California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 427

Introduced by Assembly Member Weber

February 19, 2015

An act to amend Section 8970 of the Education Code, relating to early childhood education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 427, as introduced, Weber. Early primary programs.

Existing law provides various legislative declarations concerning early primary programs, including, among others, that it is the Legislature’s intent that school districts that establish an early primary program coordinate that program, whenever possible, with the Demonstration in Restructuring of Public Education program and, where applicable, with the county interagency children’s services coordinating council.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 8970 of the Education Code is amended
to read:

8970.  

The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the
following:

(a) The Superintendent begin delete of Public Instruction end delete convened a Task
Force on School Readiness that prepared a report begin delete which end delete begin insert that end insert
included the following findings and recommendations:

(1) Preschool and kindergarten programs have become more
academically oriented with an emphasis on paper and pencil “seat
work” and a decreased emphasis on other essential age-appropriate
curricular elements such as language development; familiarity
with stories, music, and oral language experiences; artistic
exploration; social interaction; and large muscle development.

(2) Assessment tests of questionable validity and reliability are
being used to delay children’s entrance to kindergarten or to place
them in a two-year kindergarten.

(3) An appropriate, integrated experiential curriculum should
be provided for children in preschool, kindergarten, and grades 1
to 3, inclusive.

(4) Programs should meet the special needs of our culturally
and linguistically diverse pupils as well as the needs of exceptional
children.

(5) Classroom organization and teaching methods should reflect
the heterogeneous skills and abilities of children in early primary
programs.

(6) School districts should be encouraged to develop
communication about linkages between programs for
four-year-olds, early primary programs, and the primary and
intermediate grades of elementary schools.

(7) The staff of early primary programs should receive
appropriate education, training, and remuneration.

(8) Programs should be offered full-day and also should provide
before- and after-school care.

(9) Assessment methods of children in early primary programs
should be drastically altered.

(10) Parental involvement should be encouraged.

(11) A public awareness campaign should be launched
describing appropriate learning practices for children in preschool,
kindergarten, and grades 1 to 3, inclusive.

(b) The Superintendent begin delete of Public Instruction end delete issued a Triennial
Report on Publicly Funded Child Development Programs that
documents the increasing numbers of low-income families eligible
but unserved by limited preschool and child care funds, and that
presents policy implications for staffing and funding issues.

(c) National studies show future benefits of early intervention
programs to society and immediate advantages to California
employers in the form of reduced absenteeism, improved worker
morale, and increased productivity.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that activities initiated as
a result of this chapter shall continue without regard to fiscal year
depending, when necessary, on continued funding.

(e) It is the intent of the Legislature that school districts that
establish an early primary program coordinate that program,
whenever possible, with the Demonstration begin delete in end delete begin insert of end insert Restructuring begin delete of end delete
begin insert in end insert Public Education program, established pursuant to Chapter 9
(commencing with Section 58900) of Part 31 and, where
applicable, with the county interagency children’s services
begin delete coordinating end delete begin insert coordination end insert council, established pursuant to Article
2 (commencing with Section 18986.10) of Chapter 12.8 of Part 6
of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.