Part 52.7California STEM Pathways Grant Program

Section § 88670

Explanation

This law provides ten million dollars from California's budget to support a grant program run by the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges. The aim is to help students get ready for future high-skill jobs in technology, manufacturing, and health care. The program benefits students by offering education from grades 9 to 14 that is focused on STEM, free of cost. It includes workplace learning through mentoring, worksite visits, and internships. Students also receive personalized academic support and have the chance to earn a science degree in high-tech fields. Additionally, students who complete the program are promised priority for job opportunities with business partners.

(a)CA Education Code § 88670(a) For the 2018–19 fiscal year, the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges for a grant program that supports public-private partnerships that will prepare California students for high-skill jobs of the future in technology, manufacturing, and health care.
(b)CA Education Code § 88670(b) The grant program shall deliver five core benefits to students:
(1)CA Education Code § 88670(b)(1) A rigorous, relevant, and cost-free education in grades 9 to 14, inclusive, focused on the knowledge and skills that students need for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers.
(2)CA Education Code § 88670(b)(2) Workplace learning that includes mentoring by industry professionals, worksite visits, speakers, and internships.
(3)CA Education Code § 88670(b)(3) Intensive, individualized, academic support by both K–12 and postsecondary faculty within an extended academic year or school day that enables students to progress through the program at their own pace.
(4)CA Education Code § 88670(b)(4) An opportunity to earn an associate in science degree in a high-tech field or an associate degree for transfer in a STEM field.
(5)CA Education Code § 88670(b)(5) A commitment to students who complete the program to be first in line for a job with participating business partners following completion of the program.
public-private partnerships STEM education high-skill jobs workplace learning mentoring internships academic support associate in science degree associate degree for transfer job priority California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office technology careers manufacturing careers health care careers
(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 33, Sec. 45. (AB 1809) Effective June 27, 2018.)

Section § 88671

Explanation

This law section involves grants awarded by the chancellor over six years for programs that combine high school and college coursework (grades 9-14) leading to a STEM-related associate degree. To qualify, applicants must have a partnership between local educational agencies and community colleges, and a collaboration with private businesses in fields like tech, manufacturing, or healthcare. Businesses are required to offer mentorship, job placement, and relevant industry exposure to students.

The chancellor prioritizes programs for at-risk or historically underserved students and ensures grants are distributed across different regions with a limit of one grant per county. Data reporting on student enrollment, performance, and employment outcomes is mandatory. A request for proposal (RFP) process will determine awardees, and a report evaluating these initiatives is due by January 10, 2025, assessing student success in earning degrees and securing employment.

(a)CA Education Code § 88671(a) The chancellor shall award grants to be expended over a six-year period, to applicants that meet, at a minimum, all of the following conditions:
(1)CA Education Code § 88671(a)(1) Applicants are parties to an approved College and Career Access Pathways (CCAP) partnership pursuant to Section 76004 of the Education Code that will govern the delivery of the academic program to students and allocation of funding between the local educational agency and the community college district.
(2)CA Education Code § 88671(a)(2) Applicants shall demonstrate that the curriculum in grades 9 to 14, inclusive, shall lead to an associate in science degree in a high-tech field or an associate degree for transfer in a STEM field.
(3)CA Education Code § 88671(a)(3) Applicants have a signed memorandum of understanding between the CCAP partnership and one or more private businesses in technology, manufacturing, or health care that obligates the businesses to all of the following:
(A)CA Education Code § 88671(a)(3)(A) Committing to place every student who successfully completes the program first in line for a job.
(B)CA Education Code § 88671(a)(3)(B) Identifying a mentor for every participating student.
(C)CA Education Code § 88671(a)(3)(C) Creating an up-to-date skills map for the industry or sector that identifies essential job requirements.
(D)CA Education Code § 88671(a)(3)(D) Collaborating with the CCAP partnership to identify the postsecondary two-year degree that will ensure participating students meet industry expectations and to validate the proposed scope and sequence.
(E)CA Education Code § 88671(a)(3)(E) Providing workplace visits, speakers, internships, and apprenticeships for participating students.
(F)CA Education Code § 88671(a)(3)(F) Collaborating with the CCAP partnership staff to align technical skills and workplace competencies with curriculum, course offerings, and other resources.
(G)CA Education Code § 88671(a)(3)(G) Providing dedicated staff to work on the initiative, including an industry liaison who has the authority to coordinate with the CCAP partnership on the business partners’ behalf.
(4)CA Education Code § 88671(a)(4) Students will attend classes from grades 9 to 14, inclusive, on a single campus.
(b)CA Education Code § 88671(b) The chancellor shall prioritize applicants that will serve students who:
(1)CA Education Code § 88671(b)(1) Have been identified as academically or economically at risk for not successfully completing high school or not enrolling in, or succeeding in, college.
(2)CA Education Code § 88671(b)(2) Belong to populations that have historically not had access to, or success in, higher education, such as students with disabilities or English language learners.
(c)CA Education Code § 88671(c) The chancellor shall award grants in a geographically diverse manner, to the extent possible, and shall not award more than one grant per county.
(d)CA Education Code § 88671(d) The chancellor shall require applicants to submit enrollment, performance, and employment data.
(e)CA Education Code § 88671(e) The chancellor shall develop and provide guidance to the program, including, but not limited to, appropriate uses of program funds and the manner in which the program will report data to meet the requirements of subdivision (h).
(f)CA Education Code § 88671(f) The chancellor shall develop a request for proposal (RFP) process to determine grant awardees. The RFP process shall comply with the requirements of this section.
(g)CA Education Code § 88671(g) For the purposes of this section, an applicant is comprised of a regional consortium that includes one or more of each of the following:
(1)CA Education Code § 88671(g)(1) A school district or charter school.
(2)CA Education Code § 88671(g)(2) A community college district.
(h)CA Education Code § 88671(h) No later than January 10, 2025, the chancellor shall submit a report to the Director of Finance and the appropriate budget and policy committees of the Legislature. The report shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
(1)CA Education Code § 88671(h)(1) The degree to which grant recipients achieved the objectives in subdivision (a).
(2)CA Education Code § 88671(h)(2) The number and percentage of students enrolled in the program who earned a two-year associates degree within four, five, and six years.
(3)CA Education Code § 88671(h)(3) The number and percentage of students enrolled in the program who earned an industry-recognized certificate or credential within four, five, and six years.
(4)CA Education Code § 88671(h)(4) The number and percentage of students enrolled in the program who gained full-time employment in their area of study or training upon completion of the program.
(5)CA Education Code § 88671(h)(5) A range of the starting salaries of program graduates that gained full-time employment.
(6)CA Education Code § 88671(h)(6) The number and percentage of students enrolled in the program that enrolled in a four-year degree program upon completion of the program.
(7)CA Education Code § 88671(h)(7) It is the intent of the Legislature that the report disaggregate results by student subgroup as identified by Section 52052.
(i)CA Education Code § 88671(i) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriations made by subdivision (a) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for community college districts,” as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 41202, for the 2017–18 fiscal year, and included within the “total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B,” as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202, for the 2017–18 fiscal year.
College and Career Access Pathways STEM associate degree high-tech field education grades 9-14 program associate degree for transfer industry collaboration job placement for students mentor assignment skills map workplace visits and internships at-risk students geographically diverse grants academic partnership performance data reporting grant proposal process disaggregation by student subgroup
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 93. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2020.)