BILL NUMBER: AB 899 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 25, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Weber
FEBRUARY 22, 2013
An act to add and repeal Section 60811.3
Section 60811.4 of the Education Code, relating to academic
content standards.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 899, as amended, Weber. English language development standards:
English learners : mathematics: science .
Existing law requires each school district that has one or more
pupils who are English learners and, to the extent required by
federal law, each county office of education and each charter school,
to assess the English language development of each of those pupils
upon initial enrollment in order to determine the level of
proficiency of those pupils, and thereafter to assess each of those
pupils annually until the pupil is redesignated as English
proficient.
Existing law requires the State Board of Education to approve
standards for English language development for pupils whose primary
language is a language other than English. Existing law further
requires that these standards be comparable in rigor and specificity
to the statewide academically rigorous content standards for English
language arts.
Existing law, which is to be repealed on July 1, 2013, requires
the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the
state board, to update, revise, and align the English language
development standards adopted pursuant to existing law to the state
board-approved academic content standards for English language arts
, as provided . These provisions require the
Superintendent to convene a group of experts in English language
instruction, curriculum, and assessment to assist the Superintendent
in updating, revising, and aligning the English language development
standards. These provisions also require the Superintendent to
present the updated, revised, and aligned English language
development standards to the state board on or before August 31,
2012. These provisions further require the state board to adopt,
reject, or revise the standards presented by the Superintendent on or
before September 30, 2012.
These provisions also require the Superintendent and the state
board to present to the Governor and the appropriate policy and
fiscal committees of the Legislature a schedule and implementation
plan for integrating the English language development standards
adopted pursuant to the above provisions into the state public
education system. These provisions also express the intent of the
Legislature that the State Department of Education consider the work
of the group of experts when developing any new English language
acquisition assessments. These provisions require the department to
use certain federal funds to implement these provisions.
This bill would reenact the provisions described above that are to
be repealed on July 1, 2013.
The
This bill would also require the
Superintendent, on or before January 1, 2015, to present to
the state board the English language development standards aligned to
academic content standards for mathematics and literacy in science
adopted based on the work of the group of experts referenced above.
recommend modifications to the English language
development standards to align with the state board-approved academic
content standards for mathematics, and would authorize
the Superintendent to recommend modifications to the English language
development standards to align with the state board-approved science
content standards, for adoption to the state board.
The bill would require the Superintendent and state board
, before the presentation to the state board, to
hold a minimum of 2 public meetings in order for the public to
provide input regarding the work of the group of experts to
update, revise, and align any modifications to
the English language development standards.
The bill would also require the state board, on
or before August 1, 2015, to adopt or reject the Superintendent's
recommendations for the alignment of the English language development
standards with the state board-approved academic content standards
for mathematics and literacy in science, as
specified.
This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1,
2016, and would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2017.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 60811.4 is added to the
Education Code , to read:
60811.4. (a) On or before January 1, 2015, the Superintendent
shall recommend to the state board modifications to the English
language development standards, adopted pursuant to Section 60811, to
align with the academic content standards for mathematics adopted by
the state board pursuant to Section 60605.8. If the state board
modifies the English language development standards to align with the
academic content standards for mathematics, it shall explain, in
writing, to the Governor and the Legislature the reasons for the
modification. The Superintendent's recommendations and the state
board's actions shall assist schools in the implementation and
application of English language development standards in the
mathematics subject area.
(b) On or before January 1, 2015, the Superintendent may recommend
to the state board modifications to the English language development
standards, adopted pursuant to Section 60811, to align with the
science content standards adopted by the state board pursuant to
Section 60605.85. If the state board modifies the English language
development standards to align with the science content standards, it
shall explain, in writing, to the Governor and the Legislature the
reasons for the modification. The Superintendent's recommendations
and the state board's actions shall assist schools in the
implementation and application of English language development
standards in the science subject area.
