Ltr2-16: College Readiness

Dear County Superintendents of Schools:

SECOND APPORTIONMENT FOR THE
COLLEGE READINESS BLOCK GRANT
FISCAL YEAR 2016–17

This apportionment, in the amount of $100,858,343, is made from funds provided by California Education Code (EC) Section 41580, added by Section 9 of Senate Bill (SB) 828 (Chapter 29, Statutes of 2016), in support of the College Readiness Block Grant (CRBG). SB 828 established the CRBG to provide California’s high school pupils, particularly unduplicated pupils as defined in EC sections 42238.01 and 42238.02, additional supports to increase the number of students who enroll at institutions of higher education and complete an undergraduate degree within four years.

The amount paid in this apportionment reflects the final balance of each eligible local educational agency’s (LEA’s) CRBG entitlement, less funds previously apportioned, and includes a reallocation of funds from LEAs that either declined funding or did not meet eligibility criteria. Final entitlements are allocated at a rate of $151.06 per unduplicated pupil in grades nine through twelve (9–12), as certified in the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) during the 2015–16 fiscal year, attending a school that is accredited or in the process of obtaining accreditation from the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Minimum funding is provided at $75,000.

As a condition of receiving funds, LEAs are required to develop and adopt a plan describing how funds will increase or improve services for unduplicated pupils to ensure college readiness and include in the plan information on how it aligns with their local control and accountability plan. The plan shall be discussed at a regularly scheduled meeting by the governing board and adopted at a subsequent regularly scheduled meeting. In addition, LEAs receiving funds in this apportionment were required to report to the California Department of Education (CDE) on how they will measure the impact of CRBG funds received on their unduplicated pupils’ access and successful matriculation to institutions of higher education, as identified in their plan.

The CRBG funds are available for expenditure or encumbrance through June 30, 2019. Pursuant to EC Section 41850(d), CRBG funds shall be used for activities that directly support pupil access and successful matriculation to institutions of higher education. Eligible activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Providing teachers, administrators, and counselors with professional development opportunities to improve pupil A–G course completion rates, pupil college-going rates, and college readiness of pupils, including providing for the development of honors and Advanced Placement courses.
2. Beginning or increasing counseling services to pupils and their families regarding college admission requirements and financial aid programs.
3. Developing or purchasing materials that support college readiness, including materials that support high performance on assessments required for admittance to a postsecondary educational institution.
4. Developing comprehensive advising plans to support pupil completion of A–G course requirements.
5. Implementing collaborative partnerships between high schools and postsecondary educational institutions that support pupil transition to postsecondary education, including, but not limited to, strengthening existing partnerships with the University of California and the California State University to establish early academic outreach and college preparatory programs.
6. Providing subsidies to unduplicated pupils, as defined in EC sections 42238.01 and 42238.02, to pay fees for taking advanced placement exams.
7. Expanding access to coursework or other opportunities to satisfy A–G course requirements to all pupils, including, but not necessarily limited to, pupils enrolled in schools identified by the department as high schools with 75 percent or greater enrollment of unduplicated pupils, pursuant to subdivision (g). These opportunities may include, but shall not be limited to, new or expanded partnerships with other secondary or postsecondary educational institutions.

County superintendents of schools were notified of this apportionment by e-mail sent to their CDEfisc e-mail addresses. The CDE requested that the e-mail be forwarded to school districts and charter schools in the county, and included a link to this letter and the accompanying apportionment schedule which are posted on the CDE Web page under Fiscal Year 2016–17, College Readiness Block Grant Funding 2016 Funding Results at http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/ca/collegereadiness.asp. The link also provides information on CALPADS Grades 9–12 unduplicated pupil source data used for the CRBG.

Warrants will be mailed to each county treasurer approximately four weeks from the date of this letter. For standardized account code structure coding, use Resource Code 7338, College Readiness Block Grant, and Revenue Object Code 8590, All Other State Revenue.

If you have any questions regarding this payment, please contact Julie Klein Briggs, Fiscal Consultant, Categorical Allocations and Management Assistance Office, by phone at 916‑323‑6191 or by e-mail at jbriggs@cde.ca.gov [Note, the preceding contact, phone number, and email information is no longer valid. Please contact the Categorical Allocations and Audit Resolution Office by email at CAAR@cde.ca.gov.]. If you have general questions regarding the CRBG, please contact the College Preparation and Postsecondary Programs Office by phone at 916-323-6398 or by e-mail at crbg@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Peter Foggiato, Director
School Fiscal Services Division