Success and Support Program funding is used to support these purposes.

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 the statutory provisions noted above.

(1)Existing law requires, as a condition for receiving Student Success and Support Program funding, that the governing board of each community college district maintain a student equity plan, as specified, and requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to make an annual report related to those plans.

This bill would add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to the categories of students required to be addressed in the student equity plans. The bill would also add any additional categories of students determined by the governing board of the community college. To the extent that these provisions would impose new duties on community college districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)Existing law requires the chancellor to establish a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that Student Success and Support Program funding is used to support the implementation of evidence-based practices to implement student equity plan goals and the coordination of coordinate services for the targeted student populations.

This bill would, instead of the list, require the chancellor to provide guidance to community college districts regarding expenditures and activities to ensure that Student Success and Support Program funding is used to support these purposes.

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 the statutory provisions noted above.

(1)Existing law requires, as a condition for receiving Student Success and Support Program funding, that the governing board of each community college district maintain a student equity plan, as specified, and requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to make an annual report related to those plans.

This bill would add homeless homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to the categories of students required to be addressed in the student equity plans. The bill would also add any additional categories of students determined by the governing board of the community college. To the extent that this provision these provisions would impose new duties on community college districts, it the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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 the statutory provisions noted above.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state.

This bill would make a nonsubstantive change in a statute relating to the administration of the California Community Colleges by the board of governors.

CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS

CSA1 Bill Id:AB 1018

Author:(Reyes)

As Amended Ver:September 7, 2017

Majority vote

Original Committee Reference: HIGHER ED.

SUMMARY: Requires the governing board of each California Community Colleges (CCC) district (CCD) to add homeless students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plans.

The Senate amendments:

1. Add lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) students to the categories of students required to be addressed in CCC student equity plans.
2. Authorize the governing board of each community college district to determine other additional categories of students to be addressed in their student equity plans.
3. Require the CCC Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) to make data (of the various student categories) available to community college districts in order to determine student equity and disproportionate impact.
4. Specify that the CCC Chancellor shall, consistent with the goal of eliminating any achievement disparities that are identified, as specified, provide guidance to the CCDs regarding expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support evidence-based practices to implement student equity plan goals and coordinate services for the targeted student populations.
5. Address potential chaptering out issues with AB 504 (Medina) of the current legislative session.
6. Add coauthors.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Establishes in federal law the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 to ensure educational rights and protections for youth experiencing homelessness (42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 11431, et seq.).
2. Defines in federal law "homeless children and youth" to mean individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, as specified, including children and youth who are:
   1. Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason;
   2. Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
   3. Living in emergency or transitional shelters;
   4. Abandoned in hospitals;
   5. Awaiting foster care placement;
   6. Inhabiting a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, as specified;
   7. Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and,
   8. Migratory, as defined, and who otherwise qualify as homeless per this definition (42 U.S.C. 11434(a)(2)).
3. Creates the Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) in order to provide a variety of programs intended to ensure the success of CCC students, including, but not limited to: a) student assessment before course registration; b) counseling and other education planning services; c) advising; and, d) development of an education plan leading to a course of study. Specifies funding for SSSP shall be targeted to fully implement orientation, assessment, counseling and advising, and other education planning services needed to assist a student in making an informed decision about his or her educational goal and course of study and in the development of an education plan. (Education Code (EC) 78212).
4. Requires that all CCD, with the assistance of the CCC Chancellor, establish and maintain institutional research to evaluate the effectiveness of the SSSP, as specified, and of any other programs or services designed to facilitate students' completion of their educational goals and course of study. Specifies the metrics for said research shall include, but be not limited to the following: a) prior educational experience, including transcripts when appropriate, as determined by the chancellor; b) educational goals and courses of study; c) criteria for exemption from orientation, assessment, or required counseling or advisement, if applicable; d) need for financial assistance; e) disaggregated data by ethnicity, gender, disability, age, and socioeconomic status, to the extent this information is available; f) academic performance, such as the completion of specified unit thresholds, success in basic skills courses, grade point average, course completion outcomes, transfer readiness, and degree and certificate completion; and, g) any additional information that the chancellor finds appropriate (EC Section 78214).
5. Requires the governing board of each CCD, as a condition for receiving SSSP funding, and in order to ensure equal educational opportunities and to promote student success for all students, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or economic circumstances, to maintain a student equity plan that includes, but is not limited to, the following for each community college in the CCD: a) campus-based research as to the extent of student equity by gender and specified underrepresented groups (including, but limited to, current or former foster youth, veterans, and students with disabilities); b) goals for access to, and completion of, basic skills, career technical education and workforce training, and transfer courses for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students, and a determination of what activities are most likely to effectively meet those goals; c) where significant underrepresentation is found to exist, measures for addressing the disparities in those areas, implementation activities designed to attain the specified goals, including, but not limited to, the adoption of evidence-based models of remediation; and, d) a schedule and process for evaluation. Requires the plan be adopted by the governing board of the CCD and submitted to the CCC Chancellor, as specified (EC 78220).
6. Requires the CCC Chancellor to allocate funds provided for purposes of successfully implementing the activities and goals specified in the student equity plans, consistent with all of the following: a) ensure CCDs submit a student equity plan that is consistent, as specified in EC Section 78220; b) ensure that CCDs serving greater populations of students who are high-need or disadvantaged receive greater resources to provide services to students, consistent to the goals and activities specified in their student equity plans; c) establish criteria for calculating the number of high-need and disadvantaged students in a CCD; d) establish a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support the implementation of student equity plan goals and the coordination of services for the targeted student populations; and, e) report to the Department of Finance, the Legislative Analyst, and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, on the expenditure of student equity funds (EC Section 78221).

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:

1. Statewide cost pressure of approximately $900,000 on existing Proposition 98 funds for CCDs to collect and store the additional data element of homeless students (the CCCCO indicates that it already collects LGBTQ data). This estimate assumes a cost of $12,500 per district and is based on the CCCCO's assessment of previous data elements that have been added. The 2017-18 Budget Act includes $160 million Proposition 98 General Fund for CCDs to implement student equity plans.
2. There could be additional, unknown cost pressure that is likely to be significant, on the existing funds provided for student equity plans. This assumes that CCDs would elect to address any potential disparities that are identified for homeless students.

COMMENTS: Background. According to the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY), college homelessness is a serious issue that is often overlooked; there exists an assumption that if someone is homeless, he/she is so focused on basic needs like food and shelter that school is not a concern. However, NAEHCY contends that for homeless youth, education is the answer to providing a means to be able to enter the work force, earn a living, and no longer be homeless.

To note, there is no concrete estimate for the number of homeless college students nationwide, but based on recent financial aid data, it is estimated that there are at least 57,000. NAEHCY argues that the number is likely understated, since some students may be staying in a car, relatives' or fellow classmates' couches, or motels, and do not realize they are technically homeless, or do not want to admit to it. Additionally, California has the highest rate of homeless youth in the nation and twice the rate of homeless students as the national average (4% in CA vs. 2% nationally).

Additionally, according to a March 2017 report by Wisconsin HOPE Lab, entitled, "Hungry and Homeless in College", while several studies of students' basic needs have taken place in California, the focus has been on California's four-year institutions. The report contends that there has not yet been a systemwide examination of housing or food insecurity at the CCCs. However, it was also found that many of the 113 CCCs have participated in prior studies of food and housing insecurity in higher education; a recent study of just over 3,600 students attending seven CCCs found about one-third of students were housing insecure or homeless. Lastly, the report also found that based on nationwide survey data, an estimated average of 13% of community college students may be homeless with higher rates reported in California.

