text:
(a) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that the California Community Colleges recognize the responsibility for supporting programs that enhance educational opportunities for STEM majors, and produce a diverse pool of baccalaureate degree graduates in STEM majors by preparing students for transfer to four-year higher education institutions.

(2) It is the intent of this part to encourage community college districts to establish and implement MESA programs at community colleges that are directed at identifying students affected by social, economic, and educational disadvantages, including disproportionately impacted students, increasing the number of eligible MESA program students served, and increasing student success in transferring and completing baccalaureate degree programs in STEM majors at four-year higher education institutions.

(3) The Legislature further intends that MESA programs are not viewed as the only means of providing services to socially, economically, and educationally disadvantaged students pursuing STEM majors who are eligible to transfer to four-year higher education institutions, or of meeting-related student and employee diversity objectives.

(4) The Legislature further intends that the categorical funding for MESA programs provided in the annual Budget Act for community colleges be used to establish, expand, and develop MESA programs and services for the purpose of enhancing California’s STEM workforce while aiding the state and nation in reducing equity and achievement gaps.

(b) The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges shall adopt regulations for the operation of MESA programs at community colleges that align with the programmatic components of MESA programs. The operation of MESA programs and the regulations adopted by the board of governors shall accomplish all of the following goals:

(1) Increasing the number of socially, economically, and educationally disadvantaged students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in STEM majors who are eligible to transfer to four-year higher education institutions.

(2) Implementing efficient processes and practices and using existing college transfer centers to achieve greater MESA program student transfers to four-year higher education institutions.

(3) Implementing strategies to increase the rate at which MESA program students are deemed transfer-ready in STEM majors to four-year higher education institutions.

(4) Improving the academic performance of MESA program students.

(5) Increasing the leadership skills and raising the educational expectations of MESA program students.

(6) Strengthening relationships with educators and prospective employers in business and industry to establish student internships, scholarships, and other career opportunities for MESA program students.

(7) Establishing partnerships with University of California and California State University Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement programs and Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement College Preparatory programs, California Alliance for Minority Participation programs, or similar programs in an effort to provide optimal student support services.

(8) Implementing strategies to collaborate with campus programs, such as the Student Equity and Achievement Program established in Section 78222 and the Student Success and Support Program established in Article 1 (commencing with Section 78210) of Chapter 2 of Part 48, to leverage additional resources and opportunities for MESA program students and ensure that MESA programs are integrated into campus culture and infrastructure.

(c) MESA program support provided by a community college shall supplement, but not supplant, the regular educational programs offered by the college to encourage and support the enrollment of MESA program students who seek a baccalaureate degree in STEM majors at four-year higher education institutions.

(d) The governing board of a community college district shall not use any funds received from the state for the operation and administration of MESA programs to supplant existing college resources, programs, or services. The governing board may use MESA program funds to meet the matching requirements to receive federal funds, or funds granted by nonprofit foundations, designated for the same purposes as described in this part.

(e) Beginning in the 2026–27 fiscal year, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall reserve no more than 3.5 percent of the funds appropriated for MESA programs on administrative and discretionary costs of supporting MESA programs. The chancellor may allocate these reserved funds, in consultation with the Community College Association of MESA Directors, solely for statewide coordination and enhancement of MESA programs.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 745, Sec. 8. (SB 148) Effective October 13, 2025.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


kind: section

code: EDC

text:
(a) It is the intent of the state that school districts, community college districts, the California State University, and the University of California coordinate their efforts to provide instruction in basic skills in an efficient and effective way.

(b) The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall solicit applications from community college districts seeking funding for plans to provide instruction in basic skills to students enrolled, or who will enroll, at California State University campuses. As used in this section, “chancellor” means the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

(c) A community college district that chooses to apply for a grant under this section shall include the following components of its plan in its application:

(1) A list of the community colleges and the California State University campuses that will work jointly to develop effective instruction in basic skills and provide instruction to focus on students enrolled, or who will enroll, at California State University campuses.

(2) A commitment from the California State University campuses listed in paragraph (1) that these campuses will direct students to instruction at community colleges.

(3) A narrative explaining the strategy for directing students to instruction at community colleges and integrating this instruction with programs at California State University campuses.

(4) A letter from each of the presidents of the California State University campuses listed in the application pursuant to paragraph (1) indicating support for the plan and identifying the fiscal impact for his or her particular campus.

(5) A narrative describing any effective evidence-based instructional strategies and practices the community colleges have implemented for the delivery of basic skills instruction and any efforts the community colleges have made to incorporate effective evidence-based instructional strategies and practices within the delivery of their basic skills instruction.

(6) A narrative describing how faculty was involved in the development of the plan.

(7) A narrative describing if and how the community college district intends to incorporate the use of student success data to inform the delivery of its basic skills instruction.

(8) A narrative describing the measures the community colleges listed pursuant to paragraph (1) will undertake to collaborate with local school districts serving kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to better articulate English and mathematics instruction between high schools located in the community college district and the community colleges and the California State University campuses listed pursuant to paragraph (1).

(d) (1) The chancellor, in consultation with the Chancellor of the California State University, shall award grants of two million dollars ($2,000,000) each to five of the applicant community college districts.

(2) The grants shall be awarded based on the projected success of the applicant districts in maximizing the following factors, which are listed below in order of decreasing priority:

(A) The number of students enrolled, or who will enroll, at California State University campuses and who would benefit from access to instruction in basic skills at the community colleges participating in the plan.

(B) The number of California State University campuses participating in the plan.

(C) The number of community college campuses participating in the plan.

(D) The likelihood that the plan would be implemented effectively.

(E) The use of effective evidence-based instructional strategies and practices the community colleges have implemented for the delivery of basic skills instruction. Community college districts are encouraged to align the delivery of basic skills instruction with California State University campus programs that will accelerate the progress of underprepared students toward college completion.

(e) (1) Upon awarding the grants, the chancellor shall allocate one million dollars ($1,000,000) of the grant funds to each community college district selected for a grant.

(2) The chancellor shall release the remainder of a grant amount only after the community college district has submitted records demonstrating that students enrolled, or planning to enroll, at California State University campuses have accessed instruction in basic skills at the community colleges pursuant to the plan. Notwithstanding this reporting condition, the chancellor shall release any amount of a grant that remains as of May 1, 2018, to the community college district by June 30, 2018.

(f) As a condition of receiving a grant pursuant to this section, a community college district shall provide all of the following information to the chancellor by February 1, 2017:

(1) The number of students enrolled, or who will enroll, at California State University campuses who were provided, or are being provided, instruction by community colleges pursuant to the adopted plan.

(2) The number of students who successfully completed basic skills instruction at the community colleges, defined as demonstrating competency on California State University assessments or successful completion of appropriate college-level courses.

(3) The number of students provided instruction at the community colleges who subsequently enrolled at a California State University campus and demonstrated competency on California State University assessments or successful completion of appropriate college-level courses.

(4) To the extent available, first-year retention and success rates at the California State University of students who received basic skills instruction at the community colleges pursuant to the plan.

(5) A qualitative description of the local successes or challenges that community colleges encountered when partnering with California State University campuses to provide instruction in basic skills to students enrolled, or who will enroll, at those campuses.

(6) A narrative describing the use of effective evidence-based practices by the community colleges to deliver basic skills instruction to accelerate the progress of underprepared students toward achieving postsecondary educational and career goals. This narrative shall also include a description of the efforts of the community colleges to implement or expand the use of effective evidence-based practices to deliver basic skills instruction.

(7) A narrative describing the measures implemented by the community college district to collaborate with local school districts serving kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to better articulate English and mathematics instruction between high schools located in the community college district and the community colleges and the California State University campuses listed pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c).

