California Excellence in Service Learning Designation Program., the official text

An act to add Article 4.7 (commencing with Section 51257) to Chapter 2 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to school recognition.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools operated and maintained by local educational agencies throughout the state. 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.
This bill would require the department to establish a California Excellence in Service Learning Designation Program to publicly recognize and designate schoolsites, as defined, that meet certain requirements related to service learning, as provided. The bill would require the department to develop an annual application process and adopt application criteria for the California Excellence in Service Learning Designation Program, as specified, and would require a California Excellence in Service Learning designation to be valid for 3 years, after which a schoolsite seeking to renew its designation would be required to reapply pursuant to a renewal process and criteria determined by the department.

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

SECTION 1.
Article 4.7 (commencing with Section 51257) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:
4.7.
California Excellence in Service Learning Designation Program51257.
This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the California Excellence in Service Learning Designation Program.

51257.1.
For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(a) “Applicant” means a schoolsite.
(b) “Schoolsite” means a publicly funded school serving pupils in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
(c) “Service learning” means an educational approach in kindergarten, including transitional kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that intentionally combines meaningful community service activities with instruction and reflection to support pupil progress toward academic and civic engagement learning objectives while meeting societal needs.

51257.2.
(a) The department shall establish a California Excellence in Service Learning Designation Program in order to publicly recognize and designate schoolsites that meet certain requirements and signal which schoolsites demonstrate excellence in service learning.
(b) (1) The department shall develop an application process that provides annual opportunities for schoolsites to earn the California Excellence in Service Learning designation by demonstrating compliance with the application criteria adopted pursuant to paragraph (2).
(2) The department shall adopt application criteria for schoolsites seeking the California Excellence in Service Learning designation. The department shall consider including, as part of the application criteria, a requirement that an applicant do all of the following:
(A) Designate a staff member to serve as a point of contact for service learning.
(B) Provide professional development opportunities to train staff on service learning.
(C) Develop a dedicated web page on the applicant’s internet website with easily accessible information and resources on service learning.
(c) (1) Once an applicant is awarded a California Excellence in Service Learning designation, it shall display its active status designation, as identified by the department, on the applicant’s internet website.
(2) A California Excellence in Service Learning designation shall be valid for three years, after which an applicant seeking to renew its designation shall reapply pursuant to a renewal process and criteria determined by the department.
(3) The department may request additional information to verify if an applicant that has earned a California Excellence in Service Learning designation continues to adhere to the California Excellence in Service Learning designation criteria adopted pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b).
(4) (A) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), if the department finds that an applicant that has earned a California Excellence in Service Learning designation ceases to comply with the criteria adopted pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) during the three-year designation period, the applicant shall lose the designation.
(B) An applicant that loses the designation pursuant to subparagraph (A) may reapply pursuant to subdivision (b).