BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2290
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Date of Hearing: April 20, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2290 (Santiago) - As Amended March 29, 2016
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to recommend to the State Board of Education (SBE)
revisions to the content standards in world languages, and
authorizes the SBE to adopt, reject, or modify the standards by
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July 30, 2018. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires that if the SBE modifies the standards, it explain,
in writing, to the Governor and the Legislature the reasons
for modifying the standards.
2)Requires the SPI, in consultation with the SBE, to select a
group of subject matter experts for purposes of assisting the
SPI in developing recommendations on the modifications.
3)Requires the SPI to hold a minimum of two public hearings in
order for the public to provide input on the modifications,
and requires the SBE to act on those recommendations at a
subsequent public meeting.
4)Requires that, if the world language content standards are
modified, during the next revision of the corresponding
curriculum framework and evaluation criteria, the
Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) ensure that the world
language modifications are incorporated into the curriculum
framework and evaluation criteria for purposes of adopting
instructional materials.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)One-time General Fund administrative costs, of in the range of
$150,000 to $250,000. These costs assume approximately
$150,000 to convene an advisory committee of world language
experts to assist with the development of the standards. These
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costs also assume editing and publication costs in the range
of $10,000 to $100,000. According to the CDE, no additional
staffing resources are needed to review and recommend the
content standards to the SBE.
2)The adoption of new content standards has a multiplier effect
that will lead to additional costs. Once new curriculum
standards are adopted, frameworks aligned to those standards
must be adopted. After frameworks are adopted, instructional
materials adoption follows. General Fund administrative costs
for these activities average about $1 million each. In
addition to these costs, local education agencies would incur
additional Proposition 98/GF costs in the millions of dollars
to purchase instructional materials and provide professional
development.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, world language programs
continue to expand in California and the current language
standards do not adequately reflect recent research
developments in learning a second language, especially in the
area of immersion education, which is the fastest growing
world language program in our state. The current World
Language Content Standards, adopted in 2009, are not aligned
with the Common Core State Standards, the English Language
Development Standards, and the curriculum framework for world
languages. The existing World Language Content Standards do
not place emphasis on literacy development for heritage
speakers of world languages and in supporting learners with
low literacy skills both in English and another language. The
current standards also do not link the study of world
languages with Career and Technical Education (CTE) and
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workforce opportunities, which may impede students from
developing global competence and engagement in the 21st
century global workforce. It is for these reasons the author
is proposing to update the content standards.
2)Related legislation. AB 711 (Santiago) of this Session would
have required the SBE, on or before September 1, 2017, to
adopt or reject national content standards for teaching
foreign languages, pursuant to recommendations of the SPI.
According to CDE, the cost estimates for this bill ranged from
$700,000 to $900,000. This bill was held on the Suspense file
in this committee.
This bill is substantially similar to AB 711; however CDE
assumptions have changed, resulting in lower cost estimates.
According to CDE, the cost estimates for AB 711 were linked to
the creation of a new Content Standards Unit, as proposed
under a separate bill [AB 740 (Weber) of this Session]. Cost
estimates for AB 2290 do not assume a new standards unit will
be created.
Additionally, CDE indicates World Languages frameworks are
scheduled to be revised in 2019. Adoption of revised standards
by July 30, 2018 would allow the framework revision scheduled
for 2019 to be aligned, and even developed "in tandem," with
the standards, allowing for existing staff to assume workload
for both the standards and the framework.
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081
AB 2290
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