BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 19
AUTHOR: Simitian
AMENDED: April 2, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: April 22, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Education Data
SUMMARY
This bill provides that the development of a strategic plan
to link education data systems from all segments is to be
implemented using federal Education Technical Assistance
Act for Statewide Data Systems grant funds.
BACKGROUND
Current law establishes the office of the State Chief
Information Officer appointed by the Governor to advise the
Governor on the strategic management of the state's
information technology resources, coordinate the activities
of agency chief information officers and ensure compliance
with information technology policies and standards, among
other duties. The office is the successor to the Office of
Technology Review, Oversight, and Security within the
Department of Finance. The office has no authority over the
Legislature, or the Legislative Data Center or the
Legislative Counsel Bureau.
Current law:
1) Requires the Chief Information Officer to convene a
working group and to form an advisory committee to the
working group, with specified representation from
various educational entities.
2) Requires the working group to create a strategic plan
to link education data systems from all segments and
to accomplish all of the following:
a) Provide an overall structural design for the
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linked education data systems.
b) Examine current state education data
systems.
c) Examine the protocols and procedures to be
used by state agencies in data processing so as
to enable each state agency to
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accurately and efficiently collect and share data
with the other agencies while complying with all
applicable state and federal privacy laws.
d) Identify specific procedures and policies
that would be necessary to ensure the privacy of
pupil records information.
3) Requires the strategic plan to be delivered by the
State Chief Information Officer to the Legislature and
Governor by September 1, 2009.
The Governor's proposed 2009-10 budget requested $2 million
(General Fund) to enable to State Chief Information Officer
to comply with requirements of
SB 1298 (see Prior Legislation below). That $2 million was
not included in the 2009-10 Budget Act passed in February.
ANALYSIS
This bill provides that the development of a strategic plan
to link education data systems from all segments is to be
implemented using federal Education Technical Assistance
Act for Statewide Data Systems grant funds. Specifically,
this bill:
1) Provides that the Education Technical Assistance Act
for Statewide Data Systems is part of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which are
appropriated for these purposes on a one-time basis.
2) Authorizes appropriations to be authorized at least 30
days after notification to and approval by the
Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill . This bill is a work-in-progress
and is needed as the vehicle for necessary statutory
changes once federal guidance and application
timeframes for federal stimulus funding is released to
states.
2) Federal stimulus funding . According to the
Legislative Analyst's Office, California could receive
two streams of funding for education technology:
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a) $71 million for Enhancing Education Through
Technology, which provides funds to districts for
hardware, software, infrastructure improvement,
and professional development.
b) A few million dollars via a competitive
state-level grant intended to enhance statewide
longitudinal student data systems.
According to the California Department of Education,
California could receive up to $20 million from the
state-level grant for longitudinal student data
systems.
3) Author's amendments . Staff understands that it is the
author's desire to amend this bill to remove the
requirement on the use specific federal funds and
instead authorize the use of those funds for the
development of the strategic plan. Further amendments
would strike reference to one-time funds and the Joint
Legislative Budget Committee.
4) Prior legislation . SB 1298 (Simitian, Chapter 561,
2008) established a process by which local education
agencies and public postsecondary institutions issue,
maintain and report information using the unique
statewide student identifier. This included the
formation of the working group, development of the
strategic plan, and the use of a common student
identifier.
SB 1614 (Simitian, Chapter 840, 2006) required the
California Department of Education to contract for the
development of a teacher data system to (the
California Longitudinal Teacher Integrated Data
Education System, (CalTIDES) to serve as a central
state repository of information on the teacher
workforce to inform policy, identify trends, and
identify future teacher workforce needs.
SB 1453 (Alpert, Chapter 1002, 2002) created the
California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System
(CalPADS) and required, subject to the availability of
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federal funds, the California Department of Education
to contract for the development of proposals which
will provide for the retention and analysis of
longitudinal pupil achievement data on the STAR, high
school exit examination, and English language
development assessments.
SUPPORT
Advancement Project
Bay Area Council
California ACORN
California Charter Schools Association
Californians for Justice
Children Now
Education Trust - West
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
PICO California
Policy Analysis for California Education
Preschool California
Public Advocates
OPPOSITION
None received.