Public postsecondary education: admissions standards and criteria.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill does not provide specific consequences or rewards for compliance, leaving room for interpretation on enforcement.

Public College Admissions: Standards and Criteria

This law requests California's universities to align their admission requirements with state education standards and encourages them to consult the State Board of Education before making changes.

What This Bill Does

• Requests that the University of California align its high school course certification criteria with the content standards, frameworks, and model curriculum adopted by the State Board of Education for the applicable subject area.
• Encourages both the University of California and the California State University to consult with the State Board of Education before adopting or changing undergraduate admission requirements.
• Encourages faculty from these universities to consult with the state board and Instructional Quality Commission when developing model academic standards for high school courses.
• Requires the California State University, and requests the University of California, to develop a process by 2028 where local schools can submit their courses annually for review and certification.

Who It Names or Affects

• The University of California
• The California State University
• Local educational agencies in California

Terms To Know

State Board of Education

A state agency that sets education standards and policies for K-12 schools.

Instructional Quality Commission

An advisory body to the State Board of Education that helps develop curriculum frameworks and instructional materials.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if universities do not follow these requests.
• It is unclear how this will affect students who are already enrolled in high school courses before the new process starts in 2028.
• There are no penalties or rewards mentioned for compliance with the requirements set by the bill.

Official Summary Text

AB 1217, as amended, Fong.
Public postsecondary education: admissions standards and criteria.
Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as 2 segments of public postsecondary education in the state.
Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to assist all school districts to ensure that all public high school pupils have access to a core curriculum that meets the admission requirements of the University of California and the California State University. Existing law requests the University of California to assist school districts in developing, submitting, and maintaining courses certified by the University of California as meeting admission requirement criteria, as provided.
This bill would request the University of California to align the admission requirement criteria used in the review and certification of high school courses with the content standards, frameworks, and model curriculum adopted by the State Board of Education for the applicable subject area, as provided.
Existing law states legislative intent for the University of California and California State University governing boards, in determining the standards and criteria for undergraduate and graduate admissions, to develop processes that strive to be fair and easily understandable, consider using criteria allowing eligible students with uncontrollable course deficiencies to enroll, and consult broadly with California’s diverse communities, as provided.
This bill would state legislative intent for those governing boards, in determining the standards and criteria for undergraduate admissions, to
develop the standards and criteria based on the content standards, frameworks, and model curriculum adopted by the state board for the applicable subject area and to consult with the state board before adopting or changing the standards and criteria for undergraduate admission.
Existing law requires the California State University, and requests the University of California, to establish a model uniform set of academic standards for high school courses for admission recognition and to develop and implement, by January 1, 2006, a process for high schools to obtain approval of courses meeting California State University and University of California admissions requirements, as provided. Existing law authorizes the faculty of the postsecondary segments to consult with elementary and secondary administrators and faculty when developing the model academic standards.
This bill instead would encourage faculty of the postsecondary
segments to (1) consult with the state board
and the Instructional Quality Commission
in developing the model academic standards, and (2) strive to align the standards with the content standards, frameworks, and model curriculum adopted by the state board for the applicable subject area, as specified. The bill would require the California State University, and request the University of California, to develop and implement, on or before January 1, 2028, a revised process for local educational agencies to annually submit courses for review and certification as a course that satisfies the model academic standards, as specified.

Current Bill Text

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