(g) No later than April 1, 2017, and following consultation with the Chancellor of the California State University, the chancellor shall analyze the information provided under subdivision (f), and report to the Legislature, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the Department of Finance on the effectiveness of the plans in delivering instruction in basic skills to students enrolled, or who will enroll, at California State University campuses. This report shall also include a report on costs avoided by the California State University, if any, and recommendations on expanded use of community colleges to deliver basic skills instruction to California State University students. A report to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(h) The attendance of students enrolled in a basic skills course pursuant to this section may be reported by a community college district for apportionment purposes.

(i) The sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the chancellor for allocation to community college districts to establish a basic skills partnership program at five community college districts in accordance with this section.

(j) For the purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (i) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for community college districts,” as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 41202 of the Education Code, for the 2014–15 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 XIIIB,” as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202 of the Education Code, for the 2014–15 fiscal year.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 22, Sec. 19. (SB 81) Effective June 24, 2015.)

division: 7. COMMUNITY COLLEGES

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

path: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION > 7. COMMUNITY COLLEGES > 53. Basic Skills Partnership Pilot Program


text:
(a) Upon appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute, the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall allocate funding to community colleges for the purpose of expanding pathways to law school programs, which may include, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) Supporting opportunities for dual enrollment partnerships between community colleges and local high school law academies.

(2) Implementing partnerships with the California State University system that incorporate associate degree for transfer pathways that will prepare students for a career in the legal profession.

(3) Expanding existing transfer agreements with the University of California that will prepare students for a career in the legal profession.

(4) Providing student advising and guidance to help participants in the Community College Pathway to Law School initiative successfully transfer into the California State University or the University of California.

(b) The Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, or its authorized designees, may contract with a third-party entity for the purpose of providing administrative support for the expansion of pathways to law school programs.

(c) (1) On or before July 1, 2025, the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall submit a report to the appropriate budget and policy committees of the Legislature regarding outcomes resulting from the use of funds pursuant to this section, including, but not limited to, the number of students participating in pathways to law school programs, the demographics, graduation, and success rates of those students, and transfer pathways established.

(2) This subdivision shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 144, Sec. 63. (AB 132) Effective July 27, 2021. Subdivision (c) inoperative January 1, 2026, pursuant to its own provisions.)

part: 53.5. Pathways to Law School Programs

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

path: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION > 7. COMMUNITY COLLEGES > 53.5. Pathways to Law School Programs


text: This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure Grant Program.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 71, Sec. 10. (SB 155) Effective July 2, 2024. Inoperative July 1, 2030, pursuant to Section 88773. Repealed as of January 1, 2031, pursuant to Section 88773.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

path: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION > 7. COMMUNITY COLLEGES > 53.7. Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure Grant Program


text:
As used in this part, unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Applicant” means a community college district that submits an eligible application pursuant to this part.

(b) “Chancellor” means the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

(c) “Chancellor’s office” means the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

(d) “Grant” means a grant awarded pursuant to this part.

(e) “Program” means the Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure Grant Program established pursuant to this part.

(f) “Recipient” means a community college district that receives a grant pursuant to this part.

part: 53.7. Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure Grant Program

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
(a) The Rebuilding Nursing Infrastructure Grant Program is hereby established as a competitive grant program under the administration of the chancellor.

(b) The funding for the program shall be awarded as grants by the chancellor to applicants for any one or combination of the following purposes:

(1) Developing or expanding bachelor of science in nursing partnerships, including established partnerships with the California State University, the University of California, or independent institutions of higher education as defined in Section 66010.

(2) Developing or expanding associate degree in nursing programs.

(3) Developing strategies for recruiting, retaining, and training high-quality nursing faculty, including, but not limited to, by offering incentives, including stipends and flexible working hours, to recruit and retain nursing faculty, and by providing professional development opportunities.

(4) Developing strategies for increasing nursing program credentials, including, but not limited to, efforts to address noncompliance issues raised by the Board of Registered Nursing and to obtain accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

(5) Developing strategies for engaging and retaining nursing students, including, but not limited to, the integration of high-impact and diversity-, equity-, and inclusion-focused curriculum, the development of apprenticeship opportunities, and the expansion of student support services including basic needs assistance, mental health support, case management, counseling services, and specialized tutoring.

(6) Developing strategies that facilitate the increase of the percentage of associate degree nursing to bachelor of science in nursing students, including, but not limited to, the development of strategies that strengthen the high school to community college nursing pipeline.

(7) Purchasing equipment for nursing education programs.

(8) Developing or scaling efforts that lead to additional clinical placements for nursing students.

(c) The chancellor shall develop an application for applicants to apply for a grant. The application may be an extension of the application used for the Nursing Enrollment Growth and Retention program under Section 78261. The chancellor shall make the application for the first round of grants available on or before November 1, 2024, with grants distributed to recipients on or before July 1, 2025. Subject to available funding for purposes of this part, the chancellor may administer subsequent application rounds. An application for a grant shall require, at a minimum, all of the following information:

(1) A statement identifying the specific needs or problems the applicant faces with regard to providing access to educating, supporting, graduating, or placing nursing students.

(2) A description of how the applicant is addressing the needs or problems described in paragraph (1) with existing funds, and how receipt of a grant will supplement those efforts.

(3) The amount of a grant requested by an applicant, and how the applicant specifically proposes to use the grant for the purposes described in paragraphs (1) to (8), inclusive, of subdivision (b).

(4) If applicable, the number of nursing education program slots that the applicant is planning to add each year within the two-year period of grant encumbrance described in subdivision (f) beyond already planned nursing education program slot expansions. A breakdown shall be provided for associate degree in nursing slots and bachelor of science in nursing slots.

(5) If applicable, bachelor of science in nursing partnerships with a campus of the California State University or the University of California, or independent institutions of higher education as defined in Section 66010, that the applicant will develop or expand with receipt of a grant.

(6) A breakdown of the amount and use of other funding sources that the applicant is using for nursing education programs, including apportionments, grants under the Nursing Enrollment Growth and Retention Program established in Section 78261, other state or federal workforce grants, and private or in-kind funding sources.

(d) Selection of recipients shall be on a competitive basis. The chancellor shall develop a scoring rubric to evaluate the completeness and quality of each application. The chancellor shall require an application to meet a minimum threshold to be eligible for a grant.

(1) The chancellor shall give priority for grants to applicants that are located in an underserved nursing area or a region with a local nursing shortage.

(2) An applicant receiving a grant in one application round is not prohibited from applying and receiving a grant in subsequent application rounds. However, the chancellor may prioritize awarding grants to applicants that have not received a grant.

(3) The chancellor shall give priority for a grant to applicants that expand existing bachelor of science in nursing partnerships with a campus of the California State University or the University of California.

(e) (1) The chancellor shall determine the amount of a grant for each recipient. In determining the amount of a grant for a recipient, the chancellor shall take all of the following factors into account:

(A) The applicant’s requested grant amount in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c).

(B) The applicant’s score on the scoring rubric developed pursuant to subdivision (d).

(C) The total amount of funding available for awarding grants.

(2) A recipient shall not receive a grant that exceeds two million dollars ($2,000,000) per award cycle.

(f) A recipient shall have up to two years to expend a grant. Any unspent amount of the grant at the end of that two-year period of encumbrance shall revert to the chancellor’s office.

(g) As a condition of receiving a grant, a recipient shall report, on or before January 1, 2026, and each January 1 thereafter to January 1, 2030, inclusive, all data and information to the chancellor’s office that the chancellor determines furthers the purposes of the program. A report submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall include all of the following:

(1) The number of additional nursing education program enrollment slots created with the use of grants.

(2) Student outcomes, including course success rates, persistence rates, graduation rates, and, if possible, employment placement outcomes.

(3) How the grant was used by expenditure category, as described in paragraphs (1) to (8), inclusive, of subdivision (b).