Purpose of the measure. Current law specifies that as a condition of receiving SSSP funding, the governing boards of each CCD maintain a student equity plan for groups, including current and former foster youth, students with disabilities, and veterans. However, homeless students are not included.

The author states, "AB 1018 is a critical first step in ensuring that we provide the necessary attention to some of the state's most vulnerable students."

This measure requires CCDs add homeless and LGBT students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plans.

Student equity plans. The 2016-17 Budget Act allocated $155 million in ongoing funds to CCDs to implement student equity plans. The 2016-17 allocations to districts were calculated using the existing student equity funding formula, which includes factors for annual full-time equivalent student (FTES), high need students, educational attainment of residential zip code, participation rate, poverty rate, unemployment rate, and unduplicated foster youth headcount.

To be noted, student equity funds must be used to address the student equity populations and indicators as defined in statute (EC Sections 78220 and 78221) and be based on the disproportionate impact study, goals, and activities as outlined in the CCDs student equity plans that are submitted to the CCCCO. Additionally, the colleges have two fiscal years to expend these funds. The expenditure cycle for the 2016-17 funds will thus end on June 30, 2018; the CCDs will have to provide mid-cycle and end of cycle expenditure reports to the CCCCO in September 2017 and September 2018, respectively.

Homeless students at the CCC. Currently, homeless students self-report on their financial aid forms if they believe themselves to be homeless; however, challenges arise in obtaining reasonably accurate numbers because many students may choose not to disclose their status. Committee staff understands that the CCC Apply Online 2017-18 Fee Waiver application will have a question that asks, "Has the Financial Aid Office verified that you have been without a residence in the last 24 months (homeless)?" According to the CCCCO, it will start requiring colleges to report to the CCCCO the number of homeless students with fee waivers beginning in in the 2017-18 academic year.

To note, assumptions exist that nearly all homeless students will be eligible for a fee waiver and thus yield more accurate data on self-identified homeless youth.

Analysis Prepared by: Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960 FN: 0002194

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 1018

Author: , et al.

Amended: 9/7/17 in Senate

Vote:

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 6-0, 7/5/17

AYES: Allen, Wilk, Galgiani, Leyva, Pan, Vidak

NO VOTE RECORDED: Mendoza

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 6-0, 9/1/17

AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Bradford, Hill, Wiener

NO VOTE RECORDED: Nielsen

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 5/30/17 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill requires the governing board of a California Community College (CCC) district to add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plan.

Senate Floor Amendments of 9/7/17 resolve chaptering issues and add Assemblymember Medina as a coauthor.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Establishes in federal law the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 to ensure educational rights and protections for youth experiencing homelessness (42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 11431, et seq.).
2. Defines in federal law "homeless children and youth" to mean individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, as specified, including children and youth who are:
   1. Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason;
   2. Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
   3. Living in emergency or transitional shelters;
   4. Abandoned in hospitals;
   5. Awaiting foster care placement;
   6. Inhabiting a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, as specified;
   7. Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and,
   8. Migratory, as defined, and who otherwise qualify as homeless per this definition (42 U.S.C. 11434(a)(2)).
3. Establishes the Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) in order to provide a variety of programs intended to ensure the success of CCC students, including, but not limited to: a) student assessment before course registration; b) counseling and other education planning services; c) advising; and, d) development of an education plan leading to a course of study. Specifies funding for the SSSP be targeted to fully implement orientation, assessment, counseling and advising, and other education planning services needed to assist a student in making an informed decision about his or her educational goal and course of study and in the development of an education plan. (Education Code (EC) § 78212).
4. Requires that all CCC districts, with the assistance of the CCC Chancellor, establish and maintain institutional research to evaluate the effectiveness of the SSSP, as specified, and of any other programs or services designed to facilitate students' completion of their educational goals and course of study.
5. Requires the metrics for such research to include, but be not limited to the following: a) prior educational experience, including transcripts when appropriate, as determined by the chancellor; b) educational goals and courses of study; c) criteria for exemption from orientation, assessment, or required counseling or advisement, if applicable; d) need for financial assistance; e) disaggregated data by ethnicity, gender, disability, age, and socioeconomic status, to the extent this information is available; f) academic performance, such as the completion of specified unit thresholds, success in basic skills courses, grade point average, course completion outcomes, transfer readiness, and degree and certificate completion; and, g) any additional information that the chancellor finds appropriate (EC § 78214).
6. Requires, as a condition for receiving SSSP funding, and in order to ensure equal educational opportunities and to promote student success for all students, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or economic circumstances, the governing board of each CCC district to maintain a student equity plan that includes, but is not limited to, the following for each CCC:
   1. Campus-based research as to the extent of student equity by gender and specified underrepresented groups.
   2. Goals for access to, and completion of, basic skills, career technical education and workforce training, and transfer courses for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students, and a determination of what activities are most likely to effectively meet those goals.
   3. Where significant underrepresentation is found to exist, measures for addressing the disparities in those areas, implementation activities designed to attain the specified goals, including, but not limited to, the adoption of evidence-based models of remediation; and, d) a schedule and process for evaluation. The plan shall be adopted by the governing board of the CCC district and submitted to the CCC Chancellor, as specified (EC § 78820).
7. Requires the CCC Chancellor to allocate funds provided for purposes of successfully implementing the activities and goals specified in the student equity plans, consistent with all of the following:
   1. Submission of a student equity plan that is consistent, as specified in (EC § 78220).
   2. CCC districts serving greater populations of students who are high-need or disadvantaged receive greater resources to provide services to students, consistent with the goals and activities specified in their student equity plans.
   3. Criteria established by the Chancellor for calculating the number of high-need and disadvantaged students in a CCC district.
   4. The list established by the Chancellor of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support the implementation of student equity plan goals and the coordination of services for the targeted student populations. (EC § 78221).
8. Requires a report by the Chancellor provided to the Department of Finance, the Legislative Analyst, and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, on the expenditure of student equity funds. (EC § 78221).

This bill:

1. Requires the governing board of a CCC district to add homeless, LGBT students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plan.
2. Adds any additional categories of students determined by the governing board of the community college.
3. Requires the Office of the Chancellor of the CCCs to make data available regarding campus-based research conducted for the specified categories of students to community college districts for determining student equity and disproportionate impact, as specified.
4. Requires the Chancellor to provide guidance to community college districts regarding expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support evidence-based practices to implement student equity plan goals and coordinate services for the targeted student populations, in lieu of requiring the Chancellor establishing a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures to ensure that SSSP funding is used to support the specified purposes.
5. Includes double-jointing language to avoid chaptering issues with AB 504 (Medina).

Comments

1. Need for the bill. Under current law in order to receive student success funding, the governing board of each community college is mandated to develop and maintain a student equity plan for a diverse array of students including foster youth, students with disabilities, low-income students, veterans and students in a variety of ethnic and racial categories. According to the author, this list excludes the segments growing homeless youth population and LGBT students.

This bill requires community college districts add homeless students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plans.

