99300-99301
EDUCATION CODE
SECTION 99300-99301
99300. (a) The Legislature finds and declares that in 2004, the California State University (CSU) established the Early Assessment Program (EAP), a collaborative effort among the State Board of Education, the State Department of Education, and CSU, to enable pupils to learn about their readiness for college-level English and mathematics before their senior year of high school. It is the intent of the Legislature that the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the office of the Chancellor of the California State University, the State Board of Education, and the State Department of Education work together to modify the existing EAP to expand it to include the California Community Colleges (CCC) so that, beginning in the 2009-10 school year, high school juniors who are considering attending either system can take the EAP and receive information in the summer before their senior year concerning their preparation for college-level work at both CSU and CCC. (b) It is also the intent of the Legislature that the existing EAP student notification system, as currently operated by agreement between CSU and the State Department of Education, be modified to do both of the following: (1) Reassure pupils that they are eligible to attend a community college and that taking the EAP test has no bearing on their eligibility to attend a community college. (2) Inform pupils of their readiness for college-level coursework in English or mathematics, or both, and recommend the next appropriate steps as they pertain to achieving success at a community college, similar to how CSU communicates with pupils who take the EAP test and are prospective CSU students. (c) It is also the intent of the Legislature that the EAP be modified to include all of the following requirements: (1) That the participating community college districts utilize the existing EAP secure data repository and clearinghouse for test score distribution of the California Standards Test (CST) and the augmented CST, as referenced in Section 60641. (2) That the modified EAP not affect the statutory reporting requirements of the STAR Program, or increase the costs of either the STAR Program or the State Department of Education. (3) That the modified EAP be titled the "Early Assessment Program." 99301. (a) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) of Section 78213, the individual results of the California Standards Test (CST) and the augmented CST, as referenced in Section 60641, in addition to any other purposes may be used by community college districts to provide diagnostic advice to, or for the placement of, prospective community college students participating in the EAP. (b) (1) As authorized pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 60641, the individual results of the CST and the augmented CST, as referenced in Section 60641, shall be provided to the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges. (2) The office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall coordinate with community college districts that choose to voluntarily participate in the EAP as follows, and, to the extent possible, shall accomplish all of the following activities using existing resources: (A) Encourage community college districts to choose to voluntarily participate in the EAP and notify them of the requirements of subdivision (c), including the requirements that the standards utilized by CSU to assess readiness for college-level English and mathematics courses, as expressed in the CST as augmented by CSU, shall also be used for the purposes of the EAP. (B) Coordinate the progress of the program, provide technical assistance to participating community college districts pursuant to subdivision (c) as needed, identify additional reporting and program criteria as needed, and provide a report to the Legislature and Governor on or before February 15, 2015, on the implementation and results of the EAP for community college students. (C) Provide access to the individual test results of the CST and the augmented CST, as referenced in Section 60641, to participating community college districts. (c) For those community college districts that choose to work directly with high school pupils within their respective district boundaries who took the augmented CST, as referenced in Section 60641, and choose to offer assistance to these pupils in strengthening their college readiness skills, all of the following provisions apply: (1) The individual results of the CST and the augmented CST, as referenced in Section 60641, shall be released by the office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, as authorized pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 60641, to participating community college districts upon their request for this information and may be used to provide diagnostic advice to prospective community college students participating in the EAP. (2) Pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (b), the same standards utilized by CSU to assess readiness shall also be used for purposes of this section. (3) The augmented CST as referenced in Section 60641, and currently utilized by CSU for purposes of early assessment, shall be used to assess the college readiness of pupils in the EAP. (4) Participating community college districts are encouraged to consult with the Academic Senate for the California Community Colleges to work toward sequencing their precollegiate level courses and transfer-level courses in English and mathematics to the elementary and secondary education academic content standards adopted pursuant to Section 60605. (5) Participating community college districts shall identify an EAP coordinator and shall coordinate with CSU campuses and schools offering instruction in kindergarten and any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, in their respective district boundaries on EAP-related activities that assist pupils in making decisions that increase their college readiness skills and likelihood of pursuing a postsecondary education. (6) In order to provide high school pupils with an indicator of their college readiness, a community college district participating in the EAP shall use individual test results provided to that college pursuant to paragraph (1) of, and subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) of, subdivision (b) to provide diagnostic advice to prospective community college students participating in the EAP. (7) The individual results of the augmented CST, as referenced in Section 60641 for purposes of the EAP, shall not be used by a community college as a criterion for admission. (8) Participating community college districts shall utilize the existing infrastructure of academic opportunities, as developed by CSU, to provide additional preparation in grade 12 for prospective community college students participating in the EAP. (d) Both of the following provisions apply to CSU: (1) The individual results of the CST and the augmented CST, as referenced in Section 60641, as authorized pursuant to subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 60641, shall be released to, and in addition to any other purposes may be used by, CSU to provide diagnostic advice to, or for the placement of prospective CSU students participating in the EAP. (2) The individual results of the augmented CST, as referenced in Section 60641 for purposes of the EAP, shall not be used by CSU as a criterion for admission.