(4) The extent to which the grant, combined with other funding sources, addressed regional workforce needs.

(h) On or before July 1, 2026, and each July 1 thereafter to July 1, 2030, inclusive, the chancellor’s office shall compile and provide a summary of the information received pursuant to subdivision (g) to the Assembly and Senate Committees on Budget and the Governor. The information shall be provided as part of the report required pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) of Section 78261. A report submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

(i) The chancellor may allocate up to 5 percent of the total amount appropriated for purposes of the program for state administrative operations to carry out the intent of the program.

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
(a) This part shall become inoperative on July 1, 2030, and, as of January 1, 2031, is repealed.

(b) Any recipient that has not fully expended their grant by July 1, 2030, shall continue adhering to the requirements of this part that were operative on June 30, 2030, until the grant is expended or the encumbrance period described in subdivision (f) ends, whichever occurs first.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 71, Sec. 10. (SB 155) Effective July 2, 2024. Repealed as of January 1, 2031, by its own provisions. Repeal affects Part 53.7, commencing with Section 88770.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text: This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Career Passport Program.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2025, Ch. 9, Sec. 13. (AB 123) Effective June 27, 2025.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

path: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION > 7. COMMUNITY COLLEGES > 53.8. California Career Passport Program


text:
For purposes of this part, unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Chancellor’s office” means the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

(b) “Program” means the California Career Passport Program established pursuant to this part.

part: 53.8. California Career Passport Program

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
(a) (1) The California Career Passport Program is hereby established. The program shall be administered by the chancellor’s office, in partnership with the Office of Cradle-to-Career Data and the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, for the purpose of developing a Career Passport that provides an individual a secure digital tool displaying their preparation for employment, academic records, and credit for prior learning, which may include, but is not limited to, military service.

(2) An individual may use their Career Passport to curate their relevant validated skills, which may include skills attributable to verifiable credentials and academic records, in a shareable format for skills-based and competency-informed hiring by employers. An individual may share all or part of their Career Passport with outside entities.

(b) The program shall be developed by leveraging existing statewide tools for documenting academic learning, including, but not limited to, eTranscript California and other electronic transcript tools, and existing tools for validating learning in nonacademic contexts, including, but not limited to, providing credit for prior learning and the California Mapping Articulated Pathways Initiative, and combining those tools into the Career Passport that can be integrated with employer-based hiring systems to support skills-based hiring.

(c) The program shall at least accomplish all of the following goals:

(1) Enable the linkage, management, and monitoring of information of an individual’s verified academic and third-party records of education, training, and development of validated skills for the purposes of hiring by employers.

(2) Ensure that information contained in, and available through, the secure digital tool is kept secure and that individual privacy, including, but not limited to, personally identifiable information, is protected.

(3) Provide individuals access to their aggregated information for use in applying for employment and in training at no or low cost to the individual.

(d) The chancellor’s office, in collaboration with the Office of Cradle-to-Career Data, shall convene agency and employer representatives to identify technical and policy considerations for building the secure digital tool described in subdivision (a).

(e) The chancellor’s office, in collaboration with the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, shall engage with business and industry leaders collaboratively to ensure Career Passports are useful to, and used by, California’s employers, and shall work closely with the Department of Human Resources as a possible early adopter of Career Passports.

(f) The program shall serve the public good and remain accountable to it.

(g) The program shall comply with federal and state laws to protect individual privacy, including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(1) The federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-380, as amended).

(2) The federal Higher Education Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-329, as amended).

(3) The federal Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-579, as amended).

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text: A financial and professional development grant funding program, administered by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, is hereby established. The chancellor shall distribute multiyear grants, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the governing boards of community college districts pursuant to applications that satisfy the requirements of this part. Moneys allocated pursuant to this program shall be expended for community colleges within a district that receives a grant to adopt or expand the use of evidence-based models of academic assessment and placement, remediation, and student support that accelerate the progress of underprepared students toward achieving postsecondary educational and career goals.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2015, Ch. 22, Sec. 20. (SB 81) Effective June 24, 2015.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

chapter: 1. General Provisions

path: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION > 7. COMMUNITY COLLEGES > 54. Community Colleges Basic Skills and Student Outcomes Transformation Program > 1. General Provisions


text:
(a) (1) The governing board of a community college district may apply for funds pursuant to this part for the purpose of making more effective, evidence-based practices available to more underprepared students who enroll at campuses of the California Community Colleges. A community college within the district may receive funds to implement these evidence-based practices for the first time or to expand to additional students any evidence-based practices that are in effect as of the date of the district’s application for funds.

(2) Community colleges may use funds allocated pursuant to this part to support remedial education curriculum redesign, professional development and release time for faculty, and support staff as appropriate, and data collection and reporting.

(b) The evidence-based practices implemented or expanded pursuant to funding received as specified in subdivision (a) shall include basic skills improvement strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in accelerating the progress of underprepared students toward, and increasing the number of underprepared students who successfully achieve in a timely manner, one or both of the following goals:

(1) Completing a college-level English or mathematics course, or both, within a sequence of three or fewer courses after enrollment in a community college, to prepare students for college-level work.

(2) Earning an industry-relevant college certificate or degree within two years.

part: 54. Community Colleges Basic Skills and Student Outcomes Transformation Program

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
(a) In order to receive a grant, the governing board of a community college district shall demonstrate in its application for funding, consistent with subdivision (b) of Section 88805, that the community colleges that are to participate in the grant program will redesign their curriculum, career pathways, assessment and placement procedures, or any combination thereof, to implement, or significantly expand the use or application of, two or more of the following evidence-based practices and principles:

(1) Adopting placement tests or other student assessment indicators and related policies that may include multiple measures of student performance, including grades in high school courses, especially overall grade point average, results from the common assessment system, and input from counselors.

(2) Increasing the placement of students directly in gateway English and mathematics courses that are transferable to the University of California or the California State University and career pathways, with remedial instruction integrated as appropriate for underprepared students.

(3) Aligning content in remedial courses with the students’ programs of academic or vocational study to target students’ actual needs and increase relevance. This paragraph is intended to encourage the development of remedial instruction focused on a student’s identified academic need informed by the student’s intended course of study.

(4) Contextualizing remedial instruction in foundational skills for the industry cluster, pathways, or both, in which the student seeks to advance.

(5) Providing proactive student support services that are integrated with the instruction provided.

(6) Developing two- and three-course sequences, as appropriate, for completion of a college-level English or mathematics course, or both, for underprepared students, by either utilizing technology, where appropriate, to enhance the adoption of the high impact practices specified in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, or implementing other effective basic skills course strategies and practices not specified in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, subject to the college providing evidence that substantiates the practice is effective.

(b) Community colleges are encouraged to collaborate with local school districts serving kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to better articulate English and math instruction between the high schools and the community colleges.

(c) Each participating community college shall be responsible for all of the following:

(1) Developing a plan based on two or more of the evidence-based principles and practices described in subdivision (a) that demonstrates a clear strategy for ensuring that both of the following occur within a five-year period:

(A) A progressively increasing share of the students who enroll at participating community colleges within the community college district achieve the goals listed in subdivision (b) of Section 88805.

(B) A significantly greater share of entering students who are enrolled at the community college achieve the goals listed in subdivision (b) of Section 88805 within a shorter time period than before the implementation of the plan at the community college.

(2) Ensuring that the plan developed pursuant to paragraph (1) does all the following:

(A) Describes the community college’s current practices with regard to the selected high impact practices and its readiness to implement the new interventions.

(B) Articulates targets for the share of entering students projected to be served by these interventions over the three-year implementation period.

(C) Sets goals for the share of entering students who complete a college-level English or mathematics course within three semesters or less after enrollment.

