SECTIONS 52240-52244 - California Statutes

EDUCATION CODE

SECTION 52240-52244

52240. (a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:
(1) Advanced placement courses, for which school credit is
awarded, provide rigorous academic coursework opportunities for high
school pupils and help to improve the overall curriculum at schools
where they are provided.
(2) The successful completion of advanced placement courses and
subsequent advanced placement examinations, which are conducted by
the College Entrance Examination Board and for which college credit
is awarded, provide a cost-effective means for high school pupils to
obtain college-level coursework experience.
(3) To the extent that economically disadvantaged pupils are
provided financial assistance to take advanced placement
examinations, they will be provided with successful college-level
experience and be encouraged to pursue postsecondary education
opportunities.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature, therefore, that certain
state funding that currently is provided to school districts be made
available to provide financial assistance to economically
disadvantaged pupils in the payment of advanced placement examination
fees. It is further the intent of the Legislature that a competitive
grant program also be established for the purpose of awarding grants
to economically disadvantaged pupils to cover the costs of advanced
placement examination fees, thereby creating a second source of
financial assistance for economically disadvantaged pupils taking
advanced placement examinations.

52241. For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the
following meanings:
(a) "Advanced placement examinations" means the advanced placement
examinations conducted by the College Entrance Examination Board, on
the basis of which participating institutions of postsecondary
education award postsecondary academic credit.
(b) "Economically disadvantaged pupil" means a high school pupil
who is any one of the following:
(1) A pupil who comes from a low-income household. As used in this
chapter, "low-income" refers to a household the taxable income of
which for the preceding tax year did not exceed 200 percent of an
amount equal to the poverty level determined by using the criteria of
poverty established by the Census Bureau of the United States
Department of Commerce. Documentation of a pupil's low-income status
for the purposes of this subdivision shall be made in accordance with
the following:
(A) In the case of a pupil who is 17 years of age or younger or
who is a dependent within the meaning of the federal Internal Revenue
Code, a signed financial need statement shall be submitted by the
pupil's parent or legal guardian, along with verification of this
financial need from another governmental entity or a photocopy of the
most recent federal income tax return filed by the pupil's parent or
legal guardian.
(B) In the case of a pupil who is 18 years of age or older or who
is not a dependent within the meaning of the federal Internal Revenue
Code, a signed financial need statement shall be submitted by the
pupil, along with verification of this financial need from another
governmental entity or a photocopy of the most recent federal income
tax return filed by the pupil.
(2) A pupil who is eligible for federal free or reduced meal
programs.
(3) A pupil who attends a school where at least 75 percent of all
pupils enrolled are eligible for federal free or reduced meal
programs.

52242. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a school
district receiving funds pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with
Section 54000) of Part 29 may expend any portion of those funds to
pay for all or part of the costs of one or more advanced placement
examinations that are charged to economically disadvantaged pupils.

52243. No later than January 1, 2004, the Superintendent of Public
Instruction shall submit a report to the Legislature describing the
effectiveness of the pilot grant program established pursuant to
Section 52244. The report shall include specific recommendations to
continue, discontinue, modify, or expand the program. The report
shall include information on at least all of the following:
(a) The total number of pupils participating in advanced placement
examinations, separately identifying the number of economically
disadvantaged pupils, and any increases in those numbers as a result
of the funding made available pursuant to Section 52244.
(b) The performance and pass rates on advanced placement
examinations on the part of economically disadvantaged pupils,
including any increase in those rates.
(c) The number of pupils receiving financial assistance pursuant
to Section 52244 for advanced placement examination fees.
(d) The number of economically disadvantaged pupils in advance
placement programs who enroll in higher education institutions,
separated by institutional segment.
(e) The number of economically disadvantaged pupils who have
passed an advanced placement examination with a score of 3 or better
in any subject and have taken an advanced placement course in that
subject.

52244. (a) There is hereby established a grant program for the
purpose of awarding grants to cover the costs of advanced placement
fees or International Baccalaureate examination fees, or both, for
eligible economically disadvantaged high school pupils. The
department shall administer this program.
(b) An "eligible economically disadvantaged high school pupil"
means a pupil who is either from a family whose annual household
income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a pupil
who is eligible for a federal free or reduced-price meal program.
(c) A school district may apply to the department for grant
funding pursuant to this section, based on the number of economically
disadvantaged pupils in the district enrolled in advanced placement
courses who will take the next offered advanced placement
examinations. A school district that applies to the department for
this purpose shall designate school district staff to whom pupils may
submit applications for grants and shall institute a plan to notify
pupils of the availability of financial assistance pursuant to this
section. Grants shall be expended only to pay the fees required of
eligible economically disadvantaged high school pupils to take an
advanced placement or International Baccalaureate examination, or
both.
(d) An eligible economically disadvantaged high school pupil who
is enrolled in an advanced placement or International Baccalaureate
course, or both, may apply to the designated school district staff
for a grant pursuant to this section. A pupil who receives a grant
shall pay five dollars ($5) of the examination fee.
(e) School districts and county superintendents of schools may
join together and form collaboratives or consortia in order to
participate in the grant program established by this section.
(f) Grants provided pursuant to this section may not be used to
supplant fee waivers available to low-income pupils who take advanced
placement or International Baccalaureate examinations.
(g) If the total school district applications exceed the total
funds available pursuant to this section, the department shall
prorate the grants based upon the ratio of the total amount requested
to the total amount budgeted by the state for this purpose. Funding
priority shall be given to advanced placement examination fees if
there is insufficient funding allocated for the grant program in a
given fiscal year.
(h) To facilitate program administration and school district
reimbursement, the department may enter into a contract with the
provider of advanced placement or International Baccalaureate
examinations. For purposes of the contract authorized pursuant to
this subdivision, the department is exempt from the requirements of
Part 2 (commencing with Section 10100) of Division 2 of the Public
Contract Code and from the requirements of Article 6 (commencing with
Section 999) of Chapter 6 of Division 4 of the Military and Veterans
Code.
(i) The department shall make every effort to obtain and allocate
federal funding for the purposes of this program prior to expending
any state funds. All state and federal funds obtained by the
department for the purposes of this program shall be expended for
these purposes only and are prohibited from being used to fund any
other program.(j) This section shall remain in effect only until
January 1, 2013, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later
enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2013, deletes or
extends that date.