An act
relating to public elementary and secondary education.
to amend Section 51225.3 of the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.
Section 51225.3 of the Education Code, as amended by Section 1 of Chapter 888 of the Statutes of 2014, is amended to read:
51225.3.
(a) A pupil shall complete all of the following while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school:
(1) At least the following numbers of courses in the subjects specified, each course having a duration of one year, unless otherwise specified:
(A) Three courses in English.
(B) Two courses in mathematics. If the governing board of a school district requires more than two courses in mathematics for graduation, the governing board of the school district may award a pupil up to one mathematics course credit pursuant to Section 51225.35.
(C) Two courses in science, including biological and physical sciences.
(D) Three courses in social studies, including United States history and geography; world history, culture, and geography; a one-semester course in American government and civics; and a one-semester course in economics.
(E) One course in visual or performing arts, foreign language, or, commencing with the 2012–13 school year, career technical education.
(i) For purposes of satisfying the requirement specified in this subparagraph, a course in American Sign Language shall be deemed a course in foreign language.
(ii) For purposes of this subparagraph, “a course in career technical education” means a course in a district-operated career technical education program that is aligned to the career technical model curriculum standards and framework adopted by the state board, including courses through a regional occupational center or program operated by a county superintendent of schools or pursuant to a joint powers agreement.
(iii) This subparagraph does not require a school or school district that currently does not offer career technical education courses to start new career technical education programs for purposes of this section.
(iv) If a school district or county office of education elects to allow a career technical education course to satisfy the requirement imposed by this subparagraph, the governing board of the school district or county office of education, before offering that alternative to pupils, shall notify parents, teachers, pupils, and the public at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing board of all of the following:
(I) The intent to offer career technical education courses to fulfill the graduation requirement specified in this subparagraph.
(II) The impact that offering career technical education courses, pursuant to this subparagraph, will have on the availability of courses that meet the eligibility requirements for admission to the California State University and the University of California, and whether the career technical education courses to be offered pursuant to this subparagraph are approved to satisfy those eligibility requirements. If a school district elects to allow a career technical education course to satisfy the requirement imposed by this subparagraph, the school district shall comply with subdivision (m) of Section 48980.
(III) The distinction, if any, between the high school graduation requirements of the school district or county office of education, and the eligibility requirements for admission to the California State University and the University of California.
(F) Two courses in physical education, unless the pupil has been exempted pursuant to the provisions of this code.
(2) Other coursework requirements adopted by the governing board of the school district.
(b)
(1)
The governing
board,
board of a school district,
with the active involvement of parents, administrators, teachers, and pupils, shall adopt alternative means for pupils to complete the prescribed course of study that may include practical demonstration of skills and competencies, supervised work experience or other outside school experience, career technical education classes offered in high schools, courses offered by regional occupational centers or programs, interdisciplinary study, independent study, and credit earned at a postsecondary educational institution. Requirements for graduation and specified alternative modes for completing the prescribed course of study shall be made available to pupils, parents, and the public.
(2) The alternative means may also include, but are not required to include, online advanced placement courses that are approved by the College Board. A school district may contract with a provider of the approved online advanced placement courses to provide the courses free of charge to its pupils.
(c) On or before July 1, 2017, the department shall submit a comprehensive report to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature on the addition of career technical education courses to satisfy the requirement specified in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), including, but not limited to, the following information:
(1) A comparison of the pupil enrollment in career technical education courses, foreign language courses, and visual and performing arts courses for the 2005–06 to 2011–12 school years, inclusive, to the pupil enrollment in career technical education courses, foreign language courses, and visual and performing arts courses for the 2012–13 to 2016–17 school years, inclusive.
(2) The reasons, reported by school districts, that pupils give for choosing to enroll in a career technical education course to satisfy the requirement specified in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).
(3) The type and number of career technical education courses that were conducted for the 2005–06 to 2011–12 school years, inclusive, compared to the type and number of career technical education courses that were conducted for the 2012–13 to 2016–17 school years, inclusive.
(4) The number of career technical education courses that satisfied the subject matter requirements for admission to the University of California or the California State University.
(5) The extent to which the career technical education courses chosen by pupils are aligned with the California Career Technical Education Standards, and prepare pupils for employment, advanced training, and postsecondary education.