(D) Identifies key strategies and implementation benchmarks for evaluating the progress of campus efforts to implement the selected interventions.

(E) Details the number of campus faculty likely to be involved in all selected high impact interventions and the plan for addressing their professional and technical assistance needs.

(3) Ensuring that its faculty participate in professional development regarding academic programs or new curriculum developed or expanded pursuant to the plan, using grant funds to support that faculty participation.

(4) Commencing in the year that a community college receives a grant and for the following three fiscal years, annually reporting to the chancellor’s office on program outcomes, disaggregated by the demographic characteristics, high school grade point average, and initial placement level of its students, for purposes of measuring progress compared to the community college’s performance before its implementation of the plan. These reports should include all of the following:

(A) The total number and percentage of entering students identified as underprepared before receipt of the grant.

(B) The number and percentage of entering students served by the grant program, disaggregated by type of practice implemented.

(C) The number and percentage of entering students achieving the goals listed in subdivision (b) of Section 88805.

(D) The number of faculty involved and faculty needs regarding the adoption and operation of courses under the plan.

(E) If applicable, a narrative describing any subsequent adjustments to the design of the college’s basic skills course practices or strategies adopted pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (a).

(F) A description of any additional or expanded student supports offered.

(G) A narrative describing the community college’s efforts to collaborate with local school districts serving kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to better articulate English and math instruction between the high schools and the community colleges.

(5) These plans should be developed in consultation with campus faculty.

(d) The office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall be responsible for all of the following:

(1) Developing application criteria, administrative guidelines, and other requirements for purposes of administering the grant program. Applications that would do one or both of the following shall be given priority consideration within the application criteria:

(A) Scale up existing practices.

(B) Provide services to greater proportions of students.

(2) Administering the grant program and distributing and monitoring awards to recipient community college districts.

(3) Providing the information submitted pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (c) to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

(e) (1) The Legislative Analyst’s Office shall aggregate, analyze, and report the information submitted pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (d) to the Legislature on the progress of the grant program in achieving its prescribed purpose. The Legislative Analyst’s Office shall issue a report by December 1, 2019.

(2) (A) The requirement for submitting a report imposed under this subdivision is inoperative on July 1, 2026, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

(B) A report to be submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 129, Sec. 4. (AB 3374) Effective January 1, 2021.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
(a) There is hereby established the Student Success for Basic Skills Program to be administered by the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges in accordance with subdivision (b).

(b) From funds provided in the annual Budget Act for the Student Success for Basic Skills Program, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges shall allocate:

(1) An amount up to 5 percent for faculty and staff development to improve curriculum, instruction, student services, and program practices in the areas of basic skills and English as a second language programs. The office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall select a community college district, utilizing a competitive process, to carry out these faculty and staff development activities. All colleges receiving funds pursuant to paragraph (2) shall be provided with the opportunity to participate in the faculty and staff development programs specified in this paragraph.

(2) (A) All other funds for grants to community college districts for improving outcomes of students who enter college needing at least one course in English as a second language or basic skills, with particular emphasis on students transitioning from high school.

(B) Funds allocated pursuant to this paragraph shall be expended for any of the following purposes:

(i) Program and curriculum planning and development, student assessment, advisement and counseling services, supplemental instruction and tutoring, articulation, instructional materials and equipment, any other purpose directly related to the enhancement of basic skills, English as a second language instruction, and related student programs.

(ii) To implement or expand upon the use or application of evidence-based practices and principles identified in paragraphs (1) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 88810.

(iii) To accelerate the adoption and utilization of lower cost, high-quality, open educational resources in English as a second language or basic skills courses.

(iv) To collaborate with high schools, and when applicable, California State University campuses, to better align remedial instruction methodologies, curriculum, and course offerings among local educational agencies, community colleges, and California State University campuses.

(v) To implement assessment and placement practices that increase the likelihood that students are appropriately placed in college-level, rather than remedial, courses.

(C) The funds allocated pursuant to this paragraph shall supplement, and not supplant, current expenditures by community college districts for matriculation and assessment services, basic skills, English as a second language instruction, and related student programs.

(D) To be eligible to receive grant funds pursuant to this paragraph, a community college district shall submit to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges an application containing a certification that the college will, within the fiscal year, (i) complete a revised assessment of its programs and activities serving basic skills and English as a second language students utilizing the assessment tool developed pursuant to paragraph (1) of Item 6870-493 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2006 (Chapters 47 and 48 of the Statutes of 2006) and (ii) submit to the office of the chancellor an action and expenditure plan for funds received under this paragraph. The grant application shall also contain the strategies a community college district will implement to improve the successful transition of students to college-level math and English courses. These improvements shall include both increasing the number of students that successfully transition to college-level mathematics and English courses as well as reducing the time it takes students to successfully transition to college-level mathematics and English courses. At a minimum, to be eligible to receive a grant, the community college district’s strategy shall include an evidence-based plan for the adoption and implementation of multiple measures of assessment and placement. The office of the chancellor shall prioritize funding grant applications from community college districts that participate in the Community Colleges Basic Skills and Student Outcomes Transformation Program established by Part 54 (commencing with Section 88800), or that subsequently implement or expand upon the use or application of evidence-based practices and principles identified in paragraphs (1) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 88810.

(E) (i) The Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall distribute grant funds to community college districts that meet the application criteria in subparagraph (D) on the basis of the following weighted factors:

(I) The percentage of students receiving a Board of Governors fee waiver who first enrolled in a course below transfer level in English, mathematics, or English as a second language, or any combination of these, and subsequently completed a college-level course in the same subject within one year and within two years. This factor shall comprise 50 percent of the allocation formula.

(II) The percentage of students receiving a Board of Governors fee waiver. This factor shall comprise 25 percent of the formula.

(III) The percentage of basic skills full-time equivalent students in courses offered by that community college district using evidence-based practices and principles identified in paragraphs (1) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 88810. This factor shall comprise 25 percent of the formula.

(ii) The chancellor may include other factors and adjustments as he or she determines necessary to accomplish the objectives of this paragraph.

(iii) The chancellor shall annually notify and receive concurrence from the Department of Finance in consultation with the Legislative Analyst’s Office prior to including additional factors and adjustments pursuant to clause (ii) and prior to apportioning these funds to community college districts.

(iv) The Director of Finance shall notify the Joint Legislative Budget Committee of his or her intent to concur with the use of additional factors and adjustments pursuant to clauses (ii) and (iii).

(v) For purposes of distributing the funds, the chancellor shall establish a minimum allocation of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) per college in the applying community college district.

(F) Notwithstanding subparagraph (E), commencing with the 2016–17 fiscal year, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall adjust the distribution of funds pursuant to subparagraph (E) to ensure that community college districts do not receive less state aid from the Student Success for Basic Skills Program than they received from appropriations for these purposes in the 2015–16 fiscal year.

(G) As a condition of participating in this program, commencing with the 2017–18 fiscal year, the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall strongly encourage the five community college districts with the lowest calculated percentages as specified in subclause (I) of clause (i) of subparagraph (E) that participated in this program to apply for a technical assistance team to improve the likelihood that a student is able to expeditiously transition from a basic skills course to a college-level course at that community college district.

(c) (1) The office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall consult with the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office to develop and recommend annual accountability measures for the program. It is the intent of the Legislature that annual performance accountability measures for the program utilize, to the extent possible, data available as part of the accountability system developed pursuant to Section 84754.5.

(2) On or before March 15, 2020, the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with the Department of Finance and Legislative Analyst’s Office, shall report on the effectiveness of the factors used to allocate funding under this program in improving outcomes for students requiring remediation.

