Where’s the Money?

The legislature is in the habit of recommending what UC should be doing, but not offering to pay for it. Below is a recent example which yours truly became aware of from an article in the “educated guess” blog today (excerpt):

(Darrell) Steinberg, the Senate president pro tem, is the author of SB 611, which would write into law the mission of a new UC institute charged with overseeing the design of career tech courses satisfying the entrance requirements to UC and the California State University system. It’s in a package of three Steinberg bills that would significantly reshape K-12 education. SB 612 reauthorizing collaborative projects between UC educators and K-12 teachers, is partly a companion to SB 611 and would provide teacher training for the new courses that the Institute would establish. SB 547, …would add new performance measures to the Academic Performance Index (API), while sharply deemphasizing standardized test scores in a handful of subjects.

Full article at http://toped.svefoundation.org/2011/04/28/new-uc-role-grow-career-tech/

Below is the intro to the bill itself:

BILL NUMBER: SB 611 INTRODUCED

BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Steinberg

FEBRUARY 17, 2011

An act to add Section 66205.6 to the Education Code, relating to instructional strategies.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 611, as introduced, Steinberg. Public postsecondary education: the University of California.

Existing law, the Donahoe Higher Education Act, sets forth the missions and functions of California’s public and independent segments of higher education, and their respective institutions of higher education. Provisions of the act apply to the University of California only to the extent that the Regents of the University of California, by appropriate resolution, act to make a provision applicable. Existing law also requires the California State University, and requests the University of California, to establish model uniform academic standards, develop and implement a speedy process whereby high schools may obtain approval of their courses as satisfying specified admissions requirements, and develop a simple procedure to evaluate career technical education courses, as specified.

This bill would request the Regents of the University of California, subject to availability of funds in the annual Budget Act, the availability of federal or private funds, or any combination thereof, to establish and maintain the University of California Curriculum Integration Institute (UCCII) to be administered by the President of the University of California.

The UCCII would facilitate statewide collaboration and innovation in providing pupils with course content and experience within priority industry sectors among those identified in the California Career Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards as adopted by the State Board of Education. The UCCII would also develop, disseminate, and promote career-oriented, integrated academic and technical education courses that meet course requirements for admission to the University of California and the California State University, and align with high-priority industry sectors among those identified in the California Career Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards as adopted by the state board.

The President of the University of California, in consultation with appropriate state entities, industry leaders, representatives of organized labor, educators, and other parties, would determine the priority among the industry sectors.

The bill would make legislative declarations and findings.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.

State-mandated local program: no.

The full text of the bill is at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/11-12/bill/sen/sb_0601-0650/sb_611_bill_20110217_introduced.html

Actually, Yudof did talk to the legislature about this but unfortunately not all the audio came through: