Amended in Assembly May 27, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 11, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 2548


Introduced by Assembly Member Weber

February 19, 2016


An act tobegin delete amend Sections 52071, 52071.5, 52072, and 52072.5 of, and toend delete add Article 3 (commencing with Section 52053) to Chapter 6.1 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2begin delete of,end deletebegin insert ofend insert the Education Code, relating to school accountability.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2548, as amended, Weber. School accountability: statewide accountability system.

(1) Existing law required, on or before July 1, 2014, the governing boards of school districts and county boards of education to adopt a local control and accountability plan using a state template adopted by the State Board of Education. Existing law requires the local control and accountability plan to include, among other things, a description of annual goals for all pupils and specified subgroups of pupils to be achieved for each state priority, as specified, and a description of the specific actions the school district or county superintendent of schools will take to achieve those goals. Existing law requires the charter petition for a charter school to include those same elements. Existing law provides that an adopted local control and accountability plan is effective for 3 years and shall be updated annually on or before July 1. Existing law requires the state board, on or before October 1, 2016, to adopt evaluation rubrics to, among other things, assist a school district, county office of education, or charter school in evaluating its strengths, weaknesses, and areas that require improvement. Existing law establishes the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence for purposes of advising and assisting school districts, county superintendents of schools, and charter schools in achieving the goals set forth in a local control and accountability plan.

This bill would, for purposes of a statewide accountability system and to ensure alignment and fidelity with the state priorities and federal law, require the state board to adopt a statewide accountability system. The bill would require the system to (1) satisfy the accountability requirements of specified federal law, (2) align California’s local control framework, which is focused on identifying and supporting local educational agencies with the additional need to identify, support, and improve California’s highest need schools, as specified, (3) rely upon data from key indicators established by the evaluation rubrics adopted by the state board and as otherwise specified, (4) provide the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, county superintendents of schools, and the public with data to be used in a multitiered system of review and assistance, and (5) ensure the creation of a data and reporting system that provides meaningful and accessible information on school and school district performance that is displayed through an electronic platform. In identifying appropriate assistance for a school or local educational agency, the bill would require the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence and county superintendents of schools to analyze data aligned with all the state priorities in order to align the level of support, collaboration, and intervention to the needs of the local educational agency or individual school or schools. By imposing additional duties on county superintendents of schools, and to the extent this bill would impose additional duties on local educational agency officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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(2) Existing law requires county superintendents of schools and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to provide technical assistance, as provided, to any school district or county office of education, respectively, that fails to improve pupil achievement across more than one state priority for one or more pupil subgroups.

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This bill would instead require county superintendents of schools and the Superintendent to provide that technical assistance if a school district or county office of education, respectively, fails to meet the standards for performance or expectations for improvements across more than one key indicator for one or more pupil subgroup. By imposing additional duties on county superintendents of schools, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

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(3) Existing law authorizes the Superintendent, with the approval of the state board, to identify school districts and county offices of education in need of intervention if, among other things, the school district or county office of education did not improve the outcomes for 3 or more pupil subgroups or, if the school district or county office of education has less than 3 pupil subgroups, all of the school district’s or county office of education’s pupil subgroups, in regard to more than one state or local priority in 3 out of 4 consecutive school years.

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This bill would instead authorize the Superintendent to make that identification if, among other things, the school district or county office of education did not meet the standards for performance or expectations for improvement for 3 or more pupil subgroups or, if the school district or county office of education has less than 3 pupil subgroups, all of the school district’s or county office of education’s pupil subgroups, in regard to more than one key indicator in 3 out of 4 consecutive school years.

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(4)

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begin insert(2)end insert 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:

P3    1

SECTION 1.  

Article 3 (commencing with Section 52053) is
2added to Chapter 6.1 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the 3Education Code, to read:

4 

5Article 3.  Statewide Accountability System
6

 

7

52053.  

(a) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature and purpose
8of this article to do all of the following:

P4    1(A) Establish a coherent, aligned local-state-federal
2accountability system that addresses state, local, parent,
3community, and public needs, as well as federal requirements.

4(B) Ensure ambitious, statewide standards for performance and
5expectations for improvement that encourage continuous
6improvement and the closure of opportunity and achievement gaps.

7(C) Establish a mechanism using multiple measures that
8meaningfully differentiates the performance of schools and
9identifies schools and local educational agencies in need of
10technical assistance, support, and intervention.

11(2) It is further the intent ofbegin insert theend insert Legislature that the
12accountability system continues to support and advance the
13framework established by the local control funding formula and
14California’s emphasis on continuous improvement, technical
15assistance, and support.