(d) This part shall become operative July 1, 2017.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 24, Sec. 22. (AB 1602) Effective June 27, 2016.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

path: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION > 7. COMMUNITY COLLEGES > 54.3. Student Success for Basic Skills Program


text: This part shall be known, and may be cited, as the Strong Workforce Program.

history: (History: Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 24, Sec. 23. (AB 1602) Effective June 27, 2016.)

part: 54.5. Strong Workforce Program

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION

path: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION > 7. COMMUNITY COLLEGES > 54.5. Strong Workforce Program


text:
(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) California’s economic competitiveness is fueled, in part, by the strength of its regional economies and its skilled workforce.

(2) Upward social and economic mobility helps keep the state’s economy diversified and vibrant.

(3) The attainment of industry-valued “middle skill credentials” serves as a gateway for a large and diverse number of careers in the state’s economy.

(4) California’s local educational agencies, community college districts, interested public four-year universities, local workforce development boards, economic development and industry leaders, and local civic representatives should collaboratively work together to inform the offerings of courses, programs, pathways, and workforce development opportunities that enable students to access the current and future job market and further social and economic mobility.

(b) The Strong Workforce Program is hereby established as a K–14 state education, economic, and workforce development initiative for the purpose of expanding the availability of high-quality, industry-valued career technical education and workforce development courses, programs, pathways, credentials, certificates, and degrees.

(c) To facilitate program coordination and alignment with other workforce training, education, and employment services in the state, the Strong Workforce Program shall operate in a manner that complies with the California Strategic Workforce Development Plan, required pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128), and expand upon existing consortia infrastructure.

(d) To avoid duplication of effort, activities funded under the Strong Workforce Program shall be informed by, aligned with, and expand upon the activities of existing workforce and education regional partnerships, including those partnership activities that pertain to regional planning efforts established pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128), adult education block grant consortia, and other career technical education programs.

(e) All of the following guiding principles apply to each consortium participating in the Strong Workforce Program:

(1) Any community college district or local educational agency participating in the consortium shall ensure that its career technical education and workforce development courses, credentials, certificates, degrees, programs, and pathway offerings, as applicable, are responsive to the needs of employers, workers, civic leaders, and students.

(2) The consortium shall collaborate with other public institutions, including, but not limited to, adult education consortia, local workforce development boards, and interested California State University and University of California institutions.

(3) The consortium shall collaborate with civic representatives, representatives from the labor community, and economic development and industry sector leaders within the region.

(4) The consortium shall include collaborating entities and persons identified in this subdivision in planning meetings, provide them with adequate notice of the consortium’s proposed decisions, and solicit, consider, and respond to comments from them regarding the consortium’s proposed decisions.

(5) Collaborative efforts shall focus upon evidence-based decisionmaking and student success with workforce outcomes aligned with the performance accountability measures of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128), and closing labor market and employment gaps. Each consortium shall strive to align programmatic offerings in the most effective and efficient manner to avoid duplication of effort and streamline access to services, and education and training opportunities.

(6) Community college districts, local educational agencies, and other entities participating in a consortium are encouraged to develop long-term partnerships with private sector employers and labor partners to provide coordinated courses, programs, and pathways with employer involvement in the assessment, planning, and development of career technical education courses, programs, and pathways. To the extent practicable, employer partnerships should build upon regional partnerships formed pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128) and other state or federal programs.

(7) Community college districts, local educational agencies, and other entities participating in a consortium are encouraged to develop and work closely with public and private organizations that offer workforce development programs and pathways to individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities to provide a comprehensive approach to address workforce readiness and employment.

(f) The chancellor’s office shall, in consultation with the California Workforce Development Board, the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, and its partners formed pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128), as applicable, develop and implement policies and guidance necessary to implement the Community College component of the Strong Workforce Program, including policies and guidance necessary for consortia, including community college districts and their regional partners, to increase the number of aligned middle skill and career technical education courses, programs, pathways, credentials, certificates, and degrees. No later than June 30, 2017, the chancellor’s office shall develop and implement policies and guidance pursuant to this subdivision and bring before the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges any policies, regulations, and guidance necessary to accomplish all of the following:

(1) Facilitate the development, implementation, and sharing of career technical education effective practices, curriculum models and courses, and community college credentials, certificates, degrees, and programs across regions and among community college districts.

(2) Enable community college districts to develop career technical education and workforce outcomes, and applicable associate degrees and certificates as appropriate.

(3) Provide accessible performance and labor market data that can be used flexibly by participating community college districts and their regional partners to support the implementation of the Strong Workforce Program and related efforts to align regional workforce and education programming with regional labor market needs.

(4) Encourage local efficiency through coordinated and collaborative regional workforce efforts in which community college districts are partners.

(5) Support curriculum processes to ensure that students are able to efficiently transfer college-level career technical education credits across community college districts and to the California State University and the University of California.

(6) Improve sector-based engagement with employers within a region.

(7) Provide, in partnership with employers, work-based learning opportunities for students that increase their employability and earning potential.

(8) Enable community college districts to facilitate and optimize their resources to support the Strong Workforce Program and other related regional workforce development efforts.

(9) Ensure that community college district Strong Workforce Program expenditures are focused on improving student success with workforce outcomes for all students enrolled in community college career technical education courses, programs, and pathways.

(10) (A) For the Community College component only, notwithstanding the June 30, 2017, implementation date specified in this subdivision, develop and implement a plan to streamline the course and curriculum approval process, both at the state and local levels. The plan shall reflect an expedited state approval process for career technical education courses, programs, and certificates, and may include the elimination of an existing state course and program approval process. The plan shall reflect one of the following two options:

(i) A process of course and curriculum approval that enables community college districts to develop a course or program within one academic year and to offer that course or program the subsequent academic year.

(ii) A process of course and curriculum approval that enables community college districts to develop a course or program within one academic semester and to offer that course or program the subsequent academic semester.

(B) The plan described in subparagraph (A) shall also reflect the creation of a process that enables career technical education courses and programs to be portable among community college districts. This process shall enable a community college district to adapt, adopt, or adapt and adopt another community college district’s approved career technical education courses, programs, and curriculum within one academic semester and to offer that course or program, or use that curriculum, the subsequent academic semester.

(C) The chancellor’s office shall consult with the Legislature and the Governor before implementing the plan. The plan shall be developed no later than July 1, 2017, and implemented no later than January 1, 2018.

(11) Eliminate barriers to hiring qualified instructors for career technical education courses, including reevaluating the required minimum qualifications for career technical education instructors.

(g) Community college districts are encouraged to expedite the development of targeted credit or noncredit short-term workforce training programs, in accordance with all of the following:

(1) Short-term workforce training programs that focus on economic recovery and result in job placement.

(2) Short-term workforce training programs that focus on the reskilling and upskilling of individuals.

(3) (A) Short-term workforce training programs that have at least one proven employer partner, demonstrate job vacancies, and submit verification to the chancellor’s office.

(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), verification includes the projected number of individuals served, completion rates, and job placement rates.

(4) It is the intent of the Legislature that, where possible, short-term noncredit workforce training programs should be used to be responsive to the workforce training needs of employers, with the ability to transition to credit or noncredit courses and programs upon successful completion of a program established pursuant to this subdivision. Colleges are encouraged to develop workforce training that uses competency-based approaches, and applies credit for prior learning where possible.

(h) After June 30, 2017, and only as necessary, the chancellor’s office may develop and implement revised polices and guidance for the Community College component only, and bring regulations before the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges as necessary for a community college district and its regional partners to accomplish both of the following:

(1) Implement and expand the amount of aligned middle skill and career technical education credentials, certificates, degrees, courses, programs, and pathways in accordance with paragraphs (1) to (11), inclusive, of subdivision (f).

(2) Implement the recommendations of the Strong Workforce Task Force.

