‘Success bill’ a step closer

The California State Senate Education Committee passed Senate Bill 1456 on April 18 in order to improve the success of California Community College students.

 

The California Community Colleges Board of Governors adopted 22 recommendations proposed by the Student Success Task Force to improve student transfer rates, said California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott.

SB 1456 lists several of the recommendations that might take place.

 

“Student success score cards” that will keep students on track, mandatory orientations and system-wide online assessment to reduce cost are listed in the bill.Improving student success is the main goal of the Student Success 

Task Force. SB 1456’s propositions are radically opposed on a statewide level, said president of the CSM academic senate, James Carranza. “Not all of them are bad,” Carranza said. “No one would disagree with trying to improve student success.”

 

The original language of the Student Success Task Force of 2012 had a limited scope, specifically what the cost would be. A concern Carranza and the Academic Senate had was the number of mandates that have no explanation on how funding will carry them.Unless changes are made, support for the bill will not be given until the mandates are clearly funded, said Carranza. “Some recommendations don’t cost money, like the student success goal cards,” said Jack Scott. “We can’t ask colleges to do something they can’t do.”

 

SB 1456 deals with a portion of the recommendations and sets up the “framework” for them. From the list of 22 Student Success Task Force recommendations, other topics become a concern.Limitations on students receiving 

the Board of Governors fee waiver are embedded in the proposals, said Carranza.“More and more students are 

applying for the B.O.G waiver,” he said. “Legislation puts limitations on the B.O.G, like putting caps on benefits.”

“The bill will go through some revisions,” he said. “I have support for AB 1741.”Assembly Bill 1741, the Student 

Success Infrastructure of 2012, addresses concerns about funding and asks that funding is guaranteed.

“The only problem is they suggest we get money to increase counseling,” said Scott. “But it is costly. It would take $1 billion to (follow this suggestion).”