Pupils: Early Commitment to College program.

Existing law establishes the Early Commitment to College program. Participation by pupils, school districts, colleges, and universities in the program is voluntary. A pupil scheduled to graduate from high school after 2017 is not allowed to participate. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is required, among other program duties, to designate the 30% of public schools that maintain any of grades 6 to 9, inclusive, with the highest proportion of low-income pupils, as defined, as College Opportunity Zones. A school that is designated as a College Opportunity Zone in a participating school district by the Superintendent is required to give all pupils enrolled in grades 6 to 9, inclusive, and their parents or guardians, the opportunity to sign a "Save Me a Spot in College" pledge developed by the Superintendent. Schools not designated as a College Opportunity Zone in a participating school district are required to give pupils who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals and are enrolled in grades 6 to 9, inclusive, and their parents or guardians, the opportunity to sign a "Save Me a Spot in College" pledge. Participating school districts are required to provide college information and college preparation events inclusive of pupils who sign the pledge. The program provides that a pupil who signs a pledge declares a commitment to prepare for college, finish high school, and enroll in college and commits, among other things, to meet all graduation requirements, take college preparatory coursework, complete and file a free application for federal student aid, and submit his or her grade point average to the Student Aid Commission by March 2 of his or her senior year. The program further provides that a pupil who signs the pledge and is certified by his or her school district as having fulfilled the requirements of the pledge receives, upon enrollment at a community college, a fee waiver under the fee waiver program of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges for 2 or more years of enrollment at a California community college. Existing law requires the Superintendent to submit a report on the status of the program, including a recommendation to the Legislature on whether the program should be continued, on or before November 1, 2017. Existing law repeals the provisions establishing the program on January 1, 2019. This bill would require the Superintendent to include additional specified information in its report to the Legislature relating to the program. The bill would require the Superintendent, on or before January 31, 2016, to inform certain policy committees of the Legislature of its plans for complying with these reporting requirements.