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NEWS
May 2012 Update

Senate Education Committee gives full support to Student Success Task Force legislation

Former City College of San Francisco student and current California State University, Sacramento student, Victoria Conlu speaks about the Student Success Act of 2012.

The Senate Education Committee voted 9-0 on April 18 in favor of legislation by Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) that would enact key portions of the Student Success Task Force recommendations. The Student Success Act of 2012 (SB 1456) would direct critical support services to students beginning their community college educational experience to increase their prospects for success. Amendments to the legislation include the removal of a unit cap for board of governors fee waiver eligibility. "While many students are getting through the door at our community colleges, many fail to get across the finish line. Fifty-four percent of all community college students fail to earn a certificate, associate degree or transfer," Lowenthal said. "... SB 1456 is an important first step in realigning our community college system to the goals of student success and achievement."
The bill would:
  • require that student success and support categorical funding be used to have students participate in a diagnostic assessment to ensure placement in the appropriate courses, receive an orientation and develop an education plan to guide them toward completion of their education program
  • require colleges to post a "student success score card" on their campus web sites as a condition for receiving student success and support funds
  • require colleges to use a system-wide online common assessment on their campuses once it is made available
  • create incentives for students to identify their educational goals, take and pass the courses needed to complete a program and make academic progress in order to continue to receive a fee waiver

Key Dates

May 7: Board of Governors will hear Student Success Task Force implementation update and consider changes to enrollment priorities

May 7: Senate Appropriations Committee takes up Student Success Act of 2012.

May 17: Consultation Council meets

In addition to approving the Student Success Act of 2012, the Senate Education Committee passed a bill by Sen. Carol Liu (D- Glendale) that would give the California Community Colleges Chancellor greater latitude in hiring his or her senior staff. The bill, SB 1062, would allow the chancellor to hire vice chancellors without going through the formal governor’s appointment process and to include community college employees in the pool of candidates who can be considered for career executive assignments at the Chancellor’s Office.

Enrollment Priority Draft Regulations Released

A working group that has been studying enrollment priority changes called for by the Student Success Task Force has produced proposed language that will go before the board of governors as an informational item at its May 7 meeting.

The key elements of the proposed regulation include:
  • Enrollment priorities for existing student groups identified in Education Code (foster youth and former foster youth, and veterans and active duty military) and for students participating in EOPS and DSPS programs who have completed orientation, assessment, and developed student education plans are maintained in the proposed regulations
  • Districts have flexibility in assigning priority to student subgroups for new students who have completed orientation, assessment, and developed student education plans and continuing students in good standing
  • Continuing students would lose enrollment priority if they earned more than 100 units (not including basic skills and ESL) or if a student was on academic or progress probation for two consecutive terms

Noteworthy:

The PBS NewsHour aired a report on California Community Colleges and the recommendations of the Student Success Task Force. Click here to view the report. Education Secretary Arne Duncan reports that he is encouraged by the Student Success Task Force's recommendations and California Community Colleges commitment to improving student success. Read the letter.

For more coverage, visit the Chancellor's Office Task Force News website.

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