1. Homeless youth attending CCC. A recent study by the Community College Equity Assessment Lab of just over 3,600 students at seven CCCs found about one-third of students were housing insecure or homeless. According to the information provided by the author’s office, this homelessness can take many forms including; “couch surfing”, living out of one’s vehicle, to a complete lack of shelter. A survey by the California Homeless Youth Project found that 93 percent of CCC faculty and staff agreed or strongly agreed that their students were experiencing homelessness, but only 15 percent reported that their campuses were adequately prepared to support their students experiencing housing insecurity.
2. Services for homeless students. Aside from the tuition waiver and supplement aid programs offered to CCC students who may not have the ability to cover the cost of college attendance, current law requires CCC campuses to grant access to shower facilities for enrolled homeless youth. Additionally, some campuses of established emergency aid programs funded from external sources, such as district foundations and other fundraising efforts.
3. LGBT students. According to the author, there is limited data on LGBT students in CCC. Senate Education Committee staff notes, it’s unclear whether CCC have programs or services dedicated to addressing the needs of this group of students.
4. Student equity program. Pursuant to SB 1143 (Liu, Chapter 409, Statutes of 2010), the Board of Governors of the CCCs created the Student Success Task Force. The Task Force published recommendations in early 2012, many of which became part of Student Success Act of 2012 the effort to improve student success established by SB 1456 (Lowenthal, Chapter 624, Statutes of 2012). Among many important changes in the Act, it reaffirmed the importance of focusing on student equity in the effort to improve student success. In 2013, the Chancellor’s Office convened a Student Equity Workgroup to review and update the student equity planning process, ensuring that each college identifies strategies to address and monitor equity issues as well as to mitigate the disproportionate impact on student access and achievement.

The state provided dedicated funding through the 2014 Budget Act to support the creation of student equity plans. Student equity planning focuses on increasing access, course completion, and English as Second Language and basic skills completion, degrees, certificates and transfer for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students. Each college develops specific goals/outcomes and actions to address disparities that are discovered, disaggregating data for indicators by student demographics. Student equity plans are prepared with three-to-five year time frames in terms of planned activities and improvements, to align with the SSSP plan.

As a component of the student equity plan requirement, community college districts must include for each community college, campus-based research as to the extent of equity for each of the following categories of students:

• Current or former foster youth.
• Students with disabilities.
• Low-income students.
• Veterans.
• American Indian or Alaska Native.
• Asian.
• Black or African American.
• Hispanic or Latino.
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.
• White.
• Some other race.
• More than one race.

This bill adds homeless students, LGBT student to this list and further authorizes community college districts to determine any additional category of students.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:

• Statewide cost pressure of approximately $900,000 on existing Proposition 98 funds for community college districts to collect and store the additional data element of homeless students (the Chancellor’s Office indicates that it already collects LGBTQ data). This estimate assumes a cost of $12,500 per district and is based on the Chancellor’s Office’s assessment of previous data elements that have been added. The 2017-18 Budget Act includes $160 million Proposition 98 General Fund for community college districts to implement student equity plans.
• There could be additional, unknown cost pressure that is likely to be significant, on the existing funds provided for student equity plans. This assumes that community college districts would elect to address any potential disparities that are identified for homeless students. Student equity planning focuses on increasing access, course completion, and English as Second Language and basic skills completion, degrees, certificates and transfer for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students. Each college develops specific goals/outcomes and actions to address disparities that are discovered, disaggregating data for indicators by student demographics.

SUPPORT: (Verified 9/1/17)

California Federation of Teachers

Faculty Association of California Community Colleges

San José Evergreen Community College District

Student Senate for California Community Colleges

OPPOSITION: (Verified 9/1/17)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 5/30/17

AYES: Acosta, Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Baker, Berman, Bigelow, Bloom, Bocanegra, Bonta, Brough, Burke, Caballero, Calderon, Cervantes, Chávez, Chen, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Cunningham, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Flora, Fong, Frazier, Friedman, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gomez, Gonzalez Fletcher, Gray, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kiley, Lackey, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Patterson, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Reyes, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Voepel, Waldron, Weber, Wood, Rendon

NO VOTE RECORDED: Travis Allen, Chau, Choi, Eggman, Harper

Prepared by:

9/9/17 14:29:10

**** END ****

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 1018

Author: , et al.

Amended: 9/1/17 in Senate

Vote:

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 6-0, 7/5/17

AYES: Allen, Wilk, Galgiani, Leyva, Pan, Vidak

NO VOTE RECORDED: Mendoza

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 6-0, 9/1/17

AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Bradford, Hill, Wiener

NO VOTE RECORDED: Nielsen

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 5/30/17 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill requires the governing board of a California Community College (CCC) district to add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plan.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Establishes in federal law the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 to ensure educational rights and protections for youth experiencing homelessness (42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 11431, et seq.).
2. Defines in federal law "homeless children and youth" to mean individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, as specified, including children and youth who are:
   1. Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason;
   2. Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
   3. Living in emergency or transitional shelters;
   4. Abandoned in hospitals;
   5. Awaiting foster care placement;
   6. Inhabiting a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, as specified;
   7. Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and,
   8. Migratory, as defined, and who otherwise qualify as homeless per this definition (42 U.S.C. 11434(a)(2)).
3. Establishes the Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) in order to provide a variety of programs intended to ensure the success of CCC students, including, but not limited to: a) student assessment before course registration; b) counseling and other education planning services; c) advising; and, d) development of an education plan leading to a course of study. Specifies funding for the SSSP be targeted to fully implement orientation, assessment, counseling and advising, and other education planning services needed to assist a student in making an informed decision about his or her educational goal and course of study and in the development of an education plan. (Education Code (EC) § 78212).
4. Requires that all CCC districts, with the assistance of the CCC Chancellor, establish and maintain institutional research to evaluate the effectiveness of the SSSP, as specified, and of any other programs or services designed to facilitate students' completion of their educational goals and course of study.
5. Requires the metrics for such research to include, but be not limited to the following: a) prior educational experience, including transcripts when appropriate, as determined by the chancellor; b) educational goals and courses of study; c) criteria for exemption from orientation, assessment, or required counseling or advisement, if applicable; d) need for financial assistance; e) disaggregated data by ethnicity, gender, disability, age, and socioeconomic status, to the extent this information is available; f) academic performance, such as the completion of specified unit thresholds, success in basic skills courses, grade point average, course completion outcomes, transfer readiness, and degree and certificate completion; and, g) any additional information that the chancellor finds appropriate (EC § 78214).
6. Requires, as a condition for receiving SSSP funding, and in order to ensure equal educational opportunities and to promote student success for all students, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or economic circumstances, the governing board of each CCC district to maintain a student equity plan that includes, but is not limited to, the following for each CCC:
   1. Campus-based research as to the extent of student equity by gender and specified underrepresented groups.
   2. Goals for access to, and completion of, basic skills, career technical education and workforce training, and transfer courses for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students, and a determination of what activities are most likely to effectively meet those goals.
   3. Where significant underrepresentation is found to exist, measures for addressing the disparities in those areas, implementation activities designed to attain the specified goals, including, but not limited to, the adoption of evidence-based models of remediation; and, d) a schedule and process for evaluation. The plan shall be adopted by the governing board of the CCC district and submitted to the CCC Chancellor, as specified (EC § 78820).
7. Requires the CCC Chancellor to allocate funds provided for purposes of successfully implementing the activities and goals specified in the student equity plans, consistent with all of the following:
   1. Submission of a student equity plan that is consistent, as specified in (EC § 78220).
   2. CCC districts serving greater populations of students who are high-need or disadvantaged receive greater resources to provide services to students, consistent with the goals and activities specified in their student equity plans.
   3. Criteria established by the Chancellor for calculating the number of high-need and disadvantaged students in a CCC district.
   4. The list established by the Chancellor of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support the implementation of student equity plan goals and the coordination of services for the targeted student populations. (EC § 78221).
8. Requires a report by the Chancellor provided to the Department of Finance, the Legislative Analyst, and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, on the expenditure of student equity funds. (EC § 78221).

This bill:

1. Requires the governing board of a CCC district to add homeless, LGBT students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plan.
2. Adds any additional categories of students determined by the governing board of the community college.
3. Requires the Office of the Chancellor of the CCCs to make data available regarding campus-based research conducted for the specified categories of students to community college districts for determining student equity and disproportionate impact, as specified.
4. Requires the Chancellor to provide guidance to community college districts regarding expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support evidence-based practices to implement student equity plan goals and coordinate services for the targeted student populations, in lieu of requiring the Chancellor establishing a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures to ensure that SSSP funding is used to support the specified purposes.

