AB 899, as amended, Weber. Academic content standards: English language development standards.
(1) 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.
This bill would instead require that the standards for English language development for pupils whose primary language is a language other than English be comparable in rigor and specificity to the academic content standards to which they are aligned, including specified standards for English language arts and mathematics and specified science content standards.
(2) Existing law, which is to be repealed on July 1, 2013, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the state board, to update, revise, and align the English language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.
This bill would require the Superintendent, on or before January 1, 2015, to recommend modifications to the English language development standards to align with the state board-approved academic content standards for mathematics, and would also require 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.begin insert The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, to convene a group of experts in English language instruction, curriculum, and assessment, as provided, to meet those requirements.end insert The bill would require the Superintendent to hold a minimum of 2 public meetings in order for the public to provide input regarding any modifications to the English language development standards.
The bill would 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 science, as specified.
begin insertThis bill would require that funding be provided in the annual Budget Act or another statute before these provisions could be implemented. The bill would make its provisions inoperative on July 1, 2016.
end insertVote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 60811 of the Education Code is amended
2to read:
The state board shall approve standards for English
2language development for pupils whose primary language is a
3language other than English. The standards shall be comparable
4in rigor and specificity to the academic content standards to which
5they are aligned, including the standards for English language arts
6and mathematics adopted pursuant to Section 60605.8 and the
7science content standards adopted pursuant to Section 60605.85.
Section 60811.4 is added to the Education Code, to
9read:
(a) On or before January 1, 2015, the Superintendent
11shall recommend to the state board modifications to the English
12language development standards, adopted pursuant to Section
1360811, to align with the academic content standards for
14mathematics adopted by the state board pursuant to Section
1560605.8. If the state board modifies the English language
16development standards to align with the academic content standards
17for mathematics, it shall explain, in writing, to the Governor and
18the Legislature the reasons for the modification. The
19Superintendent’s recommendations and the state board’s actions
20shall assist schools in the implementation and application of
21English language development standards in the mathematics subject
22
area.
23(b) On or before January 1, 2015, the Superintendent shall
24recommend to the state board modifications to the English language
25development standards, adopted pursuant to Section 60811, to
26align with the science content standards adopted by the state board
27pursuant to Section 60605.85. If the state board modifies the
28English language development standards to align with the science
29content standards, it shall explain, in writing, to the Governor and
30the Legislature the reasons for the modification. The
31Superintendent’s recommendations and the state board’s actions
32shall assist schools in the implementation and application of
33English language development standards in the science subject
34area.
35(c) In meeting the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b), the
36Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, shall convene
37a group of experts in English language instruction, curriculum,
38and assessment, including individuals who have a minimum of
39three years of demonstrated experience instructing English learners
40in the classroom at the elementary or secondary level. The
P4 1Superintendent shall ensure that the group includes, but is not
2necessarily limited to, members who are schoolsite principals,
3school district or county office of education administrators
4overseeing programs and support for English learners, personnel
5of teacher training schools at institutions of higher education, and
6curriculum and instructional specialists with English learner
7experience. For the purpose of this subdivision, the Superintendent
8may use the group of experts convened pursuant to subdivision
9(b) of former Section 60811.3, as it read on June 30, 2013, with
10
modifications to account for mathematics and science content
11experience.
12(c) In carrying out
end delete
13begin insert(d)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertPrior to completing the requirements ofend insert subdivisions (a) and
14(b), the Superintendent shall hold a minimum of two public
15meetings pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article
169 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of
17Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) in order for the
18public to provide input regarding any
modifications recommended
19pursuant to this section.
20(d)
end delete
21begin insert(e)end insert On or before August 1, 2015, the state board shall do both
22of the following:
23(1) Adopt or reject the Superintendent’s recommendations for
24the alignment of the English language development standards
25adopted pursuant to Section 60811 with the state board-approved
26academic content standards for mathematics adopted pursuant to
27Section 60605.8.
28(2) Adopt or reject the Superintendent’s recommendations for
29the
alignment of the English language development standards
30adopted pursuant to Section 60811 with the state board-approved
31academic content standards for science adopted pursuant to Section
3260605.85.
33(f) This section shall not be implemented unless funds are
34appropriated by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or
35another statute for its purposes.
36(g) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2016, and
37as of January 1, 2017, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute,
38that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2017, deletes or
39extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.
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