(6) The number of career technical education courses that also satisfy the visual and performing arts requirement, and the number of career technical education courses that also satisfy the foreign language requirement.
(7) Annual pupil dropout and graduation rates for the 2011–12 to 2014–15 school years, inclusive.
(d) For purposes of completing the report described in subdivision (c), the Superintendent may use existing state resources and federal funds. If state or federal funds are not available or sufficient, the Superintendent may apply for and accept grants, and receive donations and other financial support from public or private sources for purposes of this section.
(e) For purposes of completing the report described in subdivision (c), the Superintendent may accept support, including, but not limited to, financial and technical support, from high school reform advocates, teachers, chamber organizations, industry representatives, research centers, parents, and pupils.
(f) This section shall become inoperative on the earlier of the following two dates:
(1) On July 1, immediately following the first fiscal year after the enactment of the act that adds this paragraph in which the number of career technical education courses that, as determined by the department, satisfy the foreign language requirement for admission to the California State University and the University of California is at least twice the number of career technical education courses that meet these admission requirements as of January 1, 2012. This section shall be repealed on the following January 1, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before that date, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed. It is the intent of the Legislature that new career technical education courses that satisfy the foreign language requirement for admission to the California State University and the University of California focus on world languages aligned with career preparation, emphasizing real-world application and technical content in related career and technical education courses.
(2) On July 1, 2017, and, as of January 1, 2018, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2018, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.
SEC. 2.
Section 51225.3 of the Education Code, as amended by Section 2 of Chapter 888 of the Statutes of 2014, is amended to read:
51225.3.
(a) A pupil shall complete all of the following while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school:
(1) At least the following numbers of courses in the subjects specified, each course having a duration of one year, unless otherwise specified:
(A) Three courses in English.
(B) Two courses in mathematics. If the governing board of a school district requires more than two courses in mathematics for graduation, the governing board of the school district may award a pupil up to one mathematics course credit pursuant to Section 51225.35.
(C) Two courses in science, including biological and physical sciences.
(D) Three courses in social studies, including United States history and geography; world history, culture, and geography; a one-semester course in American government and civics; and a one-semester course in economics.
(E) One course in visual or performing arts or foreign language. For purposes of satisfying the requirement specified in this subparagraph, a course in American Sign Language shall be deemed a course in foreign language.
(F) Two courses in physical education, unless the pupil has been exempted pursuant to the provisions of this code.
(2) Other coursework requirements adopted by the governing board of the school district.
(b)
(1)
The governing
board,
board of a school district,
with the active involvement of parents, administrators, teachers, and pupils, shall adopt alternative means for pupils to complete the prescribed course of study that may include practical demonstration of skills and competencies, supervised work experience or other outside school experience, career technical education classes offered in high schools, courses offered by regional occupational centers or programs, interdisciplinary study, independent study, and credit earned at a postsecondary educational institution. Requirements for graduation and specified alternative modes for completing the prescribed course of study shall be made available to pupils, parents, and the public.
(2) The alternative means may also include, but are not required to include, online advanced placement courses that are approved by the College Board. A school district may contract with a provider of the approved online advanced placement courses to provide the courses free of charge to its pupils.
(c) If a pupil completed a career technical education course that met the requirements of subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 51225.3, as amended by the act adding this section, before the inoperative date of that section, that course shall be deemed to fulfill the requirements of subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of this section.
(d) This section shall become operative upon the date that Section 51225.3, as amended by the act adding this section, becomes inoperative.
SECTION 1.
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to public elementary and secondary education in this state.

Summary: Existing law sets forth the courses a pupil is required to complete while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. The governing board of a school district is required to adopt alternative means for pupils to complete the prescribed course of study for high school graduation. Those alternative means may include, among other things, career technical education classes offered in high schools and courses offered by regional occupational centers or programs.
This bill would authorize those alternative means to include online advanced placement courses that are approved by the College Board. The bill would also authorize a school district to contract with a provider of the approved online advanced placement courses to provide the courses free of charge to its pupils.
Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary education in this state. Under this system, local educational agencies are authorized to operate public schools and provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation relating to public elementary and secondary education in this state.