BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-2012 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 1719
AUTHOR: Fuentes
AMENDED: May 25, 2012
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 20, 2012
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Kathleen Chavira
SUBJECT : English language development; supplemental
instructional
materials.
SUMMARY
This bill provides for the development and review of
supplemental instructional materials for English learners to
serve as a bridge between the revised and aligned English
language development standards to the California common core
language arts standards.
BACKGROUND
Current law establishes the Academic Content Standards
Commission which was required to develop common core academic
content standards in language and mathematics, as specified.
Pursuant to these provisions, the standards were presented to
the State Board of Education (SBE) which adopted the proposed
common core academic content standards in English language
arts and mathematics in August 2010. (Education Code §
60605.8)
Current law also requires the State Board of Education to
approve English Language development standards for students
whose primary language is other than English and also
requires that these standards be comparable in rigor and
specificity to the common core content standards adopted for
English language arts. (Education Code § 60811)
Current law requires the Superintendent of Public
Instruction, in consultation with the State Board of
Education, to update, revise, and align the English Language
Development standards to the State Board of Education common
core standards for English Language Arts by August 31, 2012,
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and requires the State Board of Education to adopt, reject,
or revise these standards by September 30, 2012. (Education
Code § 60811.3)
ANALYSIS
This bill provides for the development and review of
supplemental instructional materials for English learners to
serve as a bridge between the revised and aligned English
language development standards to the California common core
language arts standards. Specifically it:
1) Requires the CDE to:
a) Recommend, and the State Board of
Education (SBE) approve, evaluation criteria to
guide the development and review of supplemental
instructional materials for English learners.
b) On a one time basis and by January
1, 2014, develop a list of supplemental
instructional materials for use in K-8, that are
aligned with the revised English language
development (ELD) standards adopted pursuant to
specified law.
c) Develop supplemental instructional
materials that provide a bridge between the revised
and aligned ELD standards to the California common
core language arts standards.
d) Recommend, and the SBE to approve,
content review experts, to serve without
compensation, to review materials submitted for
this purpose using an open and transparent process,
and further specifies that the majority of content
review experts approved should be credentialed
teachers and who meet specified criteria regarding
English language learner instruction and
experience, and should also include administrators
with specified English learner experience and
expertise.
e) Maintain a list of SBE approved
supplemental instructional materials on its
website.
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2) Requires the SBE:
a) By June 30, 2014, to approve or
reject all or a portion of the proposed list of
materials, as specified.
b) If it rejects all or a portion of
the list, to provide written reasons for removal or
addition of items at a public meeting, as
specified.
3) Authorizes a school district governing board and a
county board of education to approve supplemental
instructional materials other than those approved by the
SBE if they determine that other supplemental
instructional materials are aligned with the revised ELD
standards and meet the needs of their English learner
students, and requires that the instructional materials:
a) Comply with the evaluation criteria
developed by the CDE and approved by the SBE.
b) Be developed by publishers and
manufacturers who participate in specified learner
verification activities required under current law,
in order to improve the quality and reliability of
instructional materials.
c) Meet social content review
requirements outlined in existing law.
d) Be developed by publishers and
manufacturers who meet all requirements for the
adoption or sale of instructional materials in
California, as outlined in specified law.
e) Be reviewed by content review
experts, chosen by the local board, that meet the
same requirements as those established by the bill
at the state level for this purpose.
4) Requires publishers submitting instructional materials
to the SBE for approval to also submit standards maps.
5) Requires both the SBE and local governing boards, prior
to approval of materials, to review materials for
academic content and instructional support and to ensure
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that they meet program criteria for grade-level programs
and include materials for teacher use.
6) Sunsets the bill's provisions on July 1, 2014.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill . According to the author, with the
state's transition to the Common Core Standards in
English Language Arts, it is imperative the state not
overlook the importance of providing teachers who
instruct English language learner students with the
necessary tools to ensure their pupils achieve English
proficiency via the revised ELD standards. Once the
current ELD standards are aligned to the common core
standards (as provided for by AB 124, Chapter 605,
Statutes of 2011) the next step is to ensure teachers
and school districts have quality supplemental
instructional materials to ensure their pupils' achieve
English proficiency via the revised ELD standards. This
bill will ensure teachers and districts have the tools
to successfully implement this instructional transition
for their ELL students.
