BILL NUMBER: AB 455	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 9, 2013
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 3, 2013

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Medina
   (Coauthor: Assembly Member Quirk)

                        FEBRUARY 19, 2013

   An act to amend Sections 56351.7, 56351.8, and 56351.9 of, and to
add Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 56355) to Chapter 4 of Part
30 of Division 4 of Title 2 of, the Education Code, relating to pupil
instruction.



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   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 the  deaf 
 Deaf  and hard-of-hearing, to develop standards that are
aligned to the common core academic content standards, for 
deaf  Deaf  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 for  deaf   Deaf 
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 provide  deaf 
 Deaf  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 1.  Section 56351.7 of the Education Code is amended to
read:
   56351.7.  (a) The Superintendent shall consult with a group of
experts on the blind and visually impaired to develop standards that
are aligned to the common core academic content standards to learn,
and achieve the mastery of and literacy in, the braille code as a
pupil progresses through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
   (b) The group of experts shall include, but shall not be limited
to, members representing all of the following:
   (1) Parents of blind and visually impaired pupils.
   (2) Teachers of blind and visually impaired pupils.
   (3) Researchers in the field of blindness and visual impairment.
   (4) Curriculum and instructional specialists with experience with
blind and visually impaired pupils.
   (5) Groups that advocate for teaching of, and use of, braille.
   (c) At least one-half of the members of the group of experts shall
be currently employed public schoolteachers.
   (d) The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the state
board regarding the standards developed pursuant to subdivision (a)
by March 30, 2015.
  SEC. 2.  Section 56351.8 of the Education Code is amended to read:
   56351.8.  (a) The Superintendent shall consult with the group of
experts established pursuant to Section 56351.7 to develop standards
that are aligned to the common core academic content standards for
pupils described in subdivision (b) to learn, and to achieve mastery
of and literacy in, the braille mathematics code as they progress
through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
   (b) The standards described in subdivision (a) shall be developed
for pupils who, due to a visual impairment, are functionally blind or
may be expected to have a need to learn the braille code as their
primary literacy mode for learning.
   (c) The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the state
board regarding the standards developed pursuant to subdivision (a)
by March 30, 2015.
  SEC. 3.  Section 56351.9 of the Education Code is amended to read:
   56351.9.  (a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), by June 30,
2015, the state board shall adopt braille reading and mathematics
standards that are aligned to the common core academic content
standards for pupils who, due to a visual impairment, are
functionally blind or may be expected to have a need to learn the
braille code as their primary literacy mode for learning.
   (b) County offices of education, school districts, and special
education local plan areas shall provide to pupils described in
subdivision (a) opportunities for instruction to master the braille
reading and mathematics standards adopted by the state board.
   (c) (1) The state board shall, if it revises braille reading or
mathematics standards recommended by the Superintendent, provide
written reasons for the revisions at a public meeting held pursuant
to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with
Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the
Government Code).
   (2) The state board shall adopt the revised braille reading and
mathematics standards at a meeting subsequent to the meeting held
pursuant to paragraph (1) but no later than August 31, 2015.
  SEC. 4.  Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 56355) is added to
Chapter 4 of Part 30 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code,
to read:

      Article 3.6.  Individualized Education Program for Deaf and
Hard-of-hearing Pupils


   56355.  (a) The Superintendent shall consult with a group of
experts on the  deaf  Deaf  and
hard-of-hearing to develop standards that are aligned to the common
core academic content standards to learn, and achieve the mastery of
and literacy in, American Sign Language as a pupil progresses through
kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
   (b) The group of experts shall include, but shall not be limited
to, members representing all of the following:
   (1) Parents of  deaf   Deaf  and
hard-of-hearing pupils.
   (2) Teachers of  deaf   Deaf  and
hard-of-hearing pupils.
   (3) Researchers in the field of deafness and auditory impairment.
   (4) Curriculum and instructional specialists with experience with
 deaf   Deaf  and hard-of-hearing pupils.
   (5) Groups that advocate for teaching of, and use of, American
Sign Language.
   (c) At least one-half of the members of the group of experts shall
be currently employed public schoolteachers.
   (d) The standards described in subdivision (a) shall be developed
for pupils who are  deaf   Deaf  or
hard-of-hearing and who use American Sign Language as their primary
language or literacy access mode.
   (e) The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the state
board regarding the standards developed pursuant to subdivision (a)
by March 30, 2015.
   56356.  (a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), by June 30,
2015, the state board shall adopt American Sign Language literacy
standards that are aligned to the common core academic content
standards for pupils who are  deaf   Deaf 
or hard-of-hearing and use American Sign Language as their primary
language or literacy access mode.
   (b) County offices of education, school districts, and special
education local plan areas shall provide to pupils described in
subdivision (a) opportunities for instruction to master the American
Sign Language literacy standards adopted by the state board.
   (c) (1) The state board shall, if it revises American Sign
Language literacy standards recommended by the Superintendent,
provide written reasons for the revisions at a public meeting held
pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing
with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2
of the Government Code).
   (2) The state board shall adopt the revised standards at a meeting
subsequent to the meeting held pursuant to paragraph (1) but no
later than August 31, 2015.
  SEC. 5.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.