For more information about our work in your state or in our national office use the drop down menu below.
 

Policy

2009 Policy Priorities

Dropout Prevention

  • Support SB 19 (Simitian) to help implement an integrated, statewide education information system, in order to identify potential dropouts and programs effective at increasing graduation rates and improving student achievement.
  • Support SB 651 (Romero & Steinberg) to require the State Superintendent of Public Instruction to submit an “Annual Report on Dropouts” that would contain information on dropout rates, graduation rates, pupil promotion rates, course enrollment patterns, and behavioral data, in order to help promote policies to improve graduation and dropout rates.


Early Education

  • Support access to quality preschool and child care programs, by protecting existing funding levels for state-administered preschool and child care programs and opposing reductions in reimbursement rates and increases in family fees.
  • Support AB 1195 (Brownley) to require the development of a plan to implement any new federal recovery funds allocated for child care and development programs and may be amended to ensure that federal funds are used to avert the $100 million reduction in preschool and child care funds enacted in the February budget measure.


After School

  • Support continued guaranteed funding of the After School Education and Safety program/Proposition 49.
  • Support AB 1349 (Torlakson) to more effectively link Proposition 49 and Proposition 98, in order to ensure that after-school programs face proportionate cuts in difficult budget years and that after-school programs, like most education programs, are able to receive cost-of-living adjustments, when funding is available, to sustain program quality.
  • Support SB 798 (DeSaulnier) to improve the quality of 21st Century Community Learning Centers after-school programs, by increasing the per student funding level for these federally-funded, state-administered programs.


Troubled Youth (Juvenile Justice & Foster Care)

  • Support restoration of Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) funding, from less than $90 million in 2008-2009 to $107 million in 2009-2010, consistent with the budget measure passed in February.
  • Support the effective use of funding provided by SB 81, the juvenile justice realignment enacted in 2007 that shifted certain juvenile offenders from state to county supervision, by requiring counties to submit annual performance outcome data that would be available to the Legislature and the public. This would promote accountability and incentivize the use of evidence-based practices.
  • Support AB 12 (Beall & Bass) to extend foster care benefits for youth until age 21, instead of age 18 currently. Research suggests that extended foster care benefits may help steer these at-risk youth away from crime.


Gang Prevention

  • Support $9 million in funding for the California Gang Reduction, Intervention and Prevention Program (CalGRIP), consistent with the budget measure passed in February. CalGRIP provides grants to cities and community-based organizations for local anti-gang suppression, intervention and prevention programs.


If you would like further information or have any questions about the materials presented in this section, please contact Jennifer Ortega at jortega@calfightcrime.org.

 
 
FightCrime