16(b) For purposes of a statewide accountability system and to
17ensure alignment and fidelity with the state priorities established
18pursuant to Sections 52060 and 52066 and with federal law, the
19state board shall adopt a statewide accountability system that does
20all of the following:

21(1) Satisfies the accountability system requirements of the
22federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
23U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.), as amended by the Every Student
24Succeeds Act (Public Law 114-95).

25(2) Aligns California’s local control framework, which is
26focused on identifying and supporting local educational agencies
27with the additional need to identify, support, and improve
28California’s highest need schools. In doing so, the state board shall
29do all of the following:

30(A) Set clear, ambitious, statewide standards for performance
31and expectations for improvement toward each of the key indicators
32described in paragraph (3) for pupils overall and for each
33numerically significant subgroup, as identified in Section 52052.
34To comply with federal law, these improvement standards shall
35be differentiated by subgroup so that subgroups that start off at
36lower performance levels make greater growth to achieve the
37statewide standards.

38(B) Establish a mechanism to meaningfully differentiate the
39performance of all public schools, to identify local educational
40agencies for purposes of Sections 52072 and 52072.5 on an annual
P5    1basis based on outcomes for all pupils and for each subgroup of
2pupils using the multiple measures identified in paragraph (3), and
3to do all of the following:

4(i) Distinguish multiple levels of performance for purposes of
5continuous improvement, transparency, meaningful stakeholder
6engagement, recognition, and support, including the identification
7of the following:

8(I) Not less than the lowest-performing 5 percent of all schools
9receiving federal Title I funds and all public high schools in the
10state failing to graduate one-third or more of their pupils.

11(II) All schools in which any subgroup of pupils is consistently
12underperforming, as determined by the state board, based on all
13of the indicators identified in paragraph (3) and the system
14established pursuant this section.

15(III) All schools where any one subgroup of pupils, on its own,
16would lead that school to be in the lowest 5 percent of schools for
17pupils overall.

18(ii) Support parents and guardians in making informed school
19decisions on behalf of their children.

20(iii) Enable school districts, county offices of education, the
21department, and the California Collaborative for Educational
22Excellence to identify schools for recognition, support, and
23assistance and ensure that support and assistance is provided to at
24least those schools identified pursuant to clause (i).

25(C) Comply with all notification, stakeholder engagement,
26school support, and improvement activities required by Section
271111(d) of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law
28114-95).

29(3) (A) Relies upon data from key indicators established
30pursuant to the evaluation rubrics adopted by the state board
31pursuant to Section 52064.5. At a minimum, for purposes of
32paragraph (2), those key indicators shall include, if not already
33included by the state board pursuant to Section 52064.5, all of the
34following:

35(i) For elementary and middle schools:

36(I) A measure of pupil achievement in at least English language
37arts, mathematics, and science.

38(II) A measure of academic growth.

39(III) A measure of progress toward English proficiency.

40(IV) A measure of chronic absenteeism.

P6    1(V) A measure of school climate.

2(ii) For high schools:

3(I) A measure of pupil achievement in at least English language
4arts, mathematics, and science.

5(II) A measure of graduation rates.

6(III) A measure of progress toward English proficiency.

7(IV) A measure of college and career readiness.

8(V) A measure of chronic absenteeism.

9(VI) A measure of school climate.

10(B) This paragraph shall not be construed as to preclude the
11state board from including additional statewide measures that can
12be disaggregated by subgroup in the accountability system for
13purposes of meaningful differentiation of all schools or from
14grouping the measures into common clusters. Furthermore, it is
15the intent of the Legislature that the state will continue to use the
16evaluation rubrics established pursuant to Section 52064.5 and all
17indicators identified as state priorities established pursuant to
18Sections 52060 and 52066 and the subgroups identified pursuant
19to Section 52052 for purposes of continuous improvement and to
20guide the provision of technical assistance, support, and
21intervention.

22(C) In order to comply with federal law, the academic indicators
23specified in subclauses (I) to (III), inclusive, of clauses (i) and (ii)
24of subparagraph (A) shall receive substantial weight and, in
25aggregate, much greater weight than is afforded to all other
26indicators.

27(D) For purposes of paragraph (2), performance of subgroups
28shall receive substantial weight.

