BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 484
Page A
Date of Hearing: May 15, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 484 (Bonilla) - As Amended: April 24, 2013
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:6-0
Urgency: Yes State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill extends authorization for the state's K-12 assessment
system from July 1, 2014 to January 1, 2024 and renames it the
California Measurement of Academic Performance and Progress for
the 21st Century (CalMAPP21). Suspends non-core subject area
California Standards Assessments (CSTs) administered under the
Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program, beginning in
the 2013-14 school year, until new assessments addressing the
Common Core (CC) Standards are developed and implemented.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Defines CalMAPP21 as the comprehensive assessment system with
the primary purpose of modeling and promoting high-quality
teaching and instruction using a variety of assessment
approaches and item types in both the federal Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA) required and non-required ESEA
subject areas.
2)Requires only the following STAR assessments to be
administered beginning in the 2013-14 school year: (a) core
subject area CSTs in grades 3-11 necessary to satisfy the
federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB - current
version of the ESEA); (b) the California High School Exit Exam
(CAHSEE); and (c) assessments augmented as part of the Early
Assessment Program in grade l1 until new CC Standard
assessments are developed and implemented.
FISCAL EFFECT
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1)CalMAPP21 Costs<1> :
a) 2013-14 Fiscal Year (FY) : Total GF/98 STAR contract and
apportionment savings of approximately $15.1 million to
only administer the required ESEA assessments. Of this
savings, approximately $11.3 million is contract savings
and $3.8 million is apportionment savings. The state
provides local education agencies (LEAs) and charter
schools with an apportionment reimbursement of $2.52 per
pupil for administering these assessments.
b) 2014-15 FY and beyond : While the actual costs of
administering the Summative Multi-State Assessment
Resources for Teachers and Educational Researchers
(SMARTER) Balanced Consortium assessments are not
finalized, initial estimates indicate annual total costs
would be approximately $97.1 million GF/98 at full
implementation, which is approximately $31.1 million GF/98
more than currently being allocated annually for the STAR
program at full implementation. This assumes grades 3-11
are assessed ($66.4 million) and grade 9, 11, and 12
receive an "add-on" assessment ($30.7 million). The
consortium assessments are vastly different than the
current STAR assessments. For example, these assessments
are designed to be online and computer adaptive as opposed
to the paper - and - pencil STAR assessments currently
administered to pupils. Likewise, there will be optional
initial and formative assessments as part of this system.
These assessments will be given throughout the year to help
teachers and administrators receive interim data on how
pupils are progressing on academic content throughout the
year.
2)Other Costs .
a) GF administrative costs to SDE, likely between $500,000
and $1 million, to convene stakeholder groups to discuss
the development of an alternative assessment for
individuals with exceptional needs, a science assessment
aligned to the Next Generation of Science Standards, and
standards-aligned primary language assessment for English
--------------------------
<1>These costs are GF/98 only and do not include federal funds.
The state does receive federal NCLB Title VI funds to offset
state assessments costs for the STAR program, the CAHSEE, and
the California English Language Development Test.
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learner (EL) pupils, as specified.
b) GF/98 cost pressure, at least in the tens of millions,
to SDE to develop non-required ESEA assessments (e.g.,
history-social science, science tests at the high school
level, primary language assessments, and high school math
assessments) and the assessments referenced above for
individuals with exceptional needs and EL pupils.
c) GF/98 costs likely between $500,000 and $1 million, to
SDE to contract for a multi-year, independent evaluation of
CalMAPP21, as specified.
SUMMARY CONTINUED
1)Requires all LEAs and charter schools, beginning in the
2014-15 school year, to administer consortium assessments in
ELA and mathematics in grades 3-8 and grade 11 and use these
assessments to replace previously administered STAR
assessments in these grade levels to satisfy federal ESEA
requirements.
2)Eliminates the administration of second grade tests in the
state's assessment system and those tests not required under
the federal ESEA (see chart below). Further exempts recently
arrived EL pupils (an EL pupil who has been enrolled in school
for less than 12 months) from taking the consortium English
language arts (ELA) assessment.
