(a) The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is hereby established.

(b) The purpose of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is to advise and assist school districts, county superintendents of schools, and charter schools in achieving the goals set forth in a local control and accountability plan adopted pursuant to this article. The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall achieve this purpose by facilitating continuous improvement for local educational agencies within California’s system of public school support.

(c) The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall be governed by a board consisting of the following five members:

(1) The Superintendent or his or her designee.

(2) The president of the state board or his or her designee.

(3) A county superintendent of schools appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.

(4) A teacher appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.

(5) A superintendent of a school district appointed by the Governor.

(d) The governing board of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall select, and direct the administrative agent provided for in subdivision (e) to hire, the executive director of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence and provide policy and program direction.

(e) The department, in consultation with the executive director of the state board and with the approval of the Department of Finance, shall contract with a local educational agency, or consortium of local educational agencies, to serve as the administrative agent for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. The administrative agent shall operate all aspects of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence in accordance with the terms of its contract or contracts with the State of California, applicable statutes, and the policy and program direction of the governing board of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. The Superintendent shall apportion funds appropriated for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to the administrative agent.

(f) Pursuant to the policy and program direction of the governing board of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, the administrative agent shall contract with individuals, local educational agencies, or organizations with the expertise, experience, and a record of success to carry out the purposes of this article. The areas of expertise, experience, and record of success shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

(1) State priorities as described in subdivision (d) of Section 52060, including the state and local indicators developed for the California School Dashboard pursuant to Section 52064.5.

(2) Improving the quality of teaching.

(3) Improving the quality of school district and schoolsite leadership.

(4) Successfully addressing the needs of special pupil populations, including, but not limited to, English learners, pupils eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal, pupils in foster care, and individuals with exceptional needs.

(g) (1) The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence may accept a request or referral to advise and assist a school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school pursuant to paragraph (2) or in either of the following circumstances:

(A) If the county superintendent of schools of the county in which the school district or charter school is located determines, following the provision of technical assistance pursuant to Section 52071 or 47607.3, as applicable, and the geographic lead agency of that county identified pursuant to Section 52073 agrees, that the advice and assistance of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is necessary to help the school district or charter school accomplish the goals described in the local control and accountability plan adopted pursuant to this article.

(B) If the Superintendent determines that the advice and assistance of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is necessary to help the school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school accomplish the goals set forth in the local control and accountability plan adopted pursuant to this article.

(2) (A) If a school district receives an emergency apportionment pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 41320) of Chapter 3 of Part 24 of Division 3, the school district shall be deemed to have been referred to the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence.

(B) If the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence provides assistance to a school district referred pursuant to this paragraph, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall conduct a systemic review of the school district to identify needs and strategies to improve pupil academic achievement, including, but not limited to, needs identified pursuant to Sections 52052, 52064.5, and 52071. Based on the results of the systemic review, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall coordinate and facilitate the assistance provided to the school district by governmental agencies to provide coherent and effective support consistent with the purpose of the statewide system of support specified in Section 52059.5. The governmental agencies may include, among others, the department, the local county superintendent, the applicable geographic lead agency, and the County Office Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team. It is the intent of the Legislature that no single governmental agency providing assistance in partnership with other governmental agencies bear the full cost of assistance.

(3) Outside of the processes described in paragraphs (1) and (2), a school district, county office of education, or charter school that requests the advice and assistance of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall reimburse the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence for the cost of those services pursuant to authority provided in the annual Budget Act.

(h) To the extent authority is provided in the annual Budget Act, a school district at risk of qualifying for state intervention pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 52072 shall have priority for direct technical assistance from the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence.

(i) In addition to the functions described in subdivision (g), the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall do both of the following:

(1) Facilitate professional development activities that increase the capacity of local educational agencies to improve pupil outcomes in alignment with state priorities pursuant to Section 52060 and to improve performance on the state and local indicators developed for the California School Dashboard pursuant to Section 52064.5. The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall provide professional development in partnership with state professional associations, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies. The governing board of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall determine the extent of the training that is necessary to comply with this paragraph.

(2) Produce a professional development training calendar, to be posted on the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence’s Internet Web site, that publicizes all of the professional development activities offered pursuant to paragraph (1) at the local, regional, and state levels.

(j) The individuals with whom the administrative agent enters into employment contracts to carry out the purposes of this article shall be deemed employees of the administrative agent and eligible for participation in either the State Teachers’ Retirement System or the Public Employees’ Retirement System, as appropriate to the nature of the work to be performed by the employees.

(k) Receipt of any revenues not appropriated by the Legislature to the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall be subject to approval by the governing board of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. The governing board of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence shall ensure that all activities, regardless of fund source, are aligned with the purpose of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, as described in subdivision (b).

(Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 426, Sec. 27. (AB 1840) Effective September 17, 2018.)