(i) No later than June 30, 2026, the chancellor’s office shall revise any policies, regulations, and guidance necessary to provide students, employers, or both, with paid work-based learning opportunities that may be directly supported with funds apportioned directly to a community college district pursuant to clause (iv) of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 88825.

(j) (1) For purposes of this section, the chancellor’s office shall consider input provided by relevant stakeholders, including the Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges, the Workforce Pathways Joint Advisory Committee, and the California Workforce Development Board, before implementing revised guidance, policies, or regulatory changes for the Community College component.

(2) For purposes of the Community College component and in compliance with the consultation requirements in Sections 70901 and 70902, the Academic Senate of the California Community Colleges shall establish a career technical education subcommittee to provide recommendations on career technical education issues. No less than 70 percent of the subcommittee shall consist of career technical education faculty. The subcommittee’s charter shall require it to provide assistance to community college districts to ensure that career technical education and its instruction is responsive and aligned to current and emergent industry trends, and ensure that similar courses, programs, and degrees are portable among community college districts.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 255, Sec. 1. (AB 323) Effective January 1, 2026.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
For purposes of this part, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) “Career pathways” means an identified series of positions, work experiences, or educational benchmarks or credentials that offer occupational and financial advancement within a specified career field or related fields over time.

(b) “Career technical education credential” means a workforce certificate, degree, or industry-recognized credential.

(c) “Career Technical Education Regional Consortium,” or “consortium,” means an administrative grouping of community college districts and local educational agencies by the Division of Workforce and Economic Development of the chancellor’s office for the purpose of coordination and joint planning within regions, as defined in subdivision (p). Local educational agencies shall be grouped based on their association with community college districts. In the event that a local educational agency does not fall within the geographical boundaries of any community college district, the local educational agency shall be grouped with the nearest community college district.

(d) “Chancellor’s office” means the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

(e) “Community College component” means the funding allocated pursuant to Section 88825.

(f) “Deputy Sector Navigator” means an individual serving as an in-region contact for an industry or occupational cluster, working with the region’s colleges and employers to create alignment around and deliver on workforce training and career pathways.

(g) “Industry” or “industry sectors” means trade associations or those firms that produce similar products or provide similar services using somewhat similar business processes.

(h) “Joint powers authority” means an entity established in accordance with Article 1 (commencing with Section 6500) of Chapter 5 of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code for purposes of providing instruction to pupils enrolled in grades 9 to 12, inclusive.

(i) “K–12 component” means funding allocated pursuant to Section 88827.

(j) “K–12 Workforce Pathway Coordinator” means an individual serving as an in-region contact to provide technical assistance and support to K–12 local educational agencies pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 88833.

(k) “K–14 Technical Assistance Provider” means an individual serving as the in-region contact pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 88833 to provide leadership and technical assistance regionwide on K–14 career technical education programs or pathways.

(l) “Local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.

(m) “Middle skill credential” means a certificate, associate’s degree, or industry-recognized credential that is less than a bachelor’s degree but more than a high school diploma and facilitates student success with workforce outcomes.

(n) “Plan” means the regional plan established under this part.

(o) “Program” means the Strong Workforce Program established under this part.

(p) “Region” means a geographic area of the state defined by economic and labor market factors containing at least one industry cluster and the cities, counties, community college districts, and local educational agencies, or all of them, in the industry cluster’s geographic area. To the extent possible, for the purposes of this part, collaborative regions should align with federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128) regional planning unit boundaries specified in the California Strategic Workforce and Development Plan and expand upon existing consortium infrastructure established by the chancellor’s office.

(q) “Short-term workforce training program” means a 4 to 12-week program with a proven employer partner designed for targeted reskilling and upskilling that results in job placement.

(r) “Strong Workforce Task Force” means the Task Force on Workforce, Job Creation and a Strong Economy commissioned by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 25, Sec. 12. (SB 116) Effective June 29, 2020.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
(a) This section applies to the Community College component only.

(b) Commencing July 1, 2017, as a condition of receipt of funds allocated pursuant to Section 88825 for a fiscal year, each consortium, in consultation with collaborating entities identified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 88821, shall submit a plan to the chancellor’s office that has been updated for that fiscal year.

(c) The plan pursuant to subdivision (b) shall include all of the following requirements:

(1) The names of the community college districts participating in the consortium, including the name of the community college identified as the consortium’s fiscal agent, and the names of entities collaborating pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 88821.

(2) The governance model for the consortium. Decisions governing, or relating to, the distribution of fiscal resources shall be determined exclusively by the community college districts participating in the consortium.

(3) An analysis of regional labor market needs informed by a federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128) economic analysis and other sources as applicable. This analysis shall also include wage data for each industry sector or labor market need identified.

(4) An inventory of regionally prioritized and locally prioritized projects and programs that close relevant labor market and employment gaps.

(5) Measurable regional goals that align with the performance accountability measures of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128).

(6) For regionally prioritized projects and programs, a work plan, spending plan, and budget. The work plan, spending plan, and budget shall identify the amount of funding allocated for one-time and ongoing expenditures.

(7) A description of the alignment of work plans, spending plans, and other education and workforce plans guiding services in the region, including plans pertaining to the building of career pathways and the employment of workforce sector strategies and those plans required pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128).

(d) Each consortium shall submit a plan by January 31 once every four years and shall annually update the plan by January 31 of each year until the next new plan is submitted.

(e) The chancellor’s office shall review the plans on a four-year cycle and ensure that annual updates are made by each consortium. The chancellor’s office shall determine if each consortium has made significant progress in meeting the goals and measures outlined in its plan, and provide technical assistance to a consortium that has not met its goals. The chancellor’s office is encouraged to provide technical assistance pursuant to this subdivision through the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative.

(f) To avoid duplication of effort, plans developed pursuant to this section shall be informed by, aligned with, and expand upon regional plans and planning efforts established pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128).

(g) Community college districts participating in a consortium shall utilize their region’s plan to inform local campus planning efforts to implement career technical education courses, programs, and pathways and integrate available local, regional, state, and nonpublic resources to ensure that students will achieve successful workforce outcomes.

(h) Community college districts shall meet with the members of their consortium not less than annually to inform on the delivery of career technical education and workforce development courses, programs, and pathways within the region.

(i) Each region’s plan shall be for the primary purpose of informing the development of strategies related to career technical education and workforce development courses, programs, and pathways. Each region’s plan shall reflect strategies to efficiently and effectively utilize any available public and private resources, including funds for the Career Technical Education Pathways Program established in Part 52 (commencing with Section 88530), in a manner that better aligns career technical education courses, programs, and pathways with the needs of their regional economies.

(j) It is the intent of the Legislature to align community college career technical education programs within the Strong Workforce Program. Staff from the chancellor’s office, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the Department of Finance are requested to investigate the potential consolidation of community college career technical education programs within the Strong Workforce Program.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 497, Sec. 95. (AB 991) Effective January 1, 2020.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
(a) This section only applies for the 2016–17 fiscal year.

(b) To promote the success of community college students and the career technical education programs that serve them, up to 5 percent of the funds appropriated for the program in the annual Budget Act may be allocated by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to a community college district for statewide activities to improve and administer the program, including the facilitation of system, program, and data alignment at the state and regional levels. The chancellor’s office shall consult with the California Workforce Development Board and other appropriate state agencies on the development of all statewide activities that would be implemented by the selected district to facilitate broader workforce and education system alignment. Statewide coordination activities funded out of this allocation may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

(1) State-level coordination for the development of labor market analyses pertaining to economic and industry trends and jobs projections for the purpose of supporting common regional planning efforts and the alignment of career technical education program offerings with regional labor market dynamics.

(2) Research, evaluation, and technical assistance on the use of effective local and regional policies, best practices, and model partnerships.

(3) Development and prototyping of innovative policies, practices, and coordinated services with local workforce and education partners.

