BILL ANALYSIS
AB 400
Page 1
GOVERNOR'S VETO
AB 400 (Nunez)
As Amended August 31, 2007
2/3 vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |48-29|(June 5, 2007) |SENATE: |23-16|(September 11, |
| | | | | |2007) |
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|ASSEMBLY: |48-29|(September 12, | | | |
| | |2007) | | | |
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Original Committee Reference: ED.
SUMMARY : Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to incorporate previously specified and additional
measures of performance into the Academic Performance Index
(API), using the best available data and commencing in fiscal
year (FY) 2009-10. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes the current requirement that the SPI add high school
graduation rates to the API for schools with any of 8th
through 12th grades, time certain, such that these measures
must be added by the FY 2009-10.
2)Deletes the requirement that attendance rates be incorporated
into the API.
3)Requires the SPI to incorporate the rates at which pupils
complete a course of study that fulfills University of
California and California State University admission
requirements and at which pupils complete a course of study
that provides the skills and knowledge necessary to attain
entry-level employment upon graduation from high school into
the API by FY 2009-10 for schools with any of 8th through 12th
grades, and specifies how these measures are derived.
4)Requires that the weighting of components of the API shall be:
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a) Until July 1, 2009, at least 60% on the results of the
achievement tests specified;
b) Between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2014, at least 50% on
the results of the achievement tests specified; and,
c) Commencing June 30, 2014, 50% on the results of the
achievement tests specified and 50% on the elements listed
in 1) and 3) above, and that the two elements in 3)
above shall receive equal weight, while the rate at which
pupils meet both shall be given additional weight.
5)Authorizes the SPI to convene an advisory committee to provide
recommendations on the implementation of these provisions.
The Senate amendments :
1)Establish the weighting of components of the API to be at
least 60% on achievement test results until July 1, 2009, and
at least 50% on achievement test results from July 1, 2009,
until June 30, 2014.
2)Allow the SPI to convene an advisory committee of recognized
experts to provide recommendations on the implementation of
these provisions and the inclusion of multiple measures in the
API of middle and junior high schools.
3)Make technical clarifications.
EXISTING LAW requires:
1)The SPI to develop the API to measure the performance of
schools, and to include a variety of indicators in that
measure, including, but not limited to, achievement test
results, attendance rates, and graduation rates; this statute
was enacted in 1999.
2)School districts to offer to all otherwise qualified pupils in
seventh through twelfth grades a course of study fulfilling
the requirements and prerequisites for admission to
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California's public institutions of postsecondary education.
3)School districts to offer to all otherwise qualified pupils in
seventh through twelfth grades a course of study that provides
an opportunity to attain entry-level employment skills in
business or industry upon graduation from high school.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar
to the version passed by the Senate.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee:
1)Costs for the California Department of Education (CDE) related
to developing new indicators, facilitating the advisory
committee and subcommittee meetings, and providing for the
attendance of appropriate experts at these meetings.
2)Additional costs related to the collection and incorporation
of college preparation and career technical education
coursework data.
3)Significant costs, unknown but potentially in the millions,
for districts to compile this information and report it to the
CDE, to the extent that local education agencies do not
already collect this data.
COMMENTS : Only achievement test results are currently
incorporated into the API. Arguments in support of this bill
would suggest that having an API that focuses solely on
achievement test results is too narrow and does not reflect
information about student outcomes (e.g., dropout and graduation
rates, college readiness, preparation for the workplace) that is
important in measuring the performance of districts, schools and
subgroups. Perversely, increases in dropouts could easily lead
to an increase in test scores and the API for a given school or
district, yet this may not be reflective of an increase in
performance within that school or district.
Opponents argue that including data on dropouts, graduation
rates, and the availability of course offerings that fulfill
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admission requirements to California's public universities will
skew the emphasis of the API toward high schools, resulting in
the focusing of more resources at that level to the detriment of
elementary and middle schools. Since the Legislature can target
the use of resources by grade span as well as by API ranking,
this effect, to the extent that it does exist, could be easily
moderated. Though inclusion of graduation rates in the API is
current law, opponents argue that data on graduation rates are
not well grounded and that it is unclear how the state would
collect data on courses of study fulfilling university admission
requirements or preparing students for the workplace. In fact,
this bill only makes the currently required inclusion of
graduation rates time certain; also information on student
course-taking that fulfills university admission requirements is
already measured and reported annually on every School
Accountability Report Card. In addition, the bill authorizes
the SPI to use an advisory committee to provide recommendations
on the incorporation into the API and measurement of the extent
to which schools offer a course of study that provides the
skills and knowledge necessary to attain entry-level employment,
as well as other multiple measures.
With the exception of attendance rates the data elements
currently included in the API, as well as those proposed by this
bill, focus on student, school and district outcomes. Deletion
of attendance rates, as proposed, would eliminate this
exception.
GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE :
While I agree with the author that what the state
measures in its accountability system sends a powerful
message to schools and to the public about the
outcomes we value, this bill still needs refinement.
I respect the intention to provide schools the
incentive to expand access to A-G college admission
required courses, and expand course offering in Career
Technical Education program. I am open to
opportunities to accomplish that goal. However, I
must maintain that the Academic Performance Index
(API) should continue to be based on objective,
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reliable, valid and consistent statistical
measurements.
Currently, a school's API is based solely on its
students' performance on academic achievement tests.
This bill, however, would require that, by no later
than June 30, 2014, the weight given such tests be
reduced to 50 percent with the remaining 50 percent
based on high school graduation rates, the percentage
of students fulfilling the requirements for admission
to public postsecondary institutions, and the
percentage of students who graduate prepared for
entry-level employment in business or industry.
Analysis Prepared by : Gerald Shelton / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0003614