BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2353
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Date of Hearing: May 11, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2353 (McCarty) - As Amended April 27, 2016
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the California Department of Education (CDE)
to identify professional development programs in culturally
responsive instruction. The bill also authorizes local education
agencies (LEAs) to include this professional development as a
local measure of school climate under the Local Control Funding
Formula (LCFF). Additionally, this bill authorizes LEAs to use
$490 million provided in the 2015-16 Budget Act to provide
cultural responsive professional development.
FISCAL EFFECT:
AB 2353
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The CDE estimates one-time General Fund costs of approximately
$150,000 for the department to identify and review existing
professional development programs in culturally responsive
instruction and to post online. These costs could be ongoing to
the extent CDE is expected to review and update the list on a
regular basis.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. Classroom instruction that connects the diverse
backgrounds of students with curriculum and instruction is an
approach sometimes referred to as "culturally responsive
instruction." Culturally responsive instruction has been
shown to be positively correlated with higher levels of
academic achievement. Having staff trained in culturally
responsive instruction can also lead to improvements in
overall school climate. The American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) of California supports this bill stating teachers in
California have a responsibility to respect and value the
cultural heritage of all of their students and teach their
students to respect the cultures of others. This bill would
assist teachers in understanding and appreciating the cultural
differences of their students and how to incorporate these
characteristics into their pedagogy.
2)Educator Effectiveness Funding. The 2015-16 Budget Act
appropriated $490 million to county offices of education,
school districts, charter schools and state special schools
based on full-time equivalent (FTE) certificated staff
reported for the 2014-15 fiscal year. The Educator
Effectiveness funds are authorized to be spent for
professional development, coaching, and support services. The
first apportionment reflecting approximately 80 percent of
each LEA's entitlement as released in December of 2015.
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Remaining funds were released in March of 2016. The 2015-16
calculated funding rate is approximately $1,466 per FTE.
Districts can spend these funds over three years. They are
required to develop and adopt a plan for expenditure of these
funds, and are required to provide a detailed report of
expenditures by July 1, 2018.
Since LEAs have just received these funds and they have three
years to spend the funds, the number of districts that have
already expended or committed their total allocation is
unknown. This bill adds professional development in culturally
responsive instruction as another authorized use, but does not
require schools to spend this funding for this purpose.
Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081