2) English learners . The CDE provides the following
information on English learners in California's public
schools:
a) In the 2010-11 school year, there were
approximately 1.4 million English learners in
California public schools, constituting 23.2
percent of the total enrollment.
b) Seventy one percent of English learners are
enrolled in the elementary grades (K-6) with the
remaining 29 percent enrolled in grades 7-12.
c) Although English learner data are collected
for 59 language groups, 94 percent speak one of the
top ten languages in the state, which include
Spanish (82.7 percent), Vietnamese, Cantonese,
Pilipino (Filipino or Tagalog), Hmong, Mandarin,
Korean, Arabic, Punjabi, and Russian.
d) During 2010-2011 the CDE administered the
California English Language Development Test
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(CELDT) to 1.57 million students, 1.25 million of
whom were tested under the annual assessment
window.
e) Since 2008-09, approximately 11% of English
learners have annually been reclassified as English
proficient.
3) English language development standards and instructional
materials . ELD standards are designed to assist
teachers in moving English learners to fluency in
English and proficiency in the English-language arts
content standards. The current ELD standards were
approved by the State Board of Education in 1999 and
were the basis for the development of the California
English Language Development Test (CELDT), currently
used to assess the progress of English learners toward
English proficiency.
Currently, English language development instruction
occurs as a part of English Language Arts instruction.
Tools and resources for English language development are
imbedded in the English Language Arts materials adopted
by the SBE. In addition AB 1802 (Assembly Budget
Committee, Chapter 79, Statutes of 2006) appropriated
$30 million on a one-time basis for local educational
agencies (LEAs) to purchase supplemental instructional
materials for English learners (ELs) in K-12. The funds
were required to be used to purchase supplemental
materials designed to help English learners become
proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English.
4) Current status of new ELD standards . As noted in the
background of the analysis, current law requires the
review, revision and alignment of the current ELD
standards to the newly adopted common core standards for
English Language Arts. According to the CDE, the
Advisory Committee established pursuant to the
provisions of AB 124 (Fuentes Chapter 605, Statutes of
2011) for this purpose is expected to complete its work
in the summer of 2012 and the final State Board of
Education adoption of the revised standards is expected
by November 2012.
5) Technical/clarifying amendments . Similar to SB 140
(Lowenthal, Chapter 623,Statutes of 2011) this bill
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proposes to serve as a "bridge" between ELD
instructional materials based upon current ELD
standards, and new ELD instructional materials based
upon the revised and aligned ELD standards and aligned
to the newly adopted English language arts common core
standards. As currently drafted it proposes to serve as
a bridge between standards, rather than a bridge between
instructional materials aligned to the new standards.
Staff recommends the bill be amended on Page 4, line 1-4
to clarify that the supplemental instructional materials
shall provide a bridge between current English Language
Development Instructional materials and ELD standards
which will be revised and aligned to California common
core language arts standards pursuant to AB 124
(Fuentes, Chapter 605, Statutes of 2011).
Staff further recommends the bill be amended on page 3
line 36 after "instructional materials" to insert "for
beginning through advanced levels of proficiency" to
ensure the comprehensive development of ELD
instructional materials.
6) Current status of materials adoption . Assembly Bill X4
2 (Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009-10 Fourth Extraordinary
Session) suspended the process and procedures for
adopting instructional materials, including framework
revisions, until the 2013-14 school year. Senate Bill 70
(Chapter 7, Statutes of 2011) extended that suspension
until the 2015-16 school year.
7) Prior legislation .
a) SB 140 (Lowenthal, Chapter 623, Statutes of
2011) required CDE to develop a list of
supplemental instructional materials for grades K-8
aligned with common core standards in ELA. The
purpose of the supplemental instructional materials
is to provide a bridge between the Common Core
Standards in ELA and the ELA content
b) AB 250 (Brownley, Chapter 608, Statutes of
2011) required CDE to develop curriculum frameworks
and professional development modules aligned to the
CCS and prepares the state's assessment system for
reauthorization and alignment with these new
standards.
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c) AB 124 (Fuentes Chapter 605, Statutes of 2011)
established the ELD Advisory Committee for the
purpose of aligning the ELD Standards to the CSS in
ELA.
SUPPORT
California School Boards Association
Los Angeles Unified School District
OPPOSITION
None received.