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