(4) Participation of community college districts in existing regional coalitions and planning efforts.

(5) Cross-training local program staff.

(6) Development and maintenance of a state-level cross-system data reporting mechanism with partners formed pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128) for the purpose of monitoring workforce program outcomes and performance accountability.

(7) Leveraging allocated funds with state and local partners through interagency agreements, memorandums of understanding, or other appropriate mechanisms.

(c) (1) The chancellor’s office shall provide to the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office its recommendations for the allocation of funds available for each consortium no later than August 30, 2016. The department shall approve the allocation plan before the release of funding. Each consortium, in consultation with local colleges, community college districts, and the chancellor’s office, shall select a community college to be a fiscal agent that shall directly receive funds apportioned for the consortium in accordance with this section. The chancellor’s office shall determine, for purposes of allocating funds for the consortium and its community college districts, the local unemployment rate, the region’s proportion of career technical education full-time equivalent students, and proportion of projected job openings. Each of these three factors shall comprise one-third of the allocation formula. Funds may be used for regionally prioritized projects and programs and locally prioritized projects and programs that meet regional needs for career technical education and workforce development courses, programs, pathways, credentials, certificates, and degrees.

(2) Forty percent of the funds apportioned for the program shall be provided directly to the fiscal agent of the consortium for the purpose of funding regionally prioritized projects and programs that meet the needs of local and regional economies, as identified in regional plans and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128) regional plans.

(3) Sixty percent of the funds apportioned for the program shall be provided directly to community college districts in the consortium. Funds apportioned directly to a community college district shall be expended for the purpose of funding regionally prioritized projects and programs within the community college district that meet the needs of local and regional economies, as identified in regional plans and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128) regional plans. As a condition of receiving direct funding, each community college district shall actively participate in its consortium.

(d) As a condition of receipt of funds pursuant to subdivision (c), a community college district shall comply with all of the following requirements:

(1) Be a member of a consortium.

(2) Participate in regional planning efforts established pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128) and other efforts to align workforce, employment, and education services.

(3) Work with other members of the consortium to create and submit a plan to the chancellor by January 31, 2017, for inclusion in the submissions of regional plans for purposes of the program and the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128).

(4) Provide accessible performance and labor-market data that can be used by community college districts and their regional partners to support the implementation of the program and describe related efforts to align regional workforce and education programming with regional labor market needs, including, but not limited to, regional planning efforts established pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128).

(5) Certify that the use of funds will meet the intent of the program to accomplish all of the following:

(A) Increase the number of students in quality career technical education courses, programs, and pathways that will achieve successful workforce outcomes.

(B) Increase the number of quality career technical education courses, programs, and pathways that lead to successful workforce outcomes, or invest in new or emerging career technical education courses, programs, and pathways that may become operative in subsequent years and are likely to lead to successful workforce outcomes.

(C) Address recommendations from the Strong Workforce Task Force, including the recommended provision of student services related to career exploration, job readiness and job placement, and work-based learning.

(e) Funds appropriated to community college districts for the program shall supplement, not supplant, existing funding of community college career technical education programs. This subdivision shall not be interpreted to mean that a participating community college district is prohibited from eliminating or altering existing programs, but the percentage of that community college district’s total full-time equivalent students enrolled in career technical education courses relative to the total full-time equivalent students enrolled in the district shall not be reduced from the percentage computed for the 2015–16 fiscal year.

(f) A consortium shall allocate funds only to community college districts.

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
(a) This section applies to the Community College component only, and applies commencing with the 2017–18 fiscal year.

(b) To promote the success of community college students and the career technical education programs that serve them, up to 5 percent of the funds appropriated for the Community College component may be allocated by the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges to a community college district for statewide activities to improve and administer the program, including the facilitation of system, program, and data alignment at the state and regional levels and the implementation of the 25 recommendations presented to the board of governors on January 19 and 20, 2016, by the Strong Workforce Task Force. The chancellor’s office shall consult with the California Workforce Development Board and other appropriate state agencies on the development of all statewide activities that would be implemented by the selected district to facilitate broader workforce and education system alignment. Statewide coordination activities funded out of this allocation may include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

(1) State-level coordination for the development of labor market analyses pertaining to economic and industry trends and jobs projections for the purpose of supporting common regional planning efforts and the alignment of career technical education program offerings with regional labor market dynamics.

(2) Research, evaluation, and technical assistance on the use of effective local and regional policies, best practices, and model partnerships.

(3) Development and prototyping of innovative policies, practices, and coordinated services with local workforce and education partners.

(4) Participation of community college districts in existing regional coalitions and planning efforts.

(5) Cross-training local program staff.

(6) Development and maintenance of a state-level cross-system data reporting mechanism with partners formed pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128) for the purpose of monitoring workforce program outcomes and performance accountability.

(7) Leveraging allocated funds with state and local partners through interagency agreements, memorandums of understanding, or other appropriate mechanisms.

(c) (1) Forty percent of the funds apportioned for the Community College component of the program shall be apportioned directly to the fiscal agents of the consortia for the purpose of funding regionally prioritized projects and programs that meet the needs of local and regional economies, including development of short-term workforce training programs focused on California’s economic recovery from COVID-19 beginning in 2020, as identified in regional plans and federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128) regional plans.

(2) (A) Sixty percent of the funds apportioned for the Community College component of the program shall be apportioned directly to community college districts in the consortia. Funds apportioned directly to a community college district shall be expended for the purpose of funding regionally prioritized projects and programs within the community college district that meet the needs of local and regional economies, including development of short-term workforce training programs focused on California’s economic recovery from COVID-19 beginning in 2020, as identified in regional plans and federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128) regional plans. As a condition of receiving direct funding, each community college district shall actively participate in its consortium.

(B) Funds apportioned directly to a community college district pursuant to subparagraph (A) may also be used for all of the following:

(i) Providing funds for student grants to cover fees for third-party certification and licensing.

(ii) Enhancing student services to support retention, work experience, and job placement.

(iii) Providing students with an integrated educational program that connects academic curricula to applied and experiential learning in the workplace, including, but not limited to, work-based learning programs and models.

(iv) Providing direct support to students, employers, or both, for paid work-based learning, including, but not limited to, apprenticeships, internships, externships, and student-run enterprises to increase employability and employment.

(d) The allocation of funds to a consortium shall be based on a schedule determined by the chancellor’s office and is effective for the four years of each plan cycle. Within the four-year plan cycle, this schedule may be altered to reflect changes in the statewide allocation for the program as appropriated in the annual Budget Act.

(e) The chancellor’s office shall provide to the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst’s Office its recommendations for the allocation of funds available for each consortium no later than August 30 of each year. The department shall approve the allocation plan before the release of funding.

(f) (1) For each four-year plan cycle, the chancellor’s office shall determine the amount of funds to be allocated to each consortium based on the following weighted factors in each region:

(A) The unemployment rate. This factor shall comprise 33 percent of the allocation formula.

(B) The proportion of career technical education full-time equivalent students. This factor shall comprise 33 percent of the allocation formula.

(C) The proportion of projected job openings. This factor shall comprise 17 percent of the allocation formula.

(D) The proportion of successful workforce outcomes as evidenced by the performance accountability measures of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128). This factor shall comprise 17 percent of the allocation formula.

(2) For each four-year plan cycle, the chancellor’s office shall determine the amount of funds to be allocated directly to each community college district within a consortium based on the weighted factors, specified in subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of paragraph (1), in each district within the region.

(g) A consortium shall allocate funds in accordance with its plan and only to community college districts. Decisions governing, or relating to, the distribution of the consortium’s fiscal resources shall be determined exclusively by the community college districts participating in the consortium.

(h) As a condition of receipt of funds under this section, a participating community college district shall comply with all of the following:

(1) Be a member of a consortium.