Comments

1. Need for the bill. Under current law in order to receive student success funding, the governing board of each community college is mandated to develop and maintain a student equity plan for a diverse array of students including foster youth, students with disabilities, low-income students, veterans and students in a variety of ethnic and racial categories. According to the author, this list excludes the segments growing homeless youth population and LGBT students.

This bill requires community college districts add homeless students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plans.

1. Homeless youth attending CCC. A recent study by the Community College Equity Assessment Lab of just over 3,600 students at seven CCCs found about one-third of students were housing insecure or homeless. According to information provided by the author’s office, this homelessness can take many forms including; “couch surfing”, living out of one’s vehicle, to a complete lack of shelter. A survey by the California Homeless Youth Project found that 93 percent of Community College faculty and staff agreed or strongly agreed that their students were experiencing homelessness, but only 15 percent reported that their campuses were adequately prepared to support their students experiencing housing insecurity.
2. Services for homeless students. Aside from the tuition waiver and supplement aid programs offered to CCC students who may not have the ability to cover the cost of college attendance, current law requires CCC campuses to grant access to shower facilities for enrolled homeless youth. Additionally, some campuses of established emergency aid programs funded from external sources, such as district foundations and other fundraising efforts.
3. LGBT students. According to the author there is limited data on LGBT students in the California Community Colleges. Senate Education Committee staff notes, it’s unclear whether Community Colleges have programs or services dedicated to addressing the needs of this group of students.
4. Student Equity program. Pursuant to SB 1143 (Liu, Chapter 409, Statutes of 2010), the Board of Governors of the CCCs created the Student Success Task Force. The Task Force published recommendations in early 2012, many of which became part of Student Success Act of 2012 the effort to improve student success established by SB 1456 (Lowenthal, Chapter 624, Statutes of 2012). Among many important changes in the Act, it reaffirmed the importance of focusing on student equity in the effort to improve student success. In 2013, the Chancellor’s Office convened a Student Equity Workgroup to review and update the student equity planning process, ensuring that each college identifies strategies to address and monitor equity issues as well as to mitigate the disproportionate impact on student access and achievement.

The state provided dedicated funding through the 2014 Budget Act to support the creation of student equity plans. Student equity planning focuses on increasing access, course completion, and English as Second Language and basic skills completion, degrees, certificates and transfer for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students. Each college develops specific goals/outcomes and actions to address disparities that are discovered, disaggregating data for indicators by student demographics. Student equity plans are prepared with three-to-five year time frames in terms of planned activities and improvements, to align with the SSSP plan.

As a component of the student equity plan requirement, community college districts must include for each community college, campus-based research as to the extent of equity for each of the following categories of students:

• Current or former foster youth.
• Students with disabilities.
• Low-income students.
• Veterans.
• American Indian or Alaska Native.
• Asian.
• Black or African American.
• Hispanic or Latino.
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.
• White.
• Some other race.
• More than one race.

This bill adds homeless students, LGBT student to this list and further authorizes community college districts to determine any additional category of students.

FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: Fiscal Com.: Local:

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:

• Statewide cost pressure of approximately $900,000 on existing Proposition 98 funds for community college districts to collect and store the additional data element of homeless students (the Chancellor’s Office indicates that it already collects LGBTQ data). This estimate assumes a cost of $12,500 per district and is based on the Chancellor’s Office’s assessment of previous data elements that have been added. The 2017-18 Budget Act includes $160 million Proposition 98 General Fund for community college districts to implement student equity plans.
• There could be additional, unknown cost pressure that is likely to be significant, on the existing funds provided for student equity plans. This assumes that community college districts would elect to address any potential disparities that are identified for homeless students. Student equity planning focuses on increasing access, course completion, and English as Second Language and basic skills completion, degrees, certificates and transfer for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students. Each college develops specific goals/outcomes and actions to address disparities that are discovered, disaggregating data for indicators by student demographics.

SUPPORT: (Verified 9/1/17)

California Federation of Teachers

Faculty Association of California Community Colleges

San José Evergreen Community College District

Student Senate for California Community Colleges

OPPOSITION: (Verified 9/1/17)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 75-0, 5/30/17

AYES: Acosta, Aguiar-Curry, Arambula, Baker, Berman, Bigelow, Bloom, Bocanegra, Bonta, Brough, Burke, Caballero, Calderon, Cervantes, Chávez, Chen, Chiu, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Cunningham, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Flora, Fong, Frazier, Friedman, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gomez, Gonzalez Fletcher, Gray, Grayson, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kiley, Lackey, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Patterson, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Reyes, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez, Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Voepel, Waldron, Weber, Wood, Rendon

NO VOTE RECORDED: Travis Allen, Chau, Choi, Eggman, Harper

Prepared by:

9/5/17 9:41:33

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular Session

AB 1018 (Reyes) - Community colleges: student equity plans

Bill Summary:

This bill requires the governing board of a California Community College (CCC) district to add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plan.

*********** ANALYSIS ADDENDUM – SUSPENSE FILE ***********

The following information is revised to reflect amendments

adopted by the committee on September 1, 2017

Fiscal Impact:

• Statewide cost pressure of approximately $900,000 on existing Proposition 98 funds for community college districts to collect and store the additional data element of homeless students (the Chancellor’s Office indicates that it already collects LGBTQ data). This estimate assumes a cost of $12,500 per district and is based on the Chancellor’s Office’s assessment of previous data elements that have been added. The 2017-18 Budget Act includes $160 million Proposition 98 General Fund for community college districts to implement student equity plans.
• There could be additional, unknown cost pressure that is likely to be significant, on the existing funds provided for student equity plans. This assumes that community college districts would elect to address any potential disparities that are identified for homeless students. Student equity planning focuses on increasing access, course completion, and English as Second Language and basic skills completion, degrees, certificates and transfer for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students. Each college develops specific goals/outcomes and actions to address disparities that are discovered, disaggregating data for indicators by student demographics.

Author Amendments:

Make technical and clarifying changes and also add coauthors.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular Session

AB 1018 (Reyes) - Community colleges: student equity plans

This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.

Bill Summary:

This bill requires the governing board of a California Community College (CCC) district to add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plan.

Fiscal Impact:

• Statewide cost pressure of approximately $900,000 on existing Proposition 98 funds for community college districts to collect and store the additional data element of homeless students (the Chancellor’s Office indicates that it already collects LGBTQ data). This estimate assumes a cost of $12,500 per district and is based on the Chancellor’s Office’s assessment of previous data elements that have been added. The 2017-18 Budget Act includes $160 million Proposition 98 General Fund for community college districts to implement student equity plans.
• There could be additional, unknown cost pressure that is likely to be significant, on the existing funds provided for student equity plans. This assumes that community college districts would elect to address any potential disparities that are identified for homeless students. Student equity planning focuses on increasing access, course completion, and English as Second Language and basic skills completion, degrees, certificates and transfer for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students. Each college develops specific goals/outcomes and actions to address disparities that are discovered, disaggregating data for indicators by student demographics.

Background:

Existing law establishes the Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) in order to provide a variety of programs intended to ensure the success of community college students, including, but not limited to: a) student assessment before course registration; b) counseling and other education planning services; c) advising; and, d) development of an education plan leading to a course of study. Specifies funding for the SSSP be targeted to fully implement orientation, assessment, counseling and advising, and other education planning services needed to assist a student in making an informed decision about his or her educational goal and course of study and in the development of an education plan.

