BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                    AB 2410


                                                                    Page  1





          Date of Hearing:  May 11, 2016


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                               Lorena Gonzalez, Chair


          AB  
          2410 (Bonta) - As Amended April 27, 2016


           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Policy       |Education                      |Vote:|7 - 0        |
          |Committee:   |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
          |             |                               |     |             |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 


          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:




          This bill establishes a 10-member advisory committee to develop  
          recommendations for defining kindergarten readiness. This  
          definition is intended to inform future efforts focused on child  
          outcomes. Specifically, this bill:  




          1)Specifies Legislative intent to shift the role of the state  
            from a compliance-based early learning system to one that  








                                                                    AB 2410


                                                                    Page  2





            focuses on child outcomes.




          2)Establishes a 10-member California Committee for Kindergarten  
            Readiness (Committee) comprised of early education  
            stakeholders, as specified. Requires the California Department  
            of Education (CDE) to convene the Committee, on or before  
            March 1, 2017, to evaluate and develop recommendations on what  
            constitutes kindergarten readiness. 




          3)Requires the Committee, on or before January 1, 2018, to  
            submit to the State Board of Education (SBE), and the  
            appropriate policy committees of the Legislature, a  
            kindergarten readiness definition, as specified. Requires the  
            SBE to consider this definition by July 1, 2018.




          4)Authorizes CDE to contract with an appropriate public or  
            private agency for purposes of developing this definition. 




          5)Repeals the provisions of this bill on January 1, 2019.


          FISCAL EFFECT:


          One-time General Fund administrative costs to CDE of  
          approximately $1.4 million (over two years), to develop a new  
          kindergarten readiness definition. This definition is required  








                                                                    AB 2410


                                                                    Page  3





          to set clear skill benchmarks and inform an outcome-based early  
          learning system. The CDE will need to hire a contractor with  
          specific expertise to assist with developing the definition and  
          benchmarks. There will also be costs associated with convening  
          and staffing the Committee.  


          COMMENTS:


          1)Purpose. According to the author, high quality, early learning  
            experiences have been shown to produce substantial short-term  
            benefits for children's early language, literacy, mathematics  
            and social skills as well as long-term effects on a wide range  
            of school, health behavioral outcomes that persist into  
            adulthood. Unfortunately, those who start behind often stay  
            behind.  Supporters of this bill, including Early Edge  
            California, believe a statewide kindergarten readiness  
            definition can ensure that state-funded prekindergarten  
            programs focus on preparing California's diverse population of  
            young learners for kindergarten.



          2)Background.  Current law requires the CDE to develop  
            prekindergarten learning development guidelines and requires  
            the guidelines to do the following:



                 Focus on preparing four- and five-year-old children for  
               kindergarten.
                 Identify appropriate developmental milestones for each  
               age, how to assess where children are in relation to the  
               milestones, and suggested methods for achieving the  
               milestones.


                 Identify any basic beginning skills needed to prepare  








                                                                    AB 2410


                                                                    Page  4





               children for kindergarten or first grade, and methods for  
               teaching these basic skills.


                 Be articulated with the academic content and performance  
               standards adopted by the SBE for kindergarten and grades 1  
               through 12. 


            In 2008, the CDE released three series of the Preschool  
            Learning Foundations.  Volume 1 focuses on the domains of  
            social-emotional development, language and literacy,  
            English-language development, and mathematics, and provides a  
            comprehensive understanding of what children learn in these  
            four domains. Volume 2 covers the skills and knowledge that  
            children attain at around 36 months and 48 months in the areas  
            of visual and performing arts, physical development, and  
            health.  Volume 3 covers the skills and knowledge that  
            children attain at around 36 months and 48 months in the areas  
            of history-social science and science.  


            The Preschool Learning Foundations would need to be reviewed  
            in the context of the new kindergarten readiness definition  
            and may need to be updated accordingly.


          1)Suggested amendments.  This bill requires the Committee to  
            submit the definition of kindergarten readiness to the SBE.  
            Committees do not generally present recommendations to the  
            SBE. The CDE is the appropriate body to present formal  
            recommendations. Staff recommends an amendment to clarify this  
            issue.
            


            According to the CDE, the development of this definition would  
            necessitate a two year process. The CDE is requesting the  
            timeline for the SBE to consider adoption of the definition to  








                                                                    AB 2410


                                                                    Page  5





            be extended from July 1, 2018 to July 1, 2019.  The repeal  
            date in the bill would also need to be extended to January 1,  
            2020.





          Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081