AB 455, as amended, Medina. Pupil instruction: special education.
(1) Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to form an advisory task force to develop standards for the mastery of the braille code as a child progresses through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the Superintendent to utilize this advisory task force to develop standards for visually impaired pupils to learn, and achieve mastery of, the braille mathematics code, and requires the task force to report those standards to the State Board of Education by March 1, 2006.
This bill would replace the advisory task force with a group of experts on the blind and visually impaired, as defined, and would require the Superintendent, upon consultation with the group of experts, to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academic standards for blind and visually impaired pupils to learn, and achieve mastery of and literacy in, braille and braille mathematics codes. The bill would require the Superintendent to recommend those standards to the state board by March 30, 2015.
This bill would additionally require the Superintendent, upon consultation with a group of experts on thebegin delete deafend deletebegin insert Deafend insert and hard-of-hearing, to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards, forbegin delete deafend deletebegin insert Deafend insert and hard-of-hearing pupils to learn, and achieve mastery of and literacy in, American Sign Language as a child progresses through kindergarten and grades 1
to 12, inclusive. The bill would require the Superintendent to recommend these standards to the state board by March 30, 2015.
(2) Existing law requires the state board to adopt braille reading and mathematics standards for visually impaired pupils by June 1, 2006.
This bill would require the state board to adopt braille reading and mathematics standards for blind and visually impaired pupils that are aligned to the common core academic content standards by June 30, 2015, as specified. The bill would require county offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas to provide blind and visually impaired pupils opportunities for instruction to master the standards adopted by the state board, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.
This bill would also require the state board to adopt American Sign Language standards forbegin delete deafend deletebegin insert
Deafend insert
and hard-of-hearing pupils that are aligned to the common core academic content standards by June 30, 2015, as specified. The bill would require county offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas to providebegin delete deafend deletebegin insert Deafend insert and hard-of-hearing pupils opportunities for instruction to master the standards adopted by the state board, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 56351.7 of the Education Code is
2amended to read:
(a) The Superintendent shall consult with a group of
4experts on the blind and visually impaired to develop standards
5that are aligned to the common core academic content standards
6to learn, and achieve the mastery of and literacy in, the braille code
7as a pupil progresses through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12,
8inclusive.
9(b) The group of experts shall include, but shall not be limited
10to, members representing all of the following:
11(1) Parents of blind and visually impaired pupils.
12(2) Teachers of blind and visually impaired pupils.
13(3) Researchers in the field of blindness and visual impairment.
14(4) Curriculum and instructional specialists with experience
15with blind and visually impaired pupils.
16(5) Groups that advocate for teaching of, and use of, braille.
17(c) At least one-half of the members of the group of experts
18shall be currently employed public schoolteachers.
19(d) The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the
20state board regarding the standards developed pursuant to
21subdivision (a) by March 30, 2015.
Section 56351.8 of the Education Code is amended to
23read:
(a) The Superintendent shall consult with the group
25of experts established pursuant to Section 56351.7 to develop
26standards that are aligned to the common core academic content
27standards for pupils described in subdivision (b) to learn, and to
28achieve mastery of and literacy in, the braille mathematics code
29as they progress through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
30(b) The standards described in subdivision (a) shall be developed
31for pupils who, due to a visual impairment, are functionally blind
32or may be expected to have a need to learn the braille code as their
33primary literacy mode for learning.
34(c) The Superintendent shall make a recommendation
to the
35state board regarding the standards developed pursuant to
36subdivision (a) by March 30, 2015.
Section 56351.9 of the Education Code is amended to
38read:
(a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), by June
230, 2015, the state board shall adopt braille reading and
3mathematics standards that are aligned to the common core
4academic content standards for pupils who, due to a visual
5impairment, are functionally blind or may be expected to have a
6need to learn the braille code as their primary literacy mode for
7learning.
8(b) County offices of education, school districts, and special
9education local plan areas shall provide to pupils described in
10subdivision (a) opportunities for instruction to master the braille
11reading and mathematics standards adopted by the state board.
12(c) (1) The state board
shall, if it revises braille reading or
13mathematics standards recommended by the Superintendent,
14provide written reasons for the revisions at a public meeting held
15pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9
16(commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of
17Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
18(2) The state board shall adopt the revised braille reading and
19mathematics standards at a meeting subsequent to the meeting held
20pursuant to paragraph (1) but no later than August 31, 2015.
Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 56355) is added
22to Chapter 4 of Part 30 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education
23Code, to read:
24
(a) The Superintendent shall consult with a group of
29experts on thebegin delete deafend deletebegin insert Deafend insert and hard-of-hearing to develop standards
30that are aligned to the common core academic content standards
31to learn, and achieve the mastery of and literacy in, American Sign
32Language as a pupil progresses through kindergarten and grades
331 to 12, inclusive.
34(b) The group of experts shall include, but shall not be limited
35to, members representing all of the following:
36(1) Parents ofbegin delete deafend deletebegin insert
Deafend insert and hard-of-hearing pupils.
37(2) Teachers ofbegin delete deafend deletebegin insert Deafend insert and hard-of-hearing pupils.
38(3) Researchers in the field of deafness and auditory impairment.
39(4) Curriculum and instructional specialists with experience
40withbegin delete deafend deletebegin insert
Deafend insert and hard-of-hearing pupils.
P5 1(5) Groups that advocate for teaching of, and use of, American
2Sign Language.
3(c) At least one-half of the members of the group of experts
4shall be currently employed public schoolteachers.
5(d) The standards described in subdivision (a) shall be developed
6for pupils who arebegin delete deafend deletebegin insert Deafend insert or hard-of-hearing and who use
7American Sign Language as their primary language or literacy
8access mode.
9(e) The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the
10state board regarding the standards developed
pursuant to
11subdivision (a) by March 30, 2015.
(a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), by June 30,
132015, the state board shall adopt American Sign Language literacy
14standards that are aligned to the common core academic content
15standards for pupils who arebegin delete deafend deletebegin insert Deafend insert or hard-of-hearing and use
16American Sign Language as their primary language or literacy
17access mode.
18(b) County offices of education, school districts, and special
19education local plan areas shall provide to pupils described in
20subdivision (a) opportunities for instruction to master the American
21Sign Language literacy standards adopted
by the state board.
22(c) (1) The state board shall, if it revises American Sign
23Language literacy standards recommended by the Superintendent,
24provide written reasons for the revisions at a public meeting held
25pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9
26(commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of
27Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
28(2) The state board shall adopt the revised standards at a meeting
29subsequent to the meeting held pursuant to paragraph (1) but no
30later than August 31, 2015.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
32this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
33local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
34pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
354 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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