Service learning: California Serves Pilot Program.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Education in state government, and vests the department with specified powers and duties relating to the state's public school system. Under existing law, by executive order, CaliforniaVolunteers is established in the office of the Governor and is charged with overseeing programs and initiatives for service and volunteerism. Existing law authorizes CaliforniaVolunteers to form a nonprofit public benefit corporation or other entity exempt from income taxation, as provided, to raise revenues and receive grants or other financial support from private or public sources, for purposes of undertaking or funding any lawful activity authorized to be undertaken by CaliforniaVolunteers. This bill would require the department, in partnership with CaliforniaVolunteers and appropriate stakeholders, to review available evidence on ways to incorporate effective service learning for pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, and develop uniform metrics for the measurement of pupil progress toward academic, civic engagement, and other learning objectives. The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2024, to provide recommendations to the Legislature on, and post on the department's internet website information related to, evidence-based strategies to expand access to high-quality service learning programs, as provided. This bill would, subject to an appropriation by the Legislature, establish the California Serves Pilot Program under the administration of the department, in collaboration with CaliforniaVolunteers, for purposes of promoting access to effective service learning for pupils in grade 12 who are enrolled at participating local educational agencies. The bill would require the department, in collaboration with CaliforniaVolunteers, to develop grant criteria and an application process and award grants to eligible local educational agencies in an unspecified amount. The bill would limit grant eligibility to those local educational agencies in which at least 12 of enrolled pupils are unduplicated pupils, as specified. The bill would authorize grant funds to be used for paid planning time and professional development for teachers, the purchase of instructional materials, and participation and personnel costs, as provided. Under the pilot program, the bill would require the department, in collaboration with CaliforniaVolunteers, to submit a report on the program to the Legislature, as provided.