AB 1923 – Requires The Superintendent Of Public Instruction To Prioritize Plans For California Partnership Academies Based On Specified Pupil Groups

Existing law establishes the California Partnership Academies to promote state-school-private sector partnerships combining academic and vocational training to high school pupils who present a high risk of dropping out of school and motivating them to stay in school and graduate. Under existing law, the Superintendent of Public Instruction issues grants to school districts, to plan, establish, and maintain these academies. Existing law requires the Superintendent to establish eligibility criteria for school districts that apply for these grants.

This bill amends existing law by expressly including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs as part of the California Partnership Academies.

The bill also establishes criteria that the Superintendent of Public Instruction must use in prioritizing proposals for new partnership academics. When prioritizing proposals, the Superintendent must consider the school district’s enrollment of the following pupil groups:

• Unduplicated pupils.
• Pupils from groups historically underrepresented in career technical education or STEM programs or professions.
• At-promise pupils.
• New partnership academies for school districts located in a rural area or an economically disadvantaged area.

(AB 1923 amends Sections 54690, 54692, and 54693 of the Education Code.)