BILL ANALYSIS Ķ
AB 815
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 815 (Brownley)
As Amended September 1, 2011
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |52-26|(June 2, 2011) |SENATE: |31-3 |(September 7, |
| | | | | |2011) |
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Original Committee Reference: ED.
SUMMARY : Establishes the State Seal of Biliteracy to recognize
high school graduates who have attained a high level of
proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more
languages in addition to English.
The Senate amendments :
1)Revise the list of assessments that satisfy the criteria to
demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English by
deleting foreign governments' approved language examinations
and specifying that a district language examination can only
be used if no Advanced Placement (AP) examination or
off-the-shelf language test exists for a specific language and
the test is approved by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI).
2)Authorize, rather than require, the SPI to provide a listing
of equivalent summative test that school districts may use in
place of an AP test for languages in which an AP test is not
available.
3)Allow a school district to provide the SPI with a list of
equivalent summative tests that it uses in place of AP tests
for languages in which AP tests are not available and allow
the SPI to use lists received from districts in developing his
or her list of equivalent summative tests.
4)Authorize the SPI to use money appropriated for purposes of
the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma program to develop an
Internet Web site for electronic delivery of the seals for
both the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma and the State Seal of
Biliteracy programs.
AB 815
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5)Add coauthors and make technical, non-substantive changes.
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, General Fund administrative costs to the California
Department of Education (CDE) between $43,000-63,000 in fiscal
year 2011-12 and $42,000 annually which would likely diminish
over time, as programs become established and need only to be
maintained.
COMMENTS : This bill establishes the State Seal of Biliteracy to
recognize high school graduates who have attained a high level
of proficiency in one or more languages in addition to English
and makes school district participation in the program
voluntary.
Attaining proficiency in multiple languages can have economic
and national security benefits. According to the Committee for
Economic Development, federal agencies such as the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, the Central Intelligence Agency, and
the National Security Agency face severe shortages of employees
with the necessary language skills most needed for translation
work. Furthermore, the National Education Association states
that the expanding globally connected United States economy has
meant an increased need for individuals who can communicate in
multiple languages in order to meet the increased demand in jobs
tied to international trade. Pupils who earn the State Seal of
Biliteracy will have demonstrated proficiency in a foreign
language in addition to English, potentially making them more
competent for the demands of an increasingly globally connected
job market.
In addition, as this bill finds and declares, the study of world
languages contributes to a pupil's cognitive development. For
example, the College Board's Office of International Education's
report measured the effect of foreign language study in high
school and found that students who studied a foreign language
for at least one year outscored those who did not on the
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and the longer the duration of
students' foreign language study, the greater the improvement in
their SAT scores. Studying and acquiring proficiency in foreign
languages may also benefit students in meeting the minimum
eligibility requirements for the University of California or
AB 815
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California State University system, which include two years of
foreign language courses.
According to the author, approximately 34 districts have
implemented programs that recognize biliteracy; however, each
district has a different seal design and different requirements
for awarding a seal of biliteracy. This bill creates a uniform
seal design and a uniform statewide set of criteria for awarding
the State Seal of Biliteracy. This uniformity would allow
employers and college admission counselors in search of
qualified candidates to rely on the State Seal of Biliteracy as
a valid indicator of bilingual proficiency, and gives pupils the
opportunity to receive state-level recognition for mastering a
second language.
As amended in the Senate, this bill authorizes the SPI to use
funds appropriated for purposes of the Golden State Seal Merit
Diploma to deliver the State Seal of Biliteracy electronically.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Aviņa / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0002667