BILL NUMBER: AB 899 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 11, 2013
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 26, 2013
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 24, 2013
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 6, 2013
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 25, 2013
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Weber
FEBRUARY 22, 2013
An act to amend Section 60811 of, and to add and repeal Section
60811.4 of, the Education Code, relating to academic content
standards.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
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 the state board to direct
the Superintendent to recommend to the state board linking the
adopted English language development standards to the academic
content standards for mathematics and science. The bill would require
the Superintendent to convene a group of experts, as provided, to
review the mathematics and science academic content standards to
identify those standards that correspond to the English language
development standards. The bill would instead require the linked
English language development standards to be comparable in rigor and
specificity to the academic content standards to which they are
linked, including specified standards for English language arts and
mathematics and specified science content standards.
additionally require these standards to be comparable in rigor and
specificity to the standards for mathematics and science.
(2) Existing law, which is to be repealed on July 1, 2013,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 link 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 link with the state board-approved science
content standards, mathematics and science for
adoption by the state board. 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.
requirements and to review the mathematics and science
academic content standards to identify those standards that
correspond to the English language development standards. 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
English language development standards to correspond with the state
board-approved academic content standards for mathematics and
science, as specified.
This
The 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.
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 of the Education Code
is amended to read:
60811. The state board shall direct the Superintendent to
recommend to the state board linking the adopted English language
development standards to the academic content standards for
mathematics and science. The Superintendent shall convene a group of
experts, pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 60811.4, to review
the mathematics and science academic content standards to identify
those standards that correspond to the English language development
standards. The linked English language development standards shall be
comparable in rigor and specificity to the academic content
standards to which they are linked, including the standards for
English language arts and mathematics adopted pursuant to Section
60605.8 and the science content standards adopted pursuant to Section
60605.85.
SECTION 1. Section 60811 of the
Education Code is amended to read:
60811. The state board shall approve standards for English
language development for pupils whose primary language is a language
other than English. The standards shall be comparable in rigor and
specificity to the standards for English language arts adopted
pursuant to Section 60605.8. 60605.8, the
standards for mathematics adopted pursuant to Sections 60605.8 and
60605.11, and the standards for science adopted pursuant to Section
60605.85.
SEC. 2. 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 60811.3 , to link with the academic
content standards for mathematics adopted by the state board pursuant
to Section 60605.8. Sections 60605.8 and
60605.11 and the academic content standards for science adopted by
the state board pursuant to Section 60605.85. If the
state board modifies the English language development standards to
link with the academic content standards for mathematics,
mathematics and science, 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 and science subject area.
areas.
(b) 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 link
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 link 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)
( b) In meeting the requirements of
subdivisions (a) and (b), 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 experts
shall review the mathematics and science academic content standards
to identify those standards that correspond to the English language
development standards. The Superintendent shall ensure that
members of the group include, but are not necessarily 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, and curriculum and instructional
specialists with English learner experience. At least
one-half a majority of the members of the group
of experts shall be currently employed public school teachers.
(d)
( c) Prior to completing the requirements of
subdivisions (a) and (b), subdivision (a),
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 any modifications recommended pursuant to this section.
(e)
( d) On or before August 1, 2015, the state
board shall do both of the following:
(1) Adopt
adopt or reject the Superintendent's recommendations for
the English language development standards adopted pursuant to
Section 60811 60811.3 to correspond
with the state board-approved academic content standards for
mathematics adopted pursuant to Section 60605.8.
Sections 60605.8 and 60605.11 and the state board-approved
academic content standards for science approved pursuant to
Section 60605.85.
(2) Adopt or reject the Superintendent's recommendations for the
English language development standards adopted pursuant to Section
60811 to correspond with the state board-approved academic content
standards for science adopted pursuant to Section 60605.85.
(f)
( e) This section shall not be implemented
unless funds are appropriated by the Legislature in the annual Budget
Act or another statute for its purposes.
(g)
( f) 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.