BILL NUMBER: AB 482	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Mendoza

                        FEBRUARY 24, 2009

   An act to add Section 60200.7 to the Education Code, relating to
instructional materials.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 482, as introduced, Mendoza. Instructional materials: English
learners.
   Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt
regulations concerning the development of curriculum frameworks and
the adoption of instructional materials.
   This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to provide
school districts with quality instructional materials written and
taught in the English language to accelerate English language
acquisition for English learners while upholding and teaching
California's English language arts content standards. The bill would
require the state board to revise the reading/language arts framework
to include, as a core program, the English Language Development
Literacy Program, a basic comprehensive English language literacy
program for English learners, that would be aligned to both the
reading/language arts content standards and the English language
development standards adopted by the state board.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  The Legislature hereby finds and declares the
following:
   (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that school districts be
provided with as many standards aligned instructional material
options as is possible so that educators may have a selection of the
best instructional materials to choose from in order for their pupils
to master the state academic content standards.
   (b) It also is the intent of the Legislature that the state's 1.6
million English learners acquire English as quickly as possible and
to assist in the narrowing of the academic achievement gap between
English learners and their native English speaking peers. To
accomplish this, it is the intent of the Legislature to provide
school districts with quality instructional materials written and
taught in the English language to accelerate English language
acquisition for English learners while upholding and teaching the
state English language arts content standards.
  SEC. 2.  Section 60200.7 is added to the Education Code, to read:
   60200.7.  The state board shall revise the reading/language arts
framework to include, as a core program, a basic comprehensive
English language literacy program for English learners, to be
referred to as the English Language Development Literacy Program,
during the next revision cycle in 2013. It shall be a stand-alone
program that is enriched, scaffolded, and amplified, and
simultaneously develops listening, speaking, reading, and writing
skills in the English language and the academic content standards. It
also shall be aligned to both the reading/language arts content
standards adopted under Section 60605 and the English language
development standards adopted under Section 60811.