AB 455, as amended, Medina. Pupil instruction: special educationbegin insert: blind and visually impaired pupils: deaf and hard-of-hearing pupilsend insert.
(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, asbegin delete definedend deletebegin insert describedend insert,
and would require the Superintendent, upon consultation with the group of experts, to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academicbegin insert contentend insert standards for blind and visually impaired pupils to learn, and achievebegin insert theend insert mastery of and literacy in,begin insert theend insert braillebegin insert codeend insert andbegin insert theend insert braille mathematicsbegin delete codesend deletebegin insert
codeend insert. 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 and hard-of-hearing, to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards, for Deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils to learn, and achievebegin insert theend insert mastery of and literacy in, American Sign Language as abegin delete childend deletebegin insert pupilend insert 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 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 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
end deletebegin insert(3)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertTheend insert 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 forbegin insert theend insert teaching of, andbegin insert theend insert use of,
17braille.
18(c) At least one-half of the members of the group of experts
19shall be currently employed public schoolteachers.
20(d) The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the
21state
board regarding the standards developed pursuant to
22subdivision (a) by March 30, 2015.
Section 56351.8 of the Education Code is amended to
24read:
(a) The Superintendent shall consult with the group
26of experts established pursuant to Section 56351.7 to develop
27standards that are aligned to the common core academic content
28standards for pupils described in subdivision (b) to learn, and to
29achieve mastery of and literacy in, the braille mathematics code
30as they progress through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
31(b) The standards described in subdivision (a) shall be developed
32for pupils who, due to a visual impairment, are functionally blind
33or may be expected to have a need to learn the braille code as their
34primary literacy mode for learning.
35(c) The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the
36state board regarding the standards developed pursuant to
37subdivision (a) by March 30, 2015.
Section 56351.9 of the Education Code is amended to
2read:
(a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), by June
430, 2015, the state board shall adopt braille reading and
5mathematics standards that are aligned to the common core
6academic content standards for pupils who, due to a visual
7impairment, are functionally blind or may be expected to have a
8need to learn the braille code as their primary literacy mode for
9learning.
10(b) County offices of education, school districts, and special
11education local plan areas shall provide to pupils described in
12subdivision (a) opportunities for instruction to master the braille
13reading and mathematics standards adopted by the state board.
14(c) (1) The state board shall, if it revises braille reading or
15mathematics standards recommended by the Superintendent,
16provide written reasons for the revisions at abegin insert regularly scheduledend insert
17 public meeting held pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting
18Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of
19Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
20(2) The state board shall adopt the revised braille reading and
21mathematics standards at a meeting subsequent to the meeting held
22pursuant to paragraph (1) but no later than August 31, 2015.
Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 56355) is added
24to Chapter 4 of Part 30 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education
25Code, to read:
26
(a) The Superintendent shall consult with a group of
31experts on the Deaf and hard-of-hearing to develop standards that
32are aligned to the common core academic content standards to
33learn, and achieve the mastery of and literacy in, American Sign
34Language as a pupil progresses through kindergarten and grades
351 to 12, inclusive.
36(b) The group of experts shall include, but shall not be limited
37to, members representing all of the following:
38(1) Parents of Deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils.
39(2) Teachers of Deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils.
40(3) Researchers in the field of deafness and auditory impairment.
P5 1(4) Curriculum and instructional specialists with experience
2with Deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils.
3(5) Groups that advocate forbegin insert theend insert teaching of, andbegin insert theend insert use of,
4American Sign Language.
5(c) At least one-half of the members of the group of experts
6shall be currently employed public schoolteachers.
7(d) The standards described in subdivision (a) shall be
developed
8for pupils who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing and who use American
9Sign Language as their primary language or literacy access mode.
10(e) The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the
11state board regarding the standards developed pursuant to
12subdivision (a) by March 30, 2015.
(a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), by June 30,
142015, the state board shall adopt American Sign Language literacy
15standards that are aligned to the common core academic content
16standards for pupils who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing and use
17American Sign Language as their primary language or literacy
18access mode.
19(b) County offices of education, school districts, and special
20education local plan areas shall provide to pupils described in
21subdivision (a) opportunities for instruction to master the American
22Sign Language literacy standards adopted by the state board.
23(c) (1) The
state board shall, if it revises American Sign
24Language literacy standards recommended by the Superintendent,
25provide written reasons for the revisions at abegin insert end insertbegin insertregularly scheduledend insert
26 public meeting held pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting
27Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of
28Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).
29(2) The state board shall adopt the revised standards at a meeting
30subsequent to the meeting held pursuant to paragraph (1) but no
31later than August 31, 2015.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
33this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
34local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
35pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
364 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
O
96