3)Eliminates the primary language assessments in ELA and
mathematics administered to EL pupils in grades 2-11 from the
state's assessment system.
4)Eliminates existing apportionment funding provided to school
districts, COEs, and charter schools for the administration of
the following: (a) other achievement tests in grades other
than those required under CalMAPP21, (b) alternative
assessment for individuals with exceptional needs, and (c) the
primary language assessments for EL and non-EL pupils.
5)Requires school districts and charter schools, in the 2014-15
school year, to receive the same amount of STAR apportionment
as received for the 2013-14 school year, with the requirement
that districts and charter schools use the funds from the
suspended assessments on CC implementation, including
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professional development, technology to implement CalMAPP21,
or other relevant activities.
6)Authorizes SDE, beginning with the 2013-14 school year, to
make available to districts and charter schools suspended STAR
test forms. Further requires school districts and charter
schools that choose to administer suspended assessments to do
so at their own expense, as specified.
7)Authorizes SDE to enter into contracts to implement CalMAPP21
and requires the State Board of Education (SBE), as it deems
necessary, to revise state assessment regulations (including
establishing emergency regulations) for the purpose of
implementing the new assessment system.
8)Requires the SPI, with SBE approval, to provide for the
development of an alternative assessment for individuals with
special needs and the degree by which pupils are achieving the
academically rigorous content standards, as specified.
9)Requires the SPI to make recommendations to the SBE regarding
science tests required under NCLB within six months of the
adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards.
10)Requires the SPI to consult with stakeholders and subject
matter experts in determining how to assess non-required ESEA
subject areas, including, but not limited to, science,
mathematics, history-social science, technology, and visual
and performing arts. This involves developing a plan by
January 15, 2015, as specified.
11)Requires the SPI, contingent on funding for this purpose, to
consult with stakeholders (including EL experts) to determine
if a stand-alone ELA and mathematics primary language
assessment is needed to supplement the consortium assessment.
Further requires this work to be completed by November 2014.
12)Requires SDE, contingent on funding for this purpose and by
December 1, 2014, to identify existing grade 2 assessments in
ELA and mathematics available for a diagnostic use by school
districts, as specified.
13)Requires SDE to administer an LEA survey to determine how
school districts are progressing toward implementation of a
technology-enabled assessment system and update the results
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biannually. Further requires the SPI to make recommendations
to the Legislature, on or before January 31, 2014, to identify
LEA needs in order to implement the system.
14)Requires SDE to contract for a multi-year independent
evaluation of the assessments, including annual reports.
15)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to
produce assessment materials for parents in languages other
than English, upon determination that funds are available for
this purpose.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . As a condition of applying for the federal Race to
the Top (RTT) grant program, states were required to adopt the
CC Standards in ELA and mathematics by the fall of 2010. In
August 2010, the SBE adopted these standards.
The U.S. Department of Education, using Race To The Top grant
funding, issued a competitive grant for the development of a
comprehensive assessment system based on the Common Core (CC)
Standards in ELA and mathematics that would adhere to the
testing requirements of the federal Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA). ESEA requires testing in ELA and
mathematics in grades three through eight and once in grades
10 through 12.
Two assessment consortia were funded through this process: the
Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and
Careers and the SMARTER Balanced Assessment Consortium. Each
consortium was awarded grant funding to develop an assessment
system aligned to the CC Standards in ELA and mathematics and
to help participating states implement the standards and the
common assessments. Both consortia are scheduled to
operationalize assessments 2014-15 and include use computer
administered assessments.
In June 2010, California joined the SMARTER Balanced
consortium. Participation in this consortium requires
California to administer and use the assessments developed by
the consortium to meet the ESEA Title I requirements in the
2014-15 school year. This bill implements this requirement
and specifies the primary purpose of the state's assessment
system - CalMAPP21 - is the consortium assessments, as
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specified.