Existing law requires that all community college districts, with the assistance of the Chancellor, establish and maintain institutional research to evaluate the effectiveness of the SSSP, as specified, and of any other programs or services designed to facilitate students' completion of their educational goals and course of study.

As a condition for receiving SSSP funding, and in order to ensure equal educational opportunities and to promote student success for all students, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or economic circumstances, the governing board of each community college district is required to maintain a student equity plan that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

1. Campus-based research as to the extent of student equity by gender and specified underrepresented groups.
2. Goals for access to, and completion of, basic skills, career technical education and workforce training, and transfer courses for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students, and a determination of what activities are most likely to effectively meet those goals.
3. Where significant underrepresentation is found to exist, measures for addressing the disparities in those areas, implementation activities designed to attain the specified goals, including, but not limited to, the adoption of evidence-based models of remediation; and, d) a schedule and process for evaluation. The plan shall be adopted by the governing board of the district and submitted to the Chancellor, as specified.

Further, existing law requires the Chancellor’s Office to allocate funds provided for purposes of successfully implementing the activities and goals specified in the student equity plans, consistent with all of the following:

1. Community college districts serving greater populations of students who are high-need or disadvantaged receive greater resources to provide services to students, consistent with the goals and activities specified in their student equity plans.
2. Criteria established by the Chancellor for calculating the number of high-need and disadvantaged students in a district.
3. The list established by the Chancellor of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support the implementation of student equity plan goals and the coordination of services for the targeted student populations.

Proposed Law:

This bill requires the governing board of a community college district to add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plan. It also adds any additional categories of students determined by the governing board of the community college.

Further, this bill requires the Chancellor’s Office to make data available regarding campus-based research conducted for the specified categories of students to community college districts for determining student equity and disproportionate impact, as specified.

This bill also requires the Chancellor to provide guidance to community college districts regarding expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support the implementation of student equity plan goals and the coordination of services for the targeted student populations, in lieu of requiring the Chancellor establishing a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures to ensure that SSSP funding is used to support the specified purposes.

Related Legislation:

SB 307 (Nguyen, 2017) requests the University of California (UC) to convene a task force, consisting of three representatives from the UC, California State University and California Community Colleges, for the purpose of conducting a study to determine the extent, causes, and effects of housing insecurity and homelessness of current and future students. SB 307 is pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

AB 504 (Medina, 2017) modifies the current criteria for the development of student equity plans of which community college governing boards are required to maintain for each CCC in order to receive Student Success and Support Program funding under existing law by requiring the CCC Chancellor to establish a standard methodology for measurement of student equity. AB 504 has been enrolled and sent to the Governor.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Senator Benjamin Allen, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular

Bill No: AB 1018 Hearing Date: July 5, 2017

Subject: Community colleges: student equity plans

SUMMARY

This bill requires the governing board of a California Community College (CCC) district to add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plan.

BACKGROUND

Existing law:

1. Establishes in federal law the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 to ensure educational rights and protections for youth experiencing homelessness (42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 11431, et seq.).
2. Defines in federal law "homeless children and youth" to mean individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, as specified, including children and youth who are:
   1. Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason;
   2. Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
   3. Living in emergency or transitional shelters;
   4. Abandoned in hospitals;
   5. Awaiting foster care placement;
   6. Inhabiting a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, as specified;
   7. Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and,
   8. Migratory, as defined, and who otherwise qualify as homeless per this definition (42 U.S.C. 11434(a)(2)).
3. Establishes the Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) in order to provide a variety of programs intended to ensure the success of California Community College (CCC) students, including, but not limited to: a) student assessment before course registration; b) counseling and other education planning services; c) advising; and, d) development of an education plan leading to a course of study. Specifies funding for the SSSP be targeted to fully implement orientation, assessment, counseling and advising, and other education planning services needed to assist a student in making an informed decision about his or her educational goal and course of study and in the development of an education plan. (Education Code (EC) § 78212).
4. Requires that all CCC districts, with the assistance of the CCC Chancellor, establish and maintain institutional research to evaluate the effectiveness of the SSSP, as specified, and of any other programs or services designed to facilitate students' completion of their educational goals and course of study.
5. Requires the metrics for such research to include, but be not limited to the following: a) prior educational experience, including transcripts when appropriate, as determined by the chancellor; b) educational goals and courses of study; c) criteria for exemption from orientation, assessment, or required counseling or advisement, if applicable; d) need for financial assistance; e) disaggregated data by ethnicity, gender, disability, age, and socioeconomic status, to the extent this information is available; f) academic performance, such as the completion of specified unit thresholds, success in basic skills courses, grade point average, course completion outcomes, transfer readiness, and degree and certificate completion; and, g) any additional information that the chancellor finds appropriate (EC § 78214).
6. As a condition for receiving SSSP funding, and in order to ensure equal educational opportunities and to promote student success for all students, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or economic circumstances, the governing board of each CCC district is required to maintain a student equity plan that includes, but is not limited to, the following for each CCC:
7. Campus-based research as to the extent of student equity by gender and specified underrepresented groups.
8. Goals for access to, and completion of, basic skills, career technical education and workforce training, and transfer courses for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students, and a determination of what activities are most likely to effectively meet those goals.
9. Where significant underrepresentation is found to exist, measures for addressing the disparities in those areas, implementation activities designed to attain the specified goals, including, but not limited to, the adoption of evidence-based models of remediation; and, d) a schedule and process for evaluation. The plan shall be adopted by the governing board of the CCC district and submitted to the CCC Chancellor, as specified (EC § 78820).
10. Requires the California Community College (CCC) Chancellor to allocate funds provided for purposes of successfully implementing the activities and goals specified in the student equity plans, consistent with all of the following:
11. Submission of a student equity plan that is consistent, as specified in (EC § 78220).
12. CCC districts serving greater populations of students who are high-need or disadvantaged receive greater resources to provide services to students, consistent with the goals and activities specified in their student equity plans.
13. Criteria established by the Chancellor for calculating the number of high-need and disadvantaged students in a CCC district.
14. The list established by the Chancellor of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support the implementation of student equity plan goals and the coordination of services for the targeted student populations. (EC § 78221).
15. Requires a report by the Chancellor provided to the Department of Finance, the Legislative Analyst, and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, on the expenditure of student equity funds. (EC § 78221).

ANALYSIS

This bill:

1. Requires the governing board of a CCC district to add homeless, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plan.
2. Adds any additional categories of students determined by the governing board of the community college.
3. Requires the Office of the Chancellor of the CCCs to make data available regarding campus-based research conducted for the specified categories of students to community college districts for determining student equity and disproportionate impact, as specified.
4. Requires the Chancellor to provide guidance to community college districts regarding expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support the implementation of student equity plan goals and the coordination of services for the targeted student populations, in lieu of requiring the Chancellor establishing a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures to ensure that Student Success and Support Program funding is used to support the specified purposes.

STAFF COMMENTS

1. Need for the bill. Under current law in order to receive student success funding, the governing board of each community college is mandated to develop and maintain a student equity plan for a diverse array of students including foster youth, students with disabilities, low-income students, veterans and students in a variety of ethnic and racial categories. According to the author, this list excludes the segments growing homeless youth population and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.

This bill requires community college districts add homeless students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plans.

