Public postsecondary education: remedial classes and supports: audit., the official text

An act to add Section 99183 to the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law requires the California Postsecondary Education Commission, on or before November 15 of each year, to submit a higher education report to the Legislature and the Governor that provides information to the citizens of the state on the significant indicators of performance of the public colleges and universities, as specified. Existing law requires the commission to consider including, for community colleges, the proportion of remedial or developmental education courses taught by full-time faculty. The Budget Act of 2011 deleted funding and personnel from the California Postsecondary Education Commission.
This bill would require the California State Auditor, on or before September 1, 2027, to report to the chairs of certain legislative committees the results of an audit of the California State University and the University of California regarding the use of remedial instruction and supports, as specified.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 99183 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 99182, to read:
99183.
(a) On or before September 1, 2027, the California State Auditor shall report the results of an audit of the California State University and the University of California regarding the use of remedial instruction and supports. The audit for each segment shall do all of the following:
(1) Evaluate the number of students that enrolled in remedial English or mathematics courses or received supports in a nonremedial English or mathematics course from the 2019–20 to 2024–25 academic years, inclusive.
(2) Evaluate the efforts of the segment pertaining to students needing remedial instruction or supports.
(3) Evaluate three of the high-demand campuses of the California State University and three of the high-demand campuses of the University of California on all of the following:
(A) Any increase in the use of remedial courses or supports in nonremedial courses since the 2019–20 academic year and the factors contributing to that increase.
(B) Potential improvements to the admissions process to ensure that student preparedness is properly assessed.
(C) How the admissions process ensures the use of fair and unbiased admissions practices.
(D) The level of proficiency and training of those evaluating applications.
(4) Review and assess any other issues that are significant to the audit, including, but not limited to, identifying any changes that might result in improvements in the ability of the California State University and the University of California to address the number of students needing remedial courses or supports in nonremedial courses.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code, the California State Auditor shall report the findings of each audit conducted pursuant to subdivision (a) to the chairs of the Assembly Committee on Higher Education, the Senate Committee on Education, and the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, consistent with the requirements of Section 9795 of the Government Code.