Education funding: adult education.

(1) Existing law establishes the State Department of Education, under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to execute numerous statutes and policies relating to the funding and governance of public elementary and secondary schools throughout the state. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district maintaining secondary schools to establish and maintain classes for adults, as specified. Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges and the State Department of Education, pursuant to funding made available in the annual Budget Act, to jointly provide 2-year planning and implementation grants to regional consortia of community college districts and school districts for the development of regional plans for adult education. Existing law requires the chancellor and the department to submit a joint report relating to this adult education consortium program to the Legislature and the Governor on or before March 1, 2015. This bill would require the department, in conjunction with the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, as part of a report that is required under existing law, to jointly develop and issue assessment policy recommendations regarding assessments to be used by school districts and community college districts for purposes of placement in adult education courses offered by those districts as part of an adult education consortium. The bill would also require the department and the chancellor's office, as a part of the report required under the adult education consortium program, to jointly develop and issue policy recommendations to the Legislature regarding a comprehensive accountability system for adult education courses offered by school districts and community college districts in accordance with prescribed requirements. The bill would require the chancellor's office and the department to coordinate and issue recommendations, including recommendations as to whether or not fees should be assessed, and fee policy guidelines to be used by school districts and community college districts regarding the authority to charge fees for courses offered pursuant to the adult education consortium program. The bill would require the chancellor's office, in conjunction with the department, to annually report on the number and types of courses being taught and the number of students being served with funding provided to the adult education consortia. The bill would require the chancellor's office to annually report on the number and types of noncredit courses being taught and the number of students being served with funding provided to the community colleges for noncredit courses offered pursuant to a specified statute. The bill would require the chancellor's office to identify any deficits in course offerings based upon levels, types, and needs for adult education programs identified in adult education consortium plans. (2) The bill would require the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges to jointly develop and submit recommendations to specified policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature for modifying or establishing reciprocity standards for instructors of adult education courses by July 1, 2016.