Pupil instruction: high schools: computer science courses: California Computer Science Demonstration Grant Program: reporting.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the exact nature of the working group's role beyond including relevant stakeholders.

California Computer Science Grant Program

This bill establishes the California Computer Science Demonstration Project Grant Program to increase access to computer science courses in public high schools that do not currently offer such courses, with a focus on underrepresented students.

What This Bill Does

• Establishes the California Computer Science Demonstration Project Grant Program to help public high schools without existing computer science courses start or expand these programs.
• Creates a working group including experts from nonprofit organizations and private industry to assist in running the grant program.
• Requires funding for the program to come from donations, grants, gifts, and in-kind donations.
• Repeals the grant program after January 1, 2029.
• Requires yearly reports on the effectiveness of the grant program.

Who It Names or Affects

• Public high schools that do not currently offer computer science courses can apply for grants to start or expand these programs.
• Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals and those underrepresented in computer science will have more access to these classes.

Terms To Know

California Computer Science Coordinator

A position within the State Department of Education that helps with statewide coordination on computer science education.

Grant Program

A program funded by donations and grants to support specific educational initiatives, in this case, increasing access to computer science courses.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how much funding will be available for the grant program.
• It is unclear which schools will receive grants as it depends on applications and selection by the working group.
• After January 1, 2029, the grant program will no longer exist.

Official Summary Text

AB 887, as amended, Berman.
Pupil instruction: high schools: computer science courses: California Computer Science Demonstration
Project:
Grant Program:
reporting.
Existing law creates the California Computer Science Coordinator as a position within the State Department of Education to provide statewide coordination in, among other things, implementing the computer science content standards and leading the implementation of the Computer Science Strategic Implementation Plan, as provided.
This bill would establish the California Computer Science Demonstration
Project
Grant Program
for specified purposes, including increasing the number of public high schools offering a computer science course to increase pupil access to computer science education and increasing the computer science course access of pupils eligible
for free or reduced-priced meals and pupils that are underrepresented in the field of computer science. The bill would also establish the California Computer Science Demonstration
Project
Grant Program
Working Group that includes
the coordinator and
nonprofit organizations and private industry stakeholders with relevant expertise and experience in computer science education.
The bill would authorize the coordinator to engage with the working group, as provided.
The bill would authorize
only
public high schools that do not
offer computer science courses to
be eligible to
voluntarily participate in the
demonstration project.
grant program.
The bill would require the funding entity or funding entities, as defined, to administer the
demonstration project.
grant program.
If there are multiple funding entities, the bill, among other things, would require each funding entity to determine how the funds that it contributes to the
demonstration project
grant program
will be spent, provided that expenditure aligns with the
demonstration project’s
grant program’s
purposes, and require the funding entities to coordinate implementation of the
demonstration project.
grant program.
The bill would require the funding entities, in coordination with the working group, to select the public high schools to participate in the
demonstration project,
grant program,
as provided. The bill would require the
demonstration project
grant program
to be funded through
contributions, gifts, grants, in-kind donations, and donations from the funding entity or funding entities, and would specify the allowable uses of those funds.
The bill would require the funding entity or funding entities, in coordination with the working group, to evaluate the effectiveness of the
demonstration project
grant program
and submit an interim report to certain legislative committees on or before
July
August
1, 2027, and a final report on or before
April
July
1, 2028, as specified. The bill would
separately
repeal the grant program’s provisions as of January 1, 2029.
The bill would separately
require the department, on or before June 30, 2028, and annually thereafter, to publicly post specified computer science course-related data on its internet website, as specified.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF