BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 713
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|Author: |Weber |
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|Version: |June 1, 2015 Hearing |
| |Date: July 8, 2015 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant: |Olgalilia Ramirez |
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Subject: Elementary education: kindergarten
SUMMARY
This bill requires, beginning with the 2017-18 school year, a
student to have completed one year of kindergarten before being
admitted to the first grade and specifies that those offering or
conducting private school instruction at the kindergarten level
shall file notice with the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI).
BACKGROUND
1)Existing law requires every person between the ages of 6 and
18 years to attend school full-time (at least the minimum
schoolday as required by statute and school districts).
(Education Code § 48200)
2)Existing law requires a student to be admitted to kindergarten
if the student will be five-years old on or before September 1
of the 2014-15 school year and every year thereafter. (EC §
48000)
3)Existing law authorizes school districts to admit to
kindergarten, on a case-by-case basis, a student who will be
five-years old during the school year, subject to the
following conditions:
a) The governing board of the school district determines
that the admittance is in the best interest of the student.
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b) The parent is given information regarding the advantages
and disadvantages and any other explanatory information
about the effect of this early admittance.
(EC § 48000)
4)Existing law requires a student to be admitted to the first
grade if the student will be six-years old on or before
September 1 of the 2014-15 school year and every year
thereafter. (EC § 48010)
ANALYSIS
This bill requires, beginning with the 2017-18 school year, a
student to have completed one year of kindergarten before being
admitted to the first grade, thereby requiring kindergarten
attendance. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires, beginning with the 2017-18 school year, a student to
have completed one year of kindergarten before being admitted
to the first grade.
2)Adds completion of one year of kindergarten as a condition of
admission to first grade, in addition to the existing
condition on age-eligibility.
3)Specifies that a person, firm, association, partnership, or
corporation offering or conducting private school instruction
at elementary or high school required to file notice with the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to include those
providing kindergarten instruction.
4)Specifies that the list of private elementary and high schools
prepared and published by the SPI to include those providing
kindergarten instruction.
5)Makes various non-substantive technical changes.
STAFF COMMENTS
1)Need for the bill. According to the author, although California
has adopted statewide common core standards for kindergarten
instruction, current law does not require kindergarten
attendance which places some students at an educational
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disadvantage when entering first grade. This bill seeks to
ensure that kindergarten instruction is provided to all
students by requiring one year of kindergarten before
attending the first grade.
2)How many students currently attend kindergarten? Kindergarten is
considered a grade level, is factored in the calculation of
average daily attendance and is included in the academic
content standards, curricular frameworks and instructional
materials. However, attendance in kindergarten is not
mandatory and compulsory education laws begin at age 6.
The California Department of Education (CDE) estimates that
between 90-95% of eligible students attend kindergarten
(public and private kindergarten) and approximately 80% of
eligible students attend kindergarten at a public school. The
CDE's data shows that 28,000 students were enrolled in first
grade in 2011-12 but were not enrolled in kindergarten the
prior year, representing 5.7% of first grade enrollment. It is
likely that many of those students attended private
kindergarten.
Current law does not require kindergarten attendance but does
require school districts to admit students into kindergarten
if the parent chooses to enroll the student and the student is
five-years old by September 1 (beginning with the 2014-15
school year and every year thereafter).
3)Will all five-year olds be required to attend kindergarten? No.
This bill does not expand compulsory education laws to include
five-year olds. This bill does not preclude students from
being admitted to kindergarten at age six (but not older due
to compulsory education laws).
4)Public or private school. This bill does not require students to
attend kindergarten at a public school, parents would retain
the option to enroll their five- or six-year old in
kindergarten at a private school. Additionally, this bill does
not affect the option for families to enroll a student in
private kindergarten (at age five or six) and subsequently
enroll the student in first grade at a public school. Current
law requires specified entities that offer or conduct private
school instruction at the elementary or high school level to
file notice with the Superintendent of Public Instruction
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(SPI). This bill specifies that those offering or conducting
private school instruction at the kindergarten level must also
file notice with the SPI and directs the SPI to include those
providing kindergarten instruction to its published list of
private elementary and high schools.
It is estimated that approximately 90-95% of age-eligible
students attend kindergarten. It is unclear if schools public
and private have sufficient facilities and
appropriately-credentialed teachers to serve additional
students. This bill requires kindergarten attendance
beginning with the 2017-18 school year.
5)Related Budget Activity. Current law requires the Superintendent
of Public Instruction to provide the Legislature with an
evaluation of kindergarten program implementation in the
state, including part-day and full-day kindergarten programs.
The 2015 Budget Act appropriates funds for this purpose.
6)Prior legislation.
AB 1444 (Buchanan, 2014) similar to this bill would have
required, beginning with the 2016-17 school year, a student to
have completed one year of kindergarten before being admitted
to the first grade. AB 1444 was vetoed by Governor Brown whose
veto message read:
"Most children already attend kindergarten, and those
that don't may be enrolled in other educational or
developmental programs that are deemed more appropriate
for them by their families.
I would prefer to let parents determine what is best for
their children, rather than mandate an entirely new grade
level."
AB 1772 (Buchanan, 2012) would have required, beginning with
the 2014-15 school year, a student to have completed one year
of kindergarten before being admitted to the first grade. AB
1772 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 2203 (V. Manuel Perez, 2012) would have expanded compulsory
education laws to include five-year olds. AB 2203 was held in
the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
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AB 1236 (Mullin, 2008) would have expanded compulsory
education laws to include five-year olds. AB 1236 was held in
the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SUPPORT
California Catholic Conference, Inc.
California State Conference of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored
People
California State PTA
California Teachers Association
First 5 California
OPPOSITION
California Right to Life Committee, Inc.
Independent Private Schools of California
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