Pupil instruction: California Serves Program.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on whether all local educational agencies will participate or only those with a high percentage of unduplicated pupils.

California Serves Program Expansion

AB-2354 expands the California Serves Program to include students in grades 6 through 12 and requires the State Department of Education and CaliforniaVolunteers to review evidence on effective service learning for these grades.

What This Bill Does

• Expands the California Serves Program to cover pupils from grade 6 to grade 12, not just grade 12 students.
• Requires the State Department of Education and CaliforniaVolunteers to study ways to include effective service learning in schools for grades 6 through 12.
• Makes an appropriation by expanding the purposes of ongoing appropriations to promote access to effective service learning for pupils in grades 6 to 12.

Who It Names or Affects

• Students in grades 6 through 12 who are enrolled at participating local educational agencies.
• Local educational agencies with a high percentage of unduplicated pupils (students from low-income families).

Terms To Know

unduplicated pupils

Students who come from low-income families and receive additional support or services.

service learning

A type of education where students learn by doing community service projects.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how the expanded program will be funded beyond existing grants.
• It is unclear if all local educational agencies will participate in this expansion or only those with a high percentage of unduplicated pupils.

Official Summary Text

AB 2354, as amended, Gabriel.
Education.
Pupil instruction: California Serves Program.
Existing law establishes the California Serves Program under the administration of the State Department of Education, in collaboration with CaliforniaVolunteers, for purposes of promoting access to effective service learning for pupils in grade 12 who are enrolled at participating local educational agencies. Existing law requires the department, in partnership with CaliforniaVolunteers, to review available evidence on ways to incorporate effective service learning for pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, and provide recommendations to the Legislature on, and post on the department’s and CaliforniaVolunteers’ internet websites information related to, evidence-based strategies to expand access to high-quality service learning programs, as provided. Existing law, commencing with the 2022–23 fiscal year,
appropriates $5,000,000 from the General Fund, each fiscal year, to the department to award grants of up to $500,000 annually to local educational agencies in which at least 55% of enrolled pupils are unduplicated pupils, as defined, to be used for, among other things, the purchase of instructional materials and participation and personnel costs, as provided.
This bill would expand the California Serves Program to promote access to effective service learning for pupils in grades 6 to 12, inclusive, who are enrolled at participating local educational agencies. By expanding the purposes of ongoing appropriations, the bill would make an appropriation. The bill would require the department, in partnership with CaliforniaVolunteers, on or before January 1, 2028, to (1) review available evidence on ways to incorporate effective service learning for pupils in grades 6 to 12, inclusive, and (2) provide recommendations to the Legislature on, and post on the department’s and
CaliforniaVolunteers’ internet website information related to, evidence-based strategies to expand access to high-quality service learning programs for grades 6 to 12, inclusive, as provided.
Existing law establishes the Education Code, which addresses, among other subjects, elementary and secondary education, postsecondary education, and adult education.
This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to the provision naming that code.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF