52240-52244
EDUCATION CODE
SECTION 52240-52244
52240. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following: (1) Advanced placement courses, for which school credit is awarded, provide rigorous academic coursework opportunities for high school pupils and help to improve the overall curriculum at schools where they are provided. (2) The successful completion of advanced placement courses and subsequent advanced placement examinations, which are conducted by the College Entrance Examination Board and for which college credit is awarded, provide a cost-effective means for high school pupils to obtain college-level coursework experience. (3) To the extent that economically disadvantaged pupils are provided financial assistance to take advanced placement examinations, they will be provided with successful college-level experience and be encouraged to pursue postsecondary education opportunities. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature, therefore, that certain state funding that currently is provided to school districts be made available to provide financial assistance to economically disadvantaged pupils in the payment of advanced placement examination fees. It is further the intent of the Legislature that a competitive grant program also be established for the purpose of awarding grants to economically disadvantaged pupils to cover the costs of advanced placement examination fees, thereby creating a second source of financial assistance for economically disadvantaged pupils taking advanced placement examinations. 52241. For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings: (a) "Advanced placement examinations" means the advanced placement examinations conducted by the College Entrance Examination Board, on the basis of which participating institutions of postsecondary education award postsecondary academic credit. (b) "Economically disadvantaged pupil" means a high school pupil who is any one of the following: (1) A pupil who comes from a low-income household. As used in this chapter, "low-income" refers to a household the taxable income of which for the preceding tax year did not exceed 200 percent of an amount equal to the poverty level determined by using the criteria of poverty established by the Census Bureau of the United States Department of Commerce. Documentation of a pupil's low-income status for the purposes of this subdivision shall be made in accordance with the following: (A) In the case of a pupil who is 17 years of age or younger or who is a dependent within the meaning of the federal Internal Revenue Code, a signed financial need statement shall be submitted by the pupil's parent or legal guardian, along with verification of this financial need from another governmental entity or a photocopy of the most recent federal income tax return filed by the pupil's parent or legal guardian. (B) In the case of a pupil who is 18 years of age or older or who is not a dependent within the meaning of the federal Internal Revenue Code, a signed financial need statement shall be submitted by the pupil, along with verification of this financial need from another governmental entity or a photocopy of the most recent federal income tax return filed by the pupil. (2) A pupil who is eligible for federal free or reduced meal programs. (3) A pupil who attends a school where at least 75 percent of all pupils enrolled are eligible for federal free or reduced meal programs. 52242. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a school district receiving funds pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 54000) of Part 29 may expend any portion of those funds to pay for all or part of the costs of one or more advanced placement examinations that are charged to economically disadvantaged pupils. 52243. No later than January 1, 2004, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall submit a report to the Legislature describing the effectiveness of the pilot grant program established pursuant to Section 52244. The report shall include specific recommendations to continue, discontinue, modify, or expand the program. The report shall include information on at least all of the following: (a) The total number of pupils participating in advanced placement examinations, separately identifying the number of economically disadvantaged pupils, and any increases in those numbers as a result of the funding made available pursuant to Section 52244. (b) The performance and pass rates on advanced placement examinations on the part of economically disadvantaged pupils, including any increase in those rates. (c) The number of pupils receiving financial assistance pursuant to Section 52244 for advanced placement examination fees. (d) The number of economically disadvantaged pupils in advance placement programs who enroll in higher education institutions, separated by institutional segment. (e) The number of economically disadvantaged pupils who have passed an advanced placement examination with a score of 3 or better in any subject and have taken an advanced placement course in that subject. 52244. (a) There is hereby established a grant program for the purpose of awarding grants to cover the costs of advanced placement fees or International Baccalaureate examination fees, or both, for eligible economically disadvantaged high school pupils. The department shall administer this program. (b) An "eligible economically disadvantaged high school pupil" means a pupil who is either from a family whose annual household income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a pupil who is eligible for a federal free or reduced-price meal program. (c) A school district may apply to the department for grant funding pursuant to this section, based on the number of economically disadvantaged pupils in the district enrolled in advanced placement courses who will take the next offered advanced placement examinations. A school district that applies to the department for this purpose shall designate school district staff to whom pupils may submit applications for grants and shall institute a plan to notify pupils of the availability of financial assistance pursuant to this section. Grants shall be expended only to pay the fees required of eligible economically disadvantaged high school pupils to take an advanced placement or International Baccalaureate examination, or both. (d) An eligible economically disadvantaged high school pupil who is enrolled in an advanced placement or International Baccalaureate course, or both, may apply to the designated school district staff for a grant pursuant to this section. A pupil who receives a grant shall pay five dollars ($5) of the examination fee. (e) School districts and county superintendents of schools may join together and form collaboratives or consortia in order to participate in the grant program established by this section. (f) Grants provided pursuant to this section may not be used to supplant fee waivers available to low-income pupils who take advanced placement or International Baccalaureate examinations. (g) If the total school district applications exceed the total funds available pursuant to this section, the department shall prorate the grants based upon the ratio of the total amount requested to the total amount budgeted by the state for this purpose. Funding priority shall be given to advanced placement examination fees if there is insufficient funding allocated for the grant program in a given fiscal year. (h) To facilitate program administration and school district reimbursement, the department may enter into a contract with the provider of advanced placement or International Baccalaureate examinations. For purposes of the contract authorized pursuant to this subdivision, the department is exempt from the requirements of Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public Contract Code and from the requirements of Article 6 (commencing with Section 999) of Chapter 6 of Division 4 of the Military and Veterans Code. (i) The department shall make every effort to obtain and allocate federal funding for the purposes of this program prior to expending any state funds. All state and federal funds obtained by the department for the purposes of this program shall be expended for these purposes only and are prohibited from being used to fund any other program.(j) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2013, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2013, deletes or extends that date.