BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 247|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 247
Author: Liu (D)
Amended: 5/24/13
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 6-1, 4/10/13
AYES: Liu, Block, Hancock, Hueso, Jackson, Monning
NOES: Huff
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wyland, Correa
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 5-2, 5/23/13
AYES: De León, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Gaines
SUBJECT : Student assessment: grade 2
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill eliminates the requirement that assessments
be administered to pupils in grade 2 pursuant to the
Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program, beginning
July 1, 2014, and requires the Department of Education (CDE) to
make available to school districts existing diagnostic
assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics that
are appropriate for grade 2.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires each school district, charter
school, and county office of education to administer designated
achievement tests to each pupil in grades 2 through 11 as part
of the STAR Program. The STAR Program is scheduled to sunset on
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July 1, 2014.
The STAR Program requires pupils to be tested in ELA,
mathematics, science and history-social science at specific
grade levels. The STAR Program includes the California
Standards Tests (CSTs), the California Alternate Performance
Assessment (CAPA) and the California Modified Assessment
administered to certain pupils with disabilities, and a national
norm-referenced test in Spanish that is administered to Spanish
speaking English learners who have been in school in the United
States less than 12 months or who are receiving instruction in
Spanish.
STAR test results are available statewide, by county, school
district, schoolsite, and for individual pupils. These tests
results provide information about the performance level the
pupils' scores in each subject (advanced, proficient, basic,
below basic and far below basic).
This bill eliminates the requirement that assessments be
administered to pupils in grade 2 pursuant to the STAR Program,
beginning July 1, 2014, requires the CDE to make available to
school districts existing diagnostic assessments in ELA and
mathematics that are appropriate for grade 2.
Comments
Reason to assess in grade 2 . Test results for individual pupils
are provided to schoolsite personnel and parents of the pupil.
These results include information about the performance level
the pupil scored in each subject area tested. There is
reasonable concern that, without second grade testing, parents
and teachers will not have this data early in a pupil's
educational career which is important for making adjustments to
that student's instruction.
Current assessments vs. diagnostics . The CSTs measure
achievement of California's former (not common core) content
standards in ELA, mathematics, science, and history-social
science. Diagnostic assessments are currently available, and
some school districts are undoubtedly administering diagnostic
assessments in addition to assessments required by the STAR
Program. However, it is not necessarily easy for every district
to transition from grade 2 STAR tests to diagnostic assessments
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because of concerns about alignment with California's standards,
the possible need for professional development, as well as the
cost to districts to develop or purchase and administer those
assessments. Further, this bill affects all assessments given
in grade 2, including the primary language assessment and the
CAPA, which may not be available as appropriate diagnostic
assessments.
The bill eliminates the requirement that districts administer
state assessments in grade 2, which also eliminates state
funding to districts to administer those assessments. It is
possible that districts could choose to continue to administer
the grade 2 STAR tests, or use a diagnostic assessment, but at
the district's expense.
Prior Legislation
The STAR Program was created in 1997 by SB 376 (Alpert, Chapter
828, Statutes of 1997) and authorized assessments in grades 2-11
until January 1, 2002. SB 233 (Alpert, Chapter 722, Statutes of
2001) reauthorized the STAR Program until January 1, 2005.
SB 1448 (Alpert, Chapter 233, Statutes of 2004) reauthorized the
STAR Program until January 1, 2011, with the exception of second
grade testing which was to be phased out over a three year
period (until July 1, 2007).
AB 356 (Hancock, 2004), among other things, would have provided
for a diagnostic assessment, rather than standardized testing,
in grade 2 as part of the STAR program. AB 356 was held on the
Senate Floor (no vote was taken).
SB 740 (Hancock, 2011) would have eliminated the requirement for
grade 2 STAR tests and required the CDE to make available to
school districts existing diagnostic assessments that are
appropriate for grade 2. The bill was held on the Assembly
Appropriations Committee's suspense file.
SB 800 (Hancock, 2009) was nearly identical to SB 740 (Hancock,
2011). SB 800 failed passage in the Senate Education Committee
on a 4-5 vote on April 15, 2009.
AB 476 (Torlakson, 2009) at one time would have eliminated STAR
testing in the second grade. At the time of enrollment, the
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bill would have required the Superintendent of Public
Instruction to contract for an independent evaluation of the
STAR Program. AB 476 was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger,
whose veto message read, "The objectives of this bill are
duplicative of work already being done by a variety of sources.
Not only have there been reviews of California's standards and
assessment system by the United States Department of Education's
peer review process, the California Department of Education has
a process which has included an independent alignment study and
review of test items by various content and test development
experts. Finally, this bill circumvents the State Board of
Education in the selection of the independent evaluator and
approving the evaluation and its recommendations."
SB 1X1 (Steinberg, Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009-10, 5th
Extraordinary Session) extended the STAR Program for grades 2-11
until July 1, 2013.
AB 1353 (Huff, 2007) would have extended second grade
assessments to January 1, 2011, but was not heard. Later in
2007, SB 80 (Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, Chapter
174, Statutes of 2007) extended grade 2 testing until July 1,
2011.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Eliminate grade 2 assessment: Annual state savings of
approximately
$2 million; $1.2 million apportioned to school districts for
testing, and $800,000 in test development costs.
Savings redirection (partial): Redirect the $1.2 million in
savings back to school districts to purchase and administer
diagnostic exams, if they choose to.
PQ:k 5/24/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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