(2) Participate in regional planning efforts formed pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128) and other efforts that align workforce, employment, and education services.

(3) Work with other consortium members to create and submit a plan to the chancellor’s office by January 31 of every fourth year of a four-year plan cycle.

(4) Provide accessible performance and labor market data that can be used by community college districts and their regional partners to support the implementation of the program and any related efforts to align regional workforce and education programming with regional labor market needs, including, but not limited to, regional planning efforts established pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128).

(5) Include interested public universities and local educational agencies in regional planning.

(6) Certify that the use of funds will meet the intent of the program to accomplish all of the following:

(A) Increase the number of students in quality career technical education courses, programs, and pathways that will achieve successful workforce outcomes.

(B) Increase the number of quality career technical education courses, programs, and pathways that lead to successful workforce outcomes, or invest in new or emerging career technical education courses, programs, and pathways that may become operative in subsequent years and are likely to lead to successful workforce outcomes.

(C) Address recommendations from the Strong Workforce Task Force, including the recommended provision of student services related to career exploration, job readiness and job placement, and work-based learning.

(i) Funds appropriated to community college districts for the program shall supplement, not supplant, existing funding of community college career technical education programs. This subdivision does not prohibit a participating community college district from eliminating or altering existing programs, but the percentage of that community college district’s total full-time equivalent students enrolled in career technical education courses relative to the total full-time equivalent students enrolled in the district shall not be reduced from the percentage computed for the 2015–16 fiscal year.

(j) Programs, courses, or instructional materials developed using funding from the program may be made available to all community college districts, as appropriate, through the online clearinghouse of information created as part of the Institutional Effectiveness Partnership Initiative.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 255, Sec. 2. (AB 323) Effective January 1, 2026.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
(a) This section applies to the Community College component only.

(b) The chancellor’s office shall post on its internet website, for ease of access, all regional plans and their subsequent progress plans, and solicit feedback from each consortium on recommendations they have for overall program improvement.

(c) The chancellor’s office shall implement performance accountability outcome measures for the Community College component of the program that provide the Governor, the Legislature, and the general public with information that quantifies employer and student outcomes for those participating in the program. These performance accountability measures shall, to the extent possible, align with the performance accountability measures of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128). Outcome measures shall include demographic data, disaggregated by race and gender, to allow policymakers and the general public to evaluate progress in closing equity gaps in program access and completion, and earnings of underserved demographic groups.

(d) (1) Commencing in 2018, the chancellor’s office shall submit a report on the Community College component of the program to the Governor and the Legislature on or before the January 1, except as provided in paragraph (2), immediately subsequent to the fiscal year which the report addresses.

(2) Beginning in the 2025–26 fiscal year, the chancellor’s office shall submit the report described in paragraph (1) annually, on or before March 1, to the Governor and the Legislature, and may submit this report with the report required by subdivision (b) of Section 88650.

(3) A report submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(A) Data summarizing outcome accountability performance measures collected by the chancellor’s office pursuant to subdivision (c), disaggregated by race and gender.

(B) A summary of recommendations for program improvement collected by the chancellor’s office pursuant to subdivision (b).

(C) Recommendations for future allocations to consortiums based upon program outcomes, including, at a minimum, the number of certificates granted to, and wage increases of, students who have completed a career technical education program.

(4) A report submitted pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 998, Sec. 29. (AB 176) Effective September 30, 2024.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
(a) (1) Beginning in July 1, 2019, and in each year thereafter, except as provided in paragraph (2), for each community college program that offers certificates or degrees related to allied health professionals, the chancellor shall provide a report to the Legislature, with comparative clinical placement delineated by program and occupation. The report shall include both of the following:

(A) The number of students participating at each clinical training site. This shall include information about proficiency in languages other than English.

(B) The license number of each clinical training site. If the license number is not available, the report shall include the employer identification number of the clinical training site.

(2) Beginning in the 2026–27 fiscal year, the chancellor shall provide the report described in paragraph (1) to the Legislature triennially, on or before December 31, and may submit the report with the report required by paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) of Section 78261.

(b) The collection and reporting of findings pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be implemented over multiple years, and collected by the chancellor’s office as follows:

(1) Beginning in the 2019–20 academic year, the chancellor’s office shall collect from colleges, and report on, the following allied healthcare professional degrees and certificates:

(A) Licensed Vocational Nurse.

(B) Medical Assistant.

(C) Occupational Therapy Aide.

(D) Radiologic Technologist.

(E) Respiratory Care Therapist.

(F) Pharmacy Technician and Technologist.

(G) Surgical Technician and Technologist.

(2) Beginning in the 2020–21 academic year, the chancellor’s office shall collect from colleges, and report on, the following allied healthcare professional degrees and certificates:

(A) Cardiovascular Technologist.

(B) Certified Nurse Assistant.

(C) Dialysis Technician.

(D) Diagnostic Medical Sonographer.

(E) Medical Lab Technician.

(F) Orthopedic Assistant.

(G) Physical Therapy Aide and Assistant.

(H) Psychiatric Technologist.

(I) Radiologic Therapist.

(J) Speech Language Pathology Aide.

(3) Beginning in the 2026–27 academic year, the chancellor’s office shall annually collect from colleges, and report triennially on, all certificates or degrees related to allied health professionals that require clinical training.

(c) Any disclosure under this section shall be in compliance with state and federal privacy laws.

(d) For purposes of this section, “allied health professional” has the same meaning as in Section 295p of Title 42 of the United States Code.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2026, Ch. 79, Sec. 28. (SB 135) Effective July 13, 2026.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION


text:
(a) This section applies to the K–12 component only.

(b) Commencing with the 2018–19 fiscal year, the amount appropriated in the annual Budget Act for the K–12 component of the Strong Workforce Program is provided to create, support, or expand high-quality career technical education programs at the K–12 level that are aligned with the workforce development efforts occurring through the Strong Workforce Program.

(c) (1) Pursuant to subdivision (b), one hundred fifty million dollars ($150,000,000) shall be apportioned by the chancellor’s office to the fiscal agent of each consortium based on the following weighted factors in each region:

(A) The unemployment rate. This factor shall comprise 33 percent of the allocation formula.

(B) The region’s total average daily attendance for pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive. This factor shall comprise 33 percent of the allocation formula. For purposes of this section, average daily attendance shall be those figures that are reported at the time of the second principal apportionment for the previous fiscal year.

(C) The proportion of projected job openings. This factor shall comprise 34 percent of the allocation formula.

(2) Of the amounts apportioned to each consortium pursuant to paragraph (1), 4 percent is designated for applicants with total average daily attendance of less than or equal to 140, 8 percent is designated for applicants with total average daily attendance of more than 140 and less than or equal to 550, and 88 percent is designated for applicants with total average daily attendance of more than 550, unless otherwise determined by the K–12 Selection Committee formed pursuant to Section 88829, in consultation with the consortium. For any applicant consisting of more than one school district, county office of education, charter school, or regional occupational center or program (ROCP) operated by a joint powers authority or county office of education, or any combination of those entities, the sum of the average daily attendance for each of the constituent entities shall be used for purposes of this subdivision.

(3) The chancellor’s office shall provide to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Department of Finance, and the Legislative Analyst’s Office a schedule of proposed allocations, as determined pursuant to paragraph (1), for each consortium no later than August 30 of each year. The Department of Finance shall approve the allocation plan before the release of funding.

(d) Funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act to support consortia administrative costs shall be apportioned by the chancellor’s office in an amount equal to 1 percent of each consortium’s K–12 allocation pursuant to this section to support the costs to administer the regional grant process and to support the duties of the K–12 Selection Committee.

history: (History: Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 51, Sec. 59. (SB 75) Effective July 1, 2019.)

title: 3. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION