BILL NUMBER: AB 734	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Kim

                        FEBRUARY 25, 2015

   An act to amend Section 53300 of the Education Code, relating to
school intervention.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 734, as introduced, Kim. School intervention: parent
empowerment.
   Existing law requires a local educational agency to implement one
of several specified interventions for a school not identified as a
persistently lowest-achieving school that, after one full school
year, is subject to corrective action, as specified, and fails to
meet specified criteria and has a specified percentage of parents and
legal guardians of pupils sign a petition requesting the local
educational agency to implement at least one of 5 specified
interventions. Existing law requires a local educational agency to
implement the intervention option requested by the petition unless
the agency makes a specified finding in a regularly scheduled public
hearing.
   This bill would apply these petition provisions to schools
identified as persistently lowest-achieving schools, and to schools
ranked in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, on the Academic Performance
Index. The bill would make nonsubstantive changes by updating
cross-references and reorganizing language. By imposing additional
duties on school districts, the bill would impose a state-mandated
local program.
   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local
agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 53300 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   53300.  For any school not identified as a persistently
lowest-achieving school under Section 53201 which, after one full
school year, is subject to corrective action pursuant to paragraph
(7) of Section 1116(b) of the federal Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.) and continues to fail to
make adequate yearly progress, and has an Academic Performance Index
score of less than 800, and where at least one-half of the parents or
legal guardians of pupils attending the school, or a combination of
at least one-half of the parents or legal guardians of pupils
attending the school and the elementary or middle schools that
normally matriculate into a middle or high school, as applicable,
sign a petition requesting the local 
    53300.    (a)     A petition may
be submitted to a local  educational agency  requesting the
agency  to implement one or more of the four interventions
identified pursuant to paragraphs (1) to (4),  inclusive
  inclusive,  of subdivision (a) of Section 53202
or the federally mandated alternative governance arrangement pursuant
to Section  1116(b)(8)(B)(v)   6316(b)(8)(B)(v)
 of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20
U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et  seq.), the   seq.), if both
of the following criteria are satisfied:  
   (1) At least one-half of the parents or legal guardians of pupils
attending the school, or a combination of at least one-half of the
parents or legal guardians of pupils attending the school and the
elementary or middle schools that normally matriculate into the
middle or high school, as applicable, sign the petition.  
   (2) The school meets one or both of the following requirements:
 
   (A) The school, after one full school year, is subject to
corrective action pursuant to Section 6316(b)(7) of the federal
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.),
continues to fail to make adequate yearly progress, and has an
Academic Performance Index (API) score of less than 800.  
   (B) The school is ranked in any of deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, on
the API. 
    (b)     A  local educational agency
 that receives a petition pursuant to subdivision (a)  shall
implement the option requested  by the parents 
 in the petition  unless, in a regularly scheduled public
hearing, the local educational agency makes a finding in writing
stating the reason it cannot implement the specific 
recommended   requested  option and instead
designates in writing which of the other options described in this
section it will implement in the subsequent school year consistent
with requirements specified in federal regulations and guidelines for
schools subject to restructuring under Section  1116(b)(8)
  6316(b)(8)  of the federal Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.) and regulations
and guidelines for the four interventions.
  SEC. 2.   If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this
act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local
agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant
to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.