2)Current law establishes STAR as the state's primary K-12
assessment system . This program consists of three elements:
(a) California Standards Tests (CST), including tests in
Spanish for specified grades; (c) the Spanish Assessment of
Basic Education primary language test, and (d) the California
Alternative Performance Assessment for special education
pupils. The STAR program is scheduled to sunset in 2014. This
measure renames the state's assessment system and provides
that only those CSTs administered in grades 3-8 and grade 10
will be administered in the 2013-14 school year.
The following table displays the current STAR assessments and
whether or not they are included in the proposed CalMAPP21, as
specified.
----------------------------------------------------------
| Assessment | Required | Suspended |
| | (per ESEA) | (non-ESEA) |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|ELA - Grade 2 | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|ELA - Grades 3-8 | X | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|ELA - Grades 9-11 | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|CA Alternative Performance | | |
|Assessment (CAPA) - ELA - | | X |
|Grade 2 | | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|CAPA - ELA - Grade 10 | X | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|CAPA - ELA - Grade 11 | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Math - Grade 2 | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Math - Grade 3-8 | X | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|CAPA - Math - Grade 9 | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|CAPA - Math - Grade 11 | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Algebra I - Grades 7-8 | X | |
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|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|General Math - Grade 8 | X | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Geometry - Grade 8 | X | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Algebra II | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Summative Math - Grades | | X |
|9-12 | | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Integrated Math - Grades | | X |
|9-12 | | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|CAPA - ELA - Grades | | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
| | | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Science - Grade 5 | X | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Life Science - Grade 10 | X | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Biology | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Chemistry | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Earth Science | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Physics | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Integrated Science | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|History-Social Science - | | X |
|Grade 8 | | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|U.S. History - Grade 11 | | X |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Primary Language | | X |
|Assessment | | |
|(ELA - Grades 2-11) | | |
|---------------------------+---------------+--------------|
|Primary Language | | X |
|Assessment | | |
|(Math - Grades 2-7) | | |
----------------------------------------------------------
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3)Elimination of the primary language assessment . SB 1448
(Alpert), Chapter 233, Statutes of 2004, required SDE to
establish primary language CSTs for ELA and mathematics. To
date, there are Spanish CSTs available for pupils enrolled in
grades 2-11 in ELA and for pupils enrolled in grades 2-7 in
mathematics. Also, Spanish CST are available for pupils
enrolled in algebra I and geometry. Statute authorizes a pupil
to take a primary language CST. The pupil, however, is
required to take this assessment in addition to all CSTs in
English for specified subjects (i.e., ELA, mathematics,
history/social science, and science). According to SDE,
34,346 EL pupils took the Spanish CSTs in ELA and 36,887 EL
pupils took the Spanish CST for mathematics in 2012.
Current law authorizes EL pupils enrolled in school less than
12 months or who receive primary language instruction and
non-EL pupils, as specified, to take the standards-aligned
primary language assessment. This information provides
valuable information on a pupil's knowledge of the ELA and
mathematics standards. For example, an EL pupil may have
academic content knowledge, but this knowledge cannot be
measured accurately if he or she does not understand the test
because it is in English.
There were 1.4 million ELL pupils enrolled in California
schools. This represents 22.3% of all children enrolled in
school. According to SDE, 35% of ELLs are enrolled in
kindergarten. The committee may wish to consider requiring SDE
to continue administering the current primary language
assessment and develop a new primary language assessment
aligned to the CC Standards.
4)Related legislation .
a) AB 959 (Bonilla), pending in this committee, requires
the SPI and the SBE, in consultation with the University of
California (UC), the California State University (CSU), the
California Community Colleges (CCCs), and other specified
groups, to recommend specific use of the summative results
of middle and high school Common Core (CC) assessments by
UC, CSU, and CCCs for entry into college, course placement,
career opportunities, and assessment programs at the
college level.
b) SB 247 (Liu), pending in the Senate Appropriations
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Committee, extends the STAR Program by two years from July
1, 2014 to July 1, 2016. This measure also eliminates the
requirement that pupils in grade 2 be assessed in ELA and
mathematics under this program and instead, requires SDE,
beginning July 1, 2014, to make available to school
districts information regarding existing diagnostic
assessments that are appropriate for second grade.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081