AB 1217: Public postsecondary education: admissions standards and criteria.

66204.

(a) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall 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. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall advise school districts that maintain high schools about the importance of making readily available to each high school pupil the current list of courses offered by the school attended by that pupil that are certified by the University of California as meeting admissions requirements. It is the intent of the Legislature that each public high school shall provide the full precollegiate program, provide adequate course sections in precollegiate programs to accommodate all its pupils, and regularly counsel pupils to enter those programs and courses. There shall be no policy or practice in any public elementary or secondary school of directing, especially for cultural or linguistic reasons, any pupil in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, away from choosing programs that prepare that pupil academically for college.

(b) The University of California is requested to assist each school district that maintains a high school in order to ensure all of the following:

(1) School districts understand the process by which courses are submitted to the University of California to be reviewed and certified as meeting admission requirement criteria.

(2) School districts have an internal process for developing courses and submitting courses for review and certification by the University of California in order to meet admission requirement criteria.

(3) School districts maintain accurate lists of courses that are currently offered by the high schools and are certified by the University of California as meeting admission requirement criteria.

(4) Updated lists described in paragraph (3) are readily made available by the school districts to each high school pupil and a copy of that list is annually provided to each high school pupil.

(c) The University of California is requested to align the admission requirement criteria used in the review and certification of high school courses pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b) with the content standards, frameworks, and model curriculum adopted by the state board for the applicable subject area.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the public and independent institutions of higher education participate in programs that assist those in elementary and secondary education in meeting their responsibilities in preparing students for college.

66205.

(a) (1) In determining the standards and criteria for undergraduate admissions to the University of California and the California State University, it is the intent of the Legislature that the governing boards do all of the following:

(A) Develop the standards and criteria based on the content standards, frameworks, and model curriculum adopted by the state board for the applicable subject area.

(B) Develop processes that strive to be fair and are easily understandable.

(C) Consider the use of criteria and procedures that allow students to enroll who are otherwise fully eligible and admissible but have course deficiencies due to circumstances beyond their control, and, when appropriate, provide that the admission requires the student to make up the deficiency.

(D) Consult with the state board before adopting or changing the standards and criteria for admission and broadly consult with California’s diverse ethnic and cultural communities.

(2) In determining the standards and criteria for graduate admissions to the University of California and the California State University, it is the intent of the Legislature that the governing boards do all of the following:

(A) Develop processes that strive to be fair and are easily understandable.

(B) Consider the use of criteria and procedures that allow students to enroll who are otherwise fully eligible and admissible, but have course deficiencies due to circumstances beyond their control, and, when appropriate, provide that the admission requires the student to make up the deficiency.

(C) Consult broadly with California’s diverse ethnic and cultural communities.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the University of California and the California State University, pursuant to Section 66201.5, seek to enroll a student body that meets high academic standards and reflects the cultural, racial, geographic, economic, and social diversity of California.

66205.5.

(a) The California State University shall, and the University of California is requested to, do all of the following:

(1) Establish a model uniform set of academic standards for high school courses, including career technical education courses pursuant to subdivision (i) of Section 51220, for the purposes of recognition for admission to the California State University and to the University of California, respectively. In developing the model academic standards, the faculty of the postsecondary segments are strongly encouraged to work in consultation with the state board and the Instructional Quality Commission and strive to align the model academic standards with the content standards, frameworks, and model curriculum adopted by the state board for the applicable subject areas.

(2) On or before January 1, 2028, develop and implement a speedy process whereby local educational agencies may annually submit their courses to the approving entity as satisfying the model academic standards established pursuant to subdivision (a). The approving entity shall, by February 1 of each year, notify local educational agencies whether certification for their submitted courses has been approved or denied. If certification has been denied, the approving entity shall provide a reason for the denial and suggest ways the local educational agency can obtain future approval.

(3) Develop a simple procedure to evaluate a career technical education course submitted by a high school that identifies it as a duplicate of a course offered by another high school that is approved by and satisfies the admissions criteria of the California State University or the University of California. The procedure shall ensure that a duplicated course shall be approved as satisfying the admissions criteria of the California State University or the University of California, respectively, to the same extent as the original course if the review determines that the course successfully duplicates the content and requirements of the original course. If a course is not approved as a duplicate, the California State University or the University of California shall inform the applicant high school of the reasons why the course was not approved and shall provide the applicant with a specific list of requirements that the course must meet in order to be approved as a duplicate. In the event an applicant high school, whose course was not approved as a duplicate, revises the course and resubmits its application, the California State University or the University of California shall respond as expeditiously as possible so that if the course meets the necessary requirements for approval it may be offered in the next fall term.

(4) Take into consideration any previous work completed or policies adopted regarding matters related to subdivisions (a) to (c), inclusive, by the California State University or the University of California, respectively.

(5) Develop guidelines for high school computer science courses that may be approved for the purposes of recognition for admission, as provided in subdivision (a). For computer science courses determined to satisfy mathematics subject area requirements, the University of California is encouraged to ensure that these courses build upon fundamental mathematics content provided in courses that satisfy the requirements of subdivision (f).

(b) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school serving pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive.