BILL ANALYSIS �
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 180
Author: Carter (D), et al.
Amended: 8/30/11 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 10-0, 6/8/11
AYES: Lowenthal, Runner, Alquist, Blakeslee, Hancock,
Huff, Liu, Price, Simitian, Vargas
NO VOTE RECORDED: Vacancy
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 9-0, 8/25/11
AYES: Kehoe, Walters, Alquist, Emmerson, Lieu, Pavley,
Price, Runner, Steinberg
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 60-0, 4/14/11 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Education: academic performance
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI) and State Board of Education to allow no
more than 10 dropout recovery high schools to use an
individual pupil growth model that is proposed by the
school and certified by the SPI, and sunsets on January 1,
2017.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires the SPI, with the
approval of the State Board of Education (SBE) to develop
an alternative accountability system for schools under the
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jurisdiction of a county board of education or a county
superintendent of schools, community day schools,
non-public schools, and alternative schools serving
high-risk pupils, including continuation high schools and
opportunity schools. Schools in the alternative
accountability system may receive an Academic Performance
Index (API) score, but are not included in the API
rankings.
The Alternative School Accountability Model (ASAM) was
developed in 2000. The ASAM is a voluntary accountability
program where qualifying schools select three of 14
reporting indicators measuring student learning readiness,
transition, and academic performance. Participating
schools annually report on these three indicators. Schools
select their reporting indicators from a list adopted by
the SBE in 2001. According to the California Department of
Education (CDE), approximately 1,000 schools participate in
ASAM.
This bill, as part of the alternative accountability system
for schools, requires the SPI and the SBE to allow no more
than 10 dropout recovery high schools to use an individual
pupil growth model that is proposed by the school and
certified by the SPI. Specifically, this bill:
1. Requires the SPI and the SBE to allow no more than
dropout recovery high schools to use, as part of the
alternative accountability system, an individual pupil
growth model proposed by the school.
2. Requires the SPI to review the individual pupil growth
model proposed by the dropout recovery high school and
certify that model if it meets all of the following
criteria:
A. Measures learning based on valid and reliable
nationally normed or criterion-referenced reading and
mathematics tests.
B. Measures skills and knowledge aligned with state
standards.
C. Measures the extent to which a pupil scored above
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an expected amount of growth based on the individual
pupil's initial achievement score.
D. Demonstrates the extent to which a school is able
to accelerate learning on an annual basis.
3. Defines a "dropout recovery high school" as a school
offering instruction in any of grades 9-12 in which 50
percent or more of its pupils are designated as dropouts
pursuant to the exit and withdrawal codes developed by
the CDE and the school provides instruction in
partnership with any of the following:
A. The federal Workforce Investment Act.
B. Federally affiliated Youthbuild programs.
C. Federal job corps training or instruction provided
pursuant to a memorandum of understanding with the
federal provider.
D. The California Conservation Corp (CCC) or local
conservation corps certified by the CCC.
Comments
Growth model . The California Standards Tests (CSTs), which
comprise the majority of Standardized Testing and Reporting
(STAR) Program, measure pupil performance on the state
academic standards for each grade level. Each grade has a
unique set of standards and the CSTs for that grade are
designed to measure pupil performance against those
standards. The STAR assessments were not designed to align
performance levels across each grade level; therefore, the
state cannot accurately measure student gains or losses
across years and schools cannot be held accountable for
pupil performance over time.
Status of ASAM . On November 5, 2008, the SBE approved a
conceptual framework for redesigning the existing ASAM
system. The framework was being used by the CDE as the
basis for the development and eventual implementation of a
revised ASAM system, but funding was vetoed and therefore
all work on the revised ASAM has ceased. Also reportedly
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due to budget reductions, the state no longer collects the
accountability indicators used by ASAM schools. As a
result, CDE is not implementing the ASAM program.
Prior Legislation
AB 2307 (Carter), 2009-10 Session, was nearly identical to
this bill. (Held on the Senate Appropriations Committee's
Suspense File.)
AB 2013 (Arambula), 2009-10 Session, would have required
schools that enroll 100 percent of their pupils in
independent study programs to be included in the state's
alternative accountability system and made changes to
require mandatory participation by all alternative schools.
(Held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee's Suspense
File.)
AB 1130 (Solorio), Chapter 273, Statutes of 2009, states
legislative intent regarding the examination of methods for
making and reporting comparisons of school and district
academic achievement over time based on a cohort growth
measure. Passed the Senate with a vote of 36-0 on
September 11, 2009.
AB 429 (Brownley), 2009-10 Session, would have required
examination of methods for making and reporting valid
comparisons of individual academic performance over time
and for making potential improvements in the API, so as to
be able to measure and report both a student's and a
school's academic growth over time. Passed the Senate with
a vote of 35-0 on September 10, 2009. AB 429 was vetoed by
Governor Schwarzenegger, whose message read:
"I appreciate the author's intent to address the issue of
measuring annual academic achievement growth in schools.
However, this bill circumvents the authority of the State
Board of Education (SBE), by not providing the SBE with
the authority to approve or modify the recommendations of
the Public Schools Accountability Act advisory
committee."
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
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According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Fund
CDE review, certification Potentially significant
start up, General
and ongoing costs
SUPPORT : (Per Senate Education Committee of analysis
6/8/11 - unable to verify at time of writing)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
California Charter Schools Association
California Federation of Teachers
California School Boards Association
Inyo County Office of Education
School for Integrated Academics and Technologies
YouthBuild Charter School of California
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, "Dropouts
often are far below grade level standards and re-enter
seeking to complete their diploma in a shorter period of
time than necessary in the traditional high school. Most
standardized tests do not measure individual student
performance over time and therefore, an open entry and exit
education does not align with once-a-year testing. In
contrast, an individual growth model can demonstrate the
learning gains of a student to assess the value of the
school's instructional program."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 60-0, 4/14/11
AYES: Achadjian, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Campos, Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro,
Cook, Davis, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eng, Fletcher, Fong,
Fuentes, Furutani, Gatto, Gordon, Hagman, Halderman,
Hall, Hayashi, Roger Hern�ndez, Hill, Huber, Hueso,
Huffman, Jeffries, Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Miller,
Mitchell, Monning, Nestande, Nielsen, Norby, Pan, Perea,
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V. Manuel P�rez, Portantino, Silva, Skinner, Smyth,
Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Valadao, Wieckowski, Yamada,
John A. P�rez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Alejo, Butler, Charles Calderon, Conway,
Feuer, Galgiani, Garrick, Gorell, Grove, Harkey, Jones,
Knight, Logue, Mansoor, Mendoza, Morrell, Olsen, Wagner,
Williams, Vacancy
CPM:kc 8/30/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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