AB 1802 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
August 1, 2006

The Los Angeles County Office of Education, in cooperation with the California Department of Education and California Association of School Counselors, and the Center for Student Support Systems at the University of San Diego has reviewed AB 1802 and the California State Budget 2006-07 and drafted the following document for general information purposes only.

Please be aware that more information and interpretation of the authorizing legislation for the new school counseling program will be forthcoming at the end of summer 2006.  These FAQs will be updated accordingly.

SUMMARY
(Excerpts taken from School Finance and Management Conference, July,06)

AB1802 provides $200 million to increase the number of school counselors available for students in grades 7-12  ongoing funding.

• Approximately $80/ grade 7-12 ADA
• Minimum grants $5,000 to $30,000, depending on the size of the site

Requirements:

• Counselors must review individual student records
• Counselors must meet with pupils and parents within certain timeframes to explain student records, education options, coursework, progress, and needs related to the CAHSEE
• Counselors must prepare a list of coursework required to pass all parts of the CAHSEE and share this with students and parents
• Districts will need to report data about activities supported by the school counselors
• Funding must be used to expand on existing counseling support

INTENT

The Middle and High School Supplemental Counseling Program is hereby established for the purpose of providing additional counseling services to pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive.

The intent of AB 1802 funding is to increase the number of school counselors that serve seventh through twelfth grade students.  These new counselors will provide students with information on all educational and vocational options available to them and will provide specified services to students who have failed or are at risk of failing the California High School Exit Examination, as well as students who are at risk of not graduating due to insufficient credits.

FUNDING

How much money are we talking about?

Funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act for the
purposes of this chapter shall be allocated to school districts based on an equal amount per unit of average daily attendance in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, with the following minimum-grant exceptions:

 (1) Five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each school site that has 100 or fewer pupils enrolled in any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive.

 (2) Ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each school site that has between 101 and 200 pupils enrolled in any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive.

 (3) Thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) or an amount per unit of average daily attendance, whichever is greater, for each school site with more than 200 pupils enrolled in any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive.

The ADA allotment is estimated at $80 per student in grades 7-12 based on last year’s CBED report. Thus, a junior high school or high school with 1,000 students should receive $80,000 for school counseling. However, the ADA allotment is still being discussed in Sacramento and it could be higher, or lower, depending on the outcome of discussions now underway.
 
Are charter schools eligible for funding?

For purposes of this section, a charter school is not eligible
to receive a minimum grant but instead shall receive an amount per unit of average daily attendance in grades 7 to 12, inclusive.

Can we use AB 1802 funding for elementary school counseling programs?

No, the funding is directly tied to grades 7 through 12.

Does AB 1802 affect SB 813 (Sophomore Counseling) funding?

The legislature has not indicated that SB 813 funding is in conflict with AB 1802 funding.

Can a school district use AB 1802 funding to supplant existing counseling programs?

Funds allocated pursuant to this section shall supplement, and not supplant, expenditures made by a school district for school counseling programs.

IMPLEMENTATION

Does my school district need to have the school board take any action before we implement AB 1802?

Yes, there is specific language in the bill stating that “…the program shall be adopted at a public meeting of the governing board.”

What does the adoption of AB 1802 mean in terms of what must be accomplished for the general population?

Subdivision A of the bill outlines two provisions for the general population of the school:

(1) A provision for individualized review of pupils’ academic and deportment records.

(2) A provision for a counselor to meet with each pupil and if practicable, the parents or guardian of the pupil, to explain

• academic and deportment records of the pupil,
• his or her educational options,
• the coursework and academic progress needed for satisfactory completion of middle or high school, 
• the requirements for passage of the high school exit examination
• the availability of career technical education.

The educational options explained at the meeting shall, if services are available, include college preparatory programs and vocational programs, including regional occupational centers and programs and any other alternatives available to pupils within the district

What does the school need to do for its “at-risk” population?

Section B of the bill is directed to the “at-risk” population at the school.

Specifically, the first task is identification of pupils who are at risk of not graduating with the rest of their class, are not earning credits at a rate that will enable them to pass the high school exit examination, or do not have sufficient training to allow them to fully engage in their chosen career.

The bill then describes specific elements required for serving those identified as at-risk:

(1) Require each school within its jurisdiction that enrolls
pupils in grades 10 and 12 to develop a list of coursework and experience necessary to assist each pupil in their respective grade that has not passed one or both parts of the high school exit examination and to successfully transition to postsecondary education or employment.

 (2) Require each school within its jurisdiction that enrolls
pupils in grade 7 to develop a list of coursework and experience necessary to assist each pupil in grade 7 who is deemed to be at the far below basic level in English language arts or mathematics pursuant to California Standards Tests administered to pupils in grade 6 to successfully transition to high school and meet all
graduation requirements, including passing the high school exit examination.

 (3) A copy of the list of coursework and experience necessary shall be provided to the pupil and his or her parent or legal guardian. The school district shall ensure that the list of coursework and experience is part of the cumulative records of the pupil.

What needs to happen at the individual conference?

The bill calls for individual conferences with students at-risk (and a parent or guardian) to discuss the student’s status, with a focus on identifying possible solutions to the barriers the student faces. As the bill describes it: During the individual conference described in subdivision (d), the school counselor shall apprise the pupil identified in
paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (b), and his or her parent or guardian of the following:

 (1) Consequences of not passing the high school exit examination.

 (2) Programs, courses, and career technical education options available for pupils needed for satisfactory completion of middle or high school.

 (3) Cumulative records and transcripts of the pupil.

 (4) Performance on standardized and diagnostic assessments of the pupil.

 (5) Remediation strategies, high school courses, and alternative education options available to the pupil.

 (6) Information on postsecondary education and training.

 (7) The pupil's score on the English language arts or mathematics portion of the California Standards Test administered in grade 6, as applicable.

TIMELINES

What are the timelines for AB 1802 implementation?

1) For a pupil enrolled in grade 7, the conference shall occur
before January of that school year in which the pupil is enrolled in grade 7.

(2) For a pupil enrolled in grade 10, the conference shall occur between the spring of that school year in which the pupil is enrolled in grade 10 and the fall of the following school year in which the pupil would be enrolled in grade 11. For the 2006-07 school year, the conference shall occur on or before December 31, 2006.

(3) For a pupil enrolled in grade 12, the conference shall occur after November of that school year in which the pupil is enrolled in grade 12, but before March of the same school year.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

What are the reporting requirements for AB 1802?

As a condition of receipt of funds pursuant to this
chapter, a school district shall submit an annual report in a manner determined by the Superintendent that describes:

• the number of pupils served,
• the number of school counselors involved in conferences,
• the number and percentage of pupils who participated in conferences and who successfully pass the high school exit examination,
• the number and percentage of pupils who participated in conferences and who fail to pass one or both sections of the exit examination,
• and, a summary of the most prevalent results for pupils based on the graduation plans developed pursuant to this  chapter.

How can our district get help with considering the implications of the legislation for our counseling program?

The Los Angeles County Office of Education, in cooperation with the California Department of Education, and in partnership with the California Association of School Counselors (CASC) and the University of San Diego’s Center for Student Support Systems at the University of San Diego, will offer workshops and training sessions around the state beginning in late-August. Check the web sites of LACOE (www.lacoe.edu/ccla), CASC (www.schoolcounselor-ca.org) and CS3 (http://www.sandiego.edu/academics/soles/instcenter/studentsupp/
for further information about dates, times, and locations.