1. Homeless youth attending Community College. A recent study by the Community College Equity Assessment Lab of just over 3,600 students at seven California community colleges (CCCs) found about one-third of students were housing insecure or homeless. According to information provided by the author’s office, this homelessness can take many forms including; “couch surfing”, living out of one’s vehicle, to a complete lack of shelter. A survey by The California Homeless Youth Project found that 93 percent of Community College faculty and staff agreed or strongly agreed that their students were experiencing homelessness, but only 15 percent reported that their campuses were adequately prepared to support their students experiencing housing insecurity.
2. Services for homeless students. Aside from the tuition waiver and supplement aid programs offered to CCC students who may not have the ability to cover the cost of college attendance, current law requires CCC campuses to grant access to shower facilities for enrolled homeless youth. Additionally, some campuses of established emergency aid programs funded from external sources, such as district foundations and other fundraising efforts.
3. LGBT students. According to the author there is limited data on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) students in the California Community Colleges. Staff notes, it’s unclear whether Community Colleges have programs or services dedicated to addressing the needs of this group of students.
4. Student Equity program. Pursuant to Senate Bill 1143 (Liu, Chapter 409, Statutes of 2010), the Board of Governors of the CCCs created the Student Success Task Force. The Task Force published recommendations in early 2012, many of which became part of Student Success Act of 2012 the effort to improve student success established by SB 1456 (Lowenthal, Chapter 624, Statutes of 2012). Among many important changes in the Act, it reaffirmed the importance of focusing on student equity in the effort to improve student success. In 2013, the Chancellor’s Office convened a Student Equity Workgroup to review and update the student equity planning process, ensuring that each college identifies strategies to address and monitor equity issues as well as to mitigate the disproportionate impact on student access and achievement.

The state provided dedicated funding through the 2014 Budget Act to support the creation of student equity plans. Student equity planning focuses on increasing access, course completion, and English as Second Language and basic skills completion, degrees, certificates and transfer for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students. Each college develops specific goals/outcomes and actions to address disparities that are discovered, disaggregating data for indicators by student demographics. Student equity plans are prepared with three-to-five year time frames in terms of planned activities and improvements, to align with the Student Success and Support Program plan.

As a component of the student equity plan requirement, community college districts must include for each community college, campus-based research as to the extent of equity for each of the following categories of students:

• Current or former foster youth.
• Students with disabilities.
• Low-income students.
• Veterans.
• American Indian or Alaska Native.
• Asian.
• Black or African American.
• Hispanic or Latino.
• Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.
• White.
• Some other race.
• More than one race.

This bill adds homeless students, lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender student to this list and further authorizes community college districts to determine any additional category of students.

1. Related legislation.

SB 307 (Nguyen, 2017) requests the University of California (UC) to convene a task force, consisting of three representatives from the UC, California State University (CSU) and California Community Colleges (CCC), for the purpose of conducting a study to determine the extent, causes, and effects of housing insecurity and homelessness of current and future students. SB 307 was approved by this committee by a vote of 7 to 0 and is pending hearing in the Assembly Higher Education hearing.

AB 504 (Medina, 2017) modifies the current criteria for the development of student equity plans of which community college governing boards are required to maintain for each CCC in order to receive Student Success and Support Program funding under existing law by requiring the CCC Chancellor to establish a standard methodology for measurement of student equity. AB 504 approved by this committee by a vote of 7 to 0 and is pending on the Senate Floor.

AB 1076 (Medina, 2017) would require the Legislative Analyst’s Office, in consultation with the CCC, the CSU, and the UC, to conduct a study relative to current and former homeless youth by January 1, 2020. AB 1076 was held in Assembly Appropriations Committee.

SUPPORT

California Federation of Teachers (CFT)

Faculty Association of California Community Colleges (FACCC)

San José Evergreen Community College District

OPPOSITION

None received

-- END --

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:AB 1018

Author:(Reyes)

As Amended Ver:March 21, 2017

Majority vote

SUMMARY: Requires the governing board of each California Community Colleges (CCC) district (CCD) to add homeless students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plans.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Establishes in federal law the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 to ensure educational rights and protections for youth experiencing homelessness (42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 11431, et seq.).
2. Defines in federal law "homeless children and youth" to mean individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, as specified, including children and youth who are:
   1. Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason;
   2. Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
   3. Living in emergency or transitional shelters;
   4. Abandoned in hospitals;
   5. Awaiting foster care placement;
   6. Inhabiting a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, as specified;
   7. Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and,
   8. Migratory, as defined, and who otherwise qualify as homeless per this definition (42 U.S.C. 11434(a)(2)).
3. Creates the Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) in order to provide a variety of programs intended to ensure the success of CCC students, including, but not limited to: a) student assessment before course registration; b) counseling and other education planning services; c) advising; and, d) development of an education plan leading to a course of study. Specifies funding for SSSP shall be targeted to fully implement orientation, assessment, counseling and advising, and other education planning services needed to assist a student in making an informed decision about his or her educational goal and course of study and in the development of an education plan. (Education Code (EC) 78212).
4. Requires that all CCD, with the assistance of the CCC Chancellor, establish and maintain institutional research to evaluate the effectiveness of the SSSP, as specified, and of any other programs or services designed to facilitate students' completion of their educational goals and course of study. Specifies the metrics for said research shall include, but be not limited to the following: a) prior educational experience, including transcripts when appropriate, as determined by the chancellor; b) educational goals and courses of study; c) criteria for exemption from orientation, assessment, or required counseling or advisement, if applicable; d) need for financial assistance; e) disaggregated data by ethnicity, gender, disability, age, and socioeconomic status, to the extent this information is available; f) academic performance, such as the completion of specified unit thresholds, success in basic skills courses, grade point average, course completion outcomes, transfer readiness, and degree and certificate completion; and, g) any additional information that the chancellor finds appropriate (EC Section 78214).
5. Requires the governing board of each CCD, as a condition for receiving SSSP funding, and in order to ensure equal educational opportunities and to promote student success for all students, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or economic circumstances, to maintain a student equity plan that includes, but is not limited to, the following for each community college in the CCD: a) campus-based research as to the extent of student equity by gender and specified underrepresented groups (including, but limited to, current or former foster youth, veterans, and students with disabilities); b) goals for access to, and completion of, basic skills, career technical education and workforce training, and transfer courses for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students, and a determination of what activities are most likely to effectively meet those goals; c) where significant underrepresentation is found to exist, measures for addressing the disparities in those areas, implementation activities designed to attain the specified goals, including, but not limited to, the adoption of evidence-based models of remediation; and, d) a schedule and process for evaluation. Requires the plan be adopted by the governing board of the CCD and submitted to the CCC Chancellor, as specified (EC 78220).
6. Requires the CCC Chancellor to allocate funds provided for purposes of successfully implementing the activities and goals specified in the student equity plans, consistent with all of the following: a) ensure CCDs submit a student equity plan that is consistent, as specified in EC Section 78220; b) ensure that CCDs serving greater populations of students who are high-need or disadvantaged receive greater resources to provide services to students, consistent to the goals and activities specified in their student equity plans; c) establish criteria for calculating the number of high-need and disadvantaged students in a CCD; d) establish a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support the implementation of student equity plan goals and the coordination of services for the targeted student populations; and, e) report to the Department of Finance, the Legislative Analyst, and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, on the expenditure of student equity funds (EC Section 78221).

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:

1. Approximately $900,000 General Fund for all CCDs to collect and store data about homeless students and address this signifier in student equity plans (SEPs). CCDs do not gather or store data on homeless students. This estimate is based on prior workload to add new data elements to the SEPs per district. While there will be some data collected on homeless students as a result of the Board of Governors fee waiver changes, starting Fall 2017, the data will not be sufficient for the purposes of SEPs.
2. Potential reimbursable costs should the Commission on State Mandates determine this workload presents a higher level of service for CCC. However, this may be unlikely, as the Legislature has provided funding to CCC to implement SEPs. The 2016-17 Budget Act allocated $155 million in ongoing funds to CCDs to implement SEPs.