(c) In carrying out subdivisions (a) and (b), the Superintendent
and the state board shall hold a minimum of two public meetings
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) in order for the public to provide input
regarding any modifications recommended pursuant to this section.
(d) On or before August 1, 2015, the state board shall do both of
the following:
(1) Adopt or reject the Superintendent's recommendations for the
alignment of the English language development standards adopted
pursuant to Section 60811 with the state board-approved academic
content standards for mathematics adopted pursuant to Section
60605.8.
(2) Adopt or reject the Superintendent's recommendations for the
alignment of the English language development standards adopted
pursuant to Section 60811 with the state board-approved academic
content standards for science adopted pursuant to Section 60605.85.
SECTION 1. Section 60811.3 is added to the
Education Code, to read:
60811.3. (a) The Superintendent, in consultation with the state
board, shall update, revise, and align the English language
development standards adopted pursuant to Section 60811 to the state
board-approved academic content standards for English language arts
adopted pursuant to Section 60605.8. The English language development
standards shall be aligned by grade level, and shall be comparable
to, and as rigorous and specific as, the academic content standards
for English language arts adopted by the state board pursuant to
Section 60605.8.
(b) In meeting the requirements of subdivision (a), the
Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, shall convene a
group of experts in English language instruction, curriculum, and
assessment, including individuals who have a minimum of three years
of demonstrated experience instructing English learners in the
classroom at the elementary or secondary level. The Superintendent
shall ensure that members of the group include, but are not limited
to, individuals who are schoolsite principals, school district or
county office of education administrators overseeing programs and
support for English learners, personnel of teacher training schools
at institutions of higher education, or curriculum and instructional
specialists with English learner experience.
(c) On or before August 31, 2012, the Superintendent shall present
the updated, revised, and aligned English language development
standards, based on the work of the group of experts convened
pursuant to subdivision (b), to the state board. Before the
presentation to the state board, the Superintendent shall hold a
minimum of two public meetings 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) in order
for the public to provide input regarding the work of the group of
experts to update, revise, and align the English language development
standards.
(d) On or before September 30, 2012, the state board shall adopt,
reject, or revise the English language development standards
presented by the Superintendent.
(1) If the state board revises the English language development
standards presented by the Superintendent, the state board shall, in
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), provide written
reasons for its revisions. The state board shall not adopt the
revised English language development standards at the same meeting it
provides its written reasons, but, instead, shall adopt these
revisions at a subsequent meeting or no later than November 15, 2012.
(2) If the state board rejects the English language development
standards presented by the Superintendent pursuant to subdivision
(c), the state board shall transmit to the Superintendent, the
Governor, and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the
Legislature a specific written explanation of the reasons why the
standards presented by the Superintendent were rejected.
(e) On or before January 1, 2015, the Superintendent shall present
the English language development standards aligned to academic
content standards for mathematics and literacy in science adopted
pursuant to Section 60605.8, based on the work of the group of
experts convened pursuant to subdivision (b), to the state board.
Before the presentation to the state board, the Superintendent shall
hold a minimum of two public meetings 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)
in order for the public to provide input regarding the work of the
group of experts to update, revise, and align the English language
development standards.
(f) On or before August 1, 2015, the state board shall adopt or
reject the Superintendent's recommendations for the alignment of the
English language development standards adopted pursuant to Section
60811 with the state board-approved academic content standards for
mathematics and literacy in science adopted pursuant to Section
60605.8.
(g) The Superintendent and the state board shall present to the
Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the
Legislature a schedule and implementation plan for integrating the
English language development standards adopted pursuant to this
section into the state public education system, including, but not
limited to, incorporating the standards into the English language
development test.
(h) It is the intent of the Legislature that the department
consider the work of the group of experts convened pursuant to
subdivision (b) when developing any new English language proficiency
assessments.
(i) The department shall use federal carryover funds received
pursuant to Title I of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
(20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.) to implement this section.
(j) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2016, and, as
of January 1, 2017, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute,
that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2017, deletes or
extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.