Sacramento – After years of legislative efforts, Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) has successfully authored landmark legislation to expand Concurrent Enrollment.
The Senate today voted overwhelmingly in favor of this historic measure that will allow thousands of low income, non-traditional high school students across California to be able to attend community college in order to get a head start.
“This bill will allow students who may not be college-ready to be ready by the time they graduate,” explained Assemblymember Holden. “The latest statistics from the Department of Education show that the majority of California students are not ready for college.”
“In our high-tech economy, a college degree will no longer be an option; it will be a requirement for jobs of the future. Concurrent enrollment opens doors of opportunity for students who might never have thought it possible to go to college, concluded Holden.”
AB 288 creates a partnership between community college districts and high schools to allow high school students to take college-level courses at their high schools or on college campuses. The measure calls for increasing the number of college classes students can take from 11 to 15 units. It also offers opportunity for technical career classes that can potentially lead to a job. And, it provides for remedial courses and college level coursework to prepare students for college life.
AB 288 has strong, bi-partisan support led by joint author, Assembly Republican Leader Kristin Olsen, of Modesto: “California is a world-wide economic leader, so we must do everything we can to ensure that our students are qualified for the jobs of our state’s ever-changing economy,” said Olsen. “By making community college courses more accessible to high schools students, we can help ignite their sense of purpose and drive that is essential in today’s fast-paced world, while improving their eligibility for a wider range of jobs early on.”
AB 288 is supported by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, The California Community League, The California Chamber of Commerce, and numerous community college districts throughout California.
The measure now goes back to the Assembly for concurrence on amendments.