COMMENTS: Background. According to the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY), college homelessness is a serious issue that is often overlooked; there exists an assumption that if someone is homeless, he/she is so focused on basic needs like food and shelter that school is not a concern. However, NAEHCY contends that for homeless youth, education is the answer to providing a means to be able to enter the work force, earn a living, and no longer be homeless.

To note, there is no concrete estimate for the number of homeless college students nationwide, but based on recent financial aid data, it is estimated that there are at least 57,000. NAEHCY argues that the number is likely understated, since some students may be staying in a car, relatives' or fellow classmates' couches, or motels, and do not realize they are technically homeless, or do not want to admit to it. Additionally, California has the highest rate of homeless youth in the nation and twice the rate of homeless students as the national average (four percent in CA vs. two percent nationally).

Additionally, according to a March 2017 report by Wisconsin HOPE Lab, entitled, "Hungry and Homeless in College", while several studies of students' basic needs have taken place in California, the focus has been on California's four-year institutions. The report contends that there has not yet been a systemwide examination of housing or food insecurity at the CCCs. However, it was also found that many of the 113 CCCs have participated in prior studies of food and housing insecurity in higher education; a recent study of just over 3,600 students attending seven CCCs found about one-third of students were housing insecure or homeless. Lastly, the report also found that based on nationwide survey data, an estimated average of 13% of community college students may be homeless with higher rates reported in California.

Purpose of the measure. Current law specifies that as a condition of receiving SSSP funding, the governing boards of each CCD maintain a student equity plan for groups, including current and former foster youth, students with disabilities, and veterans. However, homeless students are not included.

The author states, "AB 1018 is a critical first step in ensuring that we provide the necessary attention to some of the state's most vulnerable students."

This measure requires CCDs add homeless students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plans.

Student equity plans. The 2016-17 Budget Act allocated $155 million in ongoing funds to CCDs to implement student equity plans. The 2016-17 allocations to districts were calculated using the existing student equity funding formula, which includes factors for annual full-time equivalent student (FTES), high need students, educational attainment of residential zip code, participation rate, poverty rate, unemployment rate, and unduplicated foster youth headcount.

To be noted, student equity funds must be used to address the student equity populations and indicators as defined in statute (EC Sections 78220 and 78221) and be based on the disproportionate impact study, goals, and activities as outlined in the CCDs student equity plans that are submitted to the CCC Chancellor's Office (CCCCO). Additionally, the colleges have two fiscal years to expend these funds. The expenditure cycle for the 2016-17 funds will thus end on June 30, 2018; the CCDs will have to provide mid-cycle and end of cycle expenditure reports to the CCCCO in September 2017 and September 2018, respectively.

Homeless students at the CCC. Currently, homeless students self-report on their financial aid forms if they believe themselves to be homeless; however, challenges arise in obtaining reasonably accurate numbers because many students may choose not to disclose their status. Committee staff understands that the CCC Apply Online 2017-18 Fee Waiver application will have a question that asks, "Has the Financial Aid Office verified that you have been without a residence in the last 24 months (homeless)?" According to the CCCCO, it will start requiring colleges to report to the CCCCO the number of homeless students with fee waivers beginning in in the 2017-18 academic year.

To note, assumptions exist that nearly all homeless students will be eligible for a fee waiver and thus yield more accurate data on self-identified homeless youth.

Analysis Prepared by: Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960 FN: 0000634

Date of Hearing: May 10, 2017

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1018

Author:(Reyes) – As Amended Ver:March 21, 2017

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

SUMMARY:

This bill requires the governing board of each California Community Colleges (CCC) district (CCD) to add homeless students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plans.

FISCAL EFFECT:

1. Approximately $900,000 General Fund for all CCC districts to collect and store data about homeless students and address this signifier in students equity plans (SEP’s). CCD’s do not gather or store data on homeless students. This estimate is based on prior workload to add new data elements to the student equity plans per district. While there will be some data collected on homeless students as a result of the Board of Governor’s (BOG) fee waiver changes, starting Fall 2017, the data will not be sufficient for the purposes of student equity plans
2. Potential reimbursable costs should the Commission on State Mandates determine this workload presents a higher level of service for CCC. However, this may be unlikely, as the Legislature has provided funding to CCC to implement SEP’s. The 2016-17 Budget Act allocated $155 million in ongoing funds to CCD to implement student equity plans.

COMMENTS:

1. Background and Purpose. Existing law creates the SSSP in order to provide a variety of programs intended to ensure the success of CCC students, including, but not limited to: a) student assessment before course registration; b) counseling and other education planning services; c) advising; and, d) development of an education plan leading to a course of study. Funding for SSSP is required to be targeted to fully implement orientation, assessment, counseling and advising, and other education planning services needed to assist a student in making an informed decision about his or her educational goals. As a condition for receiving SSSP funding, the governing board of each CCD is obligated to maintain a student equity plan that includes, but is not limited to, the following for each community college in the district: a) campus-based research by gender and specified underrepresented groups; b) goals for access to, and completion of, basic skills, career technical education and workforce training, and transfer courses for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students, and a determination of what activities are most likely to effectively meet those goals; c) where significant underrepresentation is found to exist, measures for addressing the disparities, and implementation activities designed to attain the specified goals; and d) a schedule and process for evaluation. Existing law also requires the CCC Chancellor’s Office to approve the plans and establish a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support the implementation of student equity plan goals and the coordination of services for the targeted student populations. The Chancellor also reports to the Department of Finance, the Legislative Analyst, and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, on the expenditure of student equity funds.

Currently, homeless students self-report on their financial aid forms if they believe themselves to be homeless; however, challenges arise in obtaining reasonably accurate numbers because many students may choose not to disclose their status. To note, assumptions exist that nearly all homeless students will be eligible for a fee waiver and thus yield more accurate data on self-identified homeless youth. According to the author, "AB 1018 is a critical first step in ensuring that we provide the necessary attention to some of the state's most vulnerable students." This measure requires CCDs add homeless students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plans.

1. Related Legislation. AB 637 (Medina) requires campus-based research for purposes of student equity plans, to use a standard definition and measure of "equity" and "significant underrepresentation" as provided by the Community College Chancellor. The bill was heard in this Committee April 26 and passed on consent.

SB 307 (Nguyen), which is set to be heard in the Senate Appropriations, and would, in part, request the University of California (UC) Regents to convene a task force, consisting of three UC representatives selected by the Regents, three representatives of the California State University (CSU) selected by the CSU Trustees, and three representatives of the CCC selected by the CCC Board of Governors, to conduct a study to determine the extent, causes, and effects of housing insecurity and homelessness of current postsecondary students in this state, and requires the study to be submitted to the Legislature on or before December 31, 2018.

Analysis Prepared by: Daisy Gonzales / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 25, 2017

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Jose Medina, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 1018 (

Author:Reyes) – As Amended Ver:March 21, 2017

SUBJECT: Community colleges: student equity plans: homeless students.

SUMMARY: Requires the governing board of each California Community Colleges (CCC) district (CCD) to add homeless students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plans.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Establishes in federal law the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2001 to ensure educational rights and protections for youth experiencing homelessness (42 United States Code (U.S.C.) 11431, et seq.).
2. Defines in federal law "homeless children and youth" to mean individuals who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence, as specified, including children and youth who are:
   1. Sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason;
   2. Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations;
   3. Living in emergency or transitional shelters;
   4. Abandoned in hospitals;
   5. Awaiting foster care placement;
   6. Inhabiting a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation, as specified;
   7. Living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and,
   8. Migratory, as defined, and who otherwise qualify as homeless per this definition (42 U.S.C. 11434(a)(2)).
3. Creates the Student Success and Support Program (SSSP) in order to provide a variety of programs intended to ensure the success of CCC students, including, but not limited to: a) student assessment before course registration; b) counseling and other education planning services; c) advising; and, d) development of an education plan leading to a course of study. Specifies funding for SSSP shall be targeted to fully implement orientation, assessment, counseling and advising, and other education planning services needed to assist a student in making an informed decision about his or her educational goal and course of study and in the development of an education plan. (Education Code (EC) 78212).
4. Requires that all CCD, with the assistance of the CCC Chancellor, establish and maintain institutional research to evaluate the effectiveness of the SSSP, as specified, and of any other programs or services designed to facilitate students' completion of their educational goals and course of study. Specifies the metrics for said research shall include, but be not limited to the following: a) prior educational experience, including transcripts when appropriate, as determined by the chancellor; b) educational goals and courses of study; c) criteria for exemption from orientation, assessment, or required counseling or advisement, if applicable; d) need for financial assistance; e) disaggregated data by ethnicity, gender, disability, age, and socioeconomic status, to the extent this information is available; f) academic performance, such as the completion of specified unit thresholds, success in basic skills courses, grade point average, course completion outcomes, transfer readiness, and degree and certificate completion; and, g) any additional information that the chancellor finds appropriate (EC Section 78214).
5. Requires the governing board of each CCD, as a condition for receiving SSSP funding, and in order to ensure equal educational opportunities and to promote student success for all students, regardless of race, gender, age, disability, or economic circumstances, to maintain a student equity plan that includes, but is not limited to, the following for each community college in the CCD: a) campus-based research as to the extent of student equity by gender and specified underrepresented groups (including, but limited to, current or former foster youth, veterans, and students with disabilities); b) goals for access to, and completion of, basic skills, career technical education and workforce training, and transfer courses for the overall student population and for each population group of high-need or disadvantaged students, and a determination of what activities are most likely to effectively meet those goals; c) where significant underrepresentation is found to exist, measures for addressing the disparities in those areas, implementation activities designed to attain the specified goals, including, but not limited to, the adoption of evidence-based models of remediation; and, d) a schedule and process for evaluation. Requires the plan be adopted by the governing board of the CCD and submitted to the CCC Chancellor, as specified (EC 78220).
6. Requires the CCC Chancellor to allocate funds provided for purposes of successfully implementing the activities and goals specified in the student equity plans, consistent with all of the following: a) ensure CCDs submit a student equity plan that is consistent, as specified in EC Section 78220; b) ensure that CCDs serving greater populations of students who are high-need or disadvantaged receive greater resources to provide services to students, consistent to the goals and activities specified in their student equity plans; c) establish criteria for calculating the number of high-need and disadvantaged students in a CCD; d) establish a list of eligible and ineligible expenditures and activities to ensure that funding is used to support the implementation of student equity plan goals and the coordination of services for the targeted student populations; and, e) report to the Department of Finance, the Legislative Analyst, and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature, on the expenditure of student equity funds (EC Section 78221).

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS: Background. According to the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth (NAEHCY), college homelessness is a serious issue that is often overlooked; there exists an assumption that if someone is homeless, he/she is so focused on basic needs like food and shelter that school is not a concern. However, NAEHCY contends that for homeless youth, education is the answer to providing a means to be able to enter the work force, earn a living, and no longer be homeless.

To note, there is no concrete estimate for the number of homeless college students nationwide, but based on recent financial aid data, it is estimated that there are at least 57,000. NAEHCY argues that the number is likely understated, since some students may be staying in a car, relatives' or fellow classmates' couches, or motels, and do not realize they are technically homeless, or do not want to admit to it. Additionally, California has the highest rate of homeless youth in the nation and twice the rate of homeless students as the national average (four percent in CA vs. two percent nationally).

Additionally, according to a March 2017 report by Wisconsin HOPE Lab, entitled, "Hungry and Homeless in College", while several studies of students' basic needs have taken place in California, the focus has been on California's four-year institutions. The report contends that there has not yet been a systemwide examination of housing or food insecurity at the CCCs. However, it was also found that many of the 113 CCCs have participated in prior studies of food and housing insecurity in higher education; a recent study of just over 3,600 students attending seven CCCs found about one-third of students were housing insecure or homeless. Lastly, the report also found that based on nationwide survey data, an estimated average of 13 percent of community college students may be homeless with higher rates reported in California.

Purpose of the measure. Current law specifies that as a condition of receiving SSSP funding, the governing boards of each CCD maintain a student equity plan for groups, including current and former foster youth, students with disabilities, and veterans. However, homeless students are not included.

The author states, "AB 1018 is a critical first step in ensuring that we provide the necessary attention to some of the state's most vulnerable students."

This measure requires CCDs add homeless students to the categories of students required to be addressed in their student equity plans.

Student equity plans. The 2016-17 Budget Act allocated $155 million in ongoing funds to CCDs to implement student equity plans. The 2016-17 allocations to districts were calculated using the existing student equity funding formula, which includes factors for annual full-time equivalent student (FTES), high need students, educational attainment of residential zip code, participation rate, poverty rate, unemployment rate, and unduplicated foster youth headcount.

To be noted, student equity funds must be used to address the student equity populations and indicators as defined in statute (EC Sections 78220 and 78221) and be based on the disproportionate impact study, goals, and activities as outlined in the CCDs student equity plans that are submitted to the CCC Chancellor's Office (CCCCO). Additionally, the colleges have two fiscal years to expend these funds. The expenditure cycle for the 2016-17 funds will thus end on June 30, 2018; the CCDs will have to provide mid-cycle and end of cycle expenditure reports to the CCCCO in September 2017 and September 2018, respectively.

Homeless students at the CCC. Currently, homeless students self-report on their financial aid forms if they believe themselves to be homeless; however, challenges arise in obtaining reasonably accurate numbers because many students may choose not to disclose their status. Committee staff understands that the CCC Apply Online 2017-18 Fee Waiver application will have a question that asks, "Has the Financial Aid Office verified that you have been without a residence in the last 24 months (homeless)?" According to the CCCCO, it will start requiring colleges to report to the CCCCO the number of homeless students with fee waivers beginning in in the 2017-18 academic year.

To note, assumptions exist that nearly all homeless students will be eligible for a fee waiver and thus yield more accurate data on self-identified homeless youth.

Committee comments. This measure, AB 637 (Medina), which unanimously passed out of this Committee on 18 April, and AB 1468 (Chiu), which will be heard today by this Committee, all seek to amend the same code section; and conflict with each other.

Moving forward, Committee staff recommends that the authors' work together to address potential chaptering out issues.

Related and prior legislation. SB 307 (Nguyen), which is set to be heard in the Senate Education Committee later this week, would, in part, request the University of California (UC) Regents to convene a task force, consisting of three UC representatives selected by the Regents, three representatives of the California State University (CSU) selected by the CSU Trustees, and three representatives of the CCC selected by the CCC Board of Governors, to conduct a study to determine the extent, causes, and effects of housing insecurity and homelessness of current postsecondary students in this state, and requires the study to be submitted to the Legislature on or before December 31, 2018.

AB 801 (Bloom), Chapter 432, Statutes of 2016, in part, created the Success for Homeless Youth in Higher Education Act.

AB 1995 (Williams), Chapter 407, Statutes of 2016, in part, required CCC campuses to grant enrolled homeless students access and usage of campus shower facilities.

AB 1228 (Gipson), Chapter 571, Statutes of 2015, extended priority for housing at the UC, CSU, and the CCC, to homeless youth, and requested campuses to develop plans to ensure that homeless and foster youth have housing during school breaks.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

Faculty Association of California Community Colleges

Student Senate for California Community Colleges

Opposition

None on file.

Analysis Prepared by: Jeanice Warden / HIGHER ED. / (916) 319-3960