29(4) Provides the California Collaborative for Educational
30Excellence established pursuant to Section 52074, county
31superintendents of schools, and the public with data to be used in
32a multitiered system of review and assistance. Notwithstanding
33the key indicators used for purposes of paragraph (2), in identifying
34appropriate assistance for a school or local educational agency,
35the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence and the
36county superintendents of schools shall analyze data aligned with
37all the state priorities established pursuant to Sections 52060 and
3852066 in order to align the level of support, collaboration, and
39intervention to the needs of the local educational agency or
40individual school or schools.

P7    1(5) Ensures the creation of a data and reporting system that
2provides meaningful and accessible information on school and
3school district performance that is displayed through an electronic
4platform. Parents and the public shall have the ability to easily
5access, compare, analyze, and summarize school reports, pupil
6performance results, and the progress made by schools and school
7districts in reaching all of the state’s priority areas for purposes of
8local control and accountability plans and the local control funding
9formula. It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that any
10Web-based data and analysis tools should enable all stakeholders
11to readily identify strengths and weaknesses, identify inequities
12between schools and subgroups of pupils across multiple measures,
13monitor academic achievement and improvement, provide for
14meaningful differentiation, as required by Section 1111(c)(4)(C)
15of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114-95),
16and enable users to download data and reports in machine-readable
17formats.

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18

SEC. 2.  

Section 52071 of the Education Code is amended to
19read:

20

52071.  

(a) If a county superintendent of schools does not
21approve a local control and accountability plan or annual update
22to the local control and accountability plan approved by a
23governing board of a school district, or if the governing board of
24a school district requests technical assistance, the county
25superintendent of schools shall provide technical assistance,
26including, among other things, any of the following:

27(1) Identification of the school district’s strengths and
28weaknesses in regard to the state priorities described in subdivision
29(d) of Section 52060, communicated in writing to the school
30district. This identification shall include a review of effective,
31evidence-based programs that apply to the school district’s goals.

32(2) Assignment of an academic expert or team of academic
33experts to assist the school district in identifying and implementing
34effective programs that are designed to improve the outcomes for
35all pupil subgroups identified pursuant to Section 52052. The
36county superintendent of schools may also solicit another school
37district within the county to act as a partner to the school district
38in need of technical assistance.

P8    1(3) Request that the Superintendent assign the California
2Collaborative for Educational Excellence to provide advice and
3assistance to the school district.

4(b) Using an evaluation rubric adopted by the state board
5pursuant to Section 52064.5, the county superintendent of schools
6shall provide the technical assistance described in subdivision (a)
7to any school district that fails to meet the standards for
8performance or expectations for improvements across more than
9one key indicator, as specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b)
10of Section 52053, for one or more pupil subgroups identified
11pursuant to Section 52052.

12(c) Technical assistance provided pursuant to this section at the
13request of a school district shall be paid for by the school district
14requesting the assistance.

15

SEC. 3.  

Section 52071.5 of the Education Code is amended to
16read:

17

52071.5.  

(a) If the Superintendent does not approve a local
18control and accountability plan or annual update to the local control
19and accountability plan approved by a county board of education,
20or if the county board of education requests technical assistance,
21the Superintendent shall provide technical assistance, including,
22among other things, any of the following:

23(1) Identification of the county board of education’s strengths
24and weaknesses in regard to the state priorities described in
25subdivision (d) of Section 52066, communicated in writing to the
26county board of education. This identification shall include a
27review of effective, evidence-based programs that apply to the
28board’s goals.

29(2) Assignment of an academic expert or team of academic
30experts, or the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence
31established pursuant to Section 52074, to assist the county board
32of education in identifying and implementing effective programs
33that are designed to improve the outcomes for all pupil subgroups
34identified pursuant to Section 52052. The Superintendent may also
35solicit another county office of education to act as a partner to the
36county office of education in need of technical assistance.

37(b) Using an evaluation rubric adopted by the state board
38pursuant to Section 52064.5, the Superintendent shall provide the
39technical assistance described in subdivision (a) to any county
40office of education that fails to meet the standards for performance
P9    1or expectations for improvements across more than one key
2indicator, as specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section
352053, for one or more pupil subgroups identified pursuant to
4Section 52052.

5(c) Technical assistance provided pursuant to this section at the
6request of a county board of education shall be paid for by the
7county board of education receiving assistance.

8

SEC. 4.  

Section 52072 of the Education Code is amended to
9read:

10

52072.  

(a) The Superintendent may, with the approval of the
11state board, identify school districts in need of intervention.

12(b) The Superintendent shall only intervene in a school district
13that meets both of the following criteria:

14(1) The school district did not meet the standards for
15performance or expectations for improvement for three or more
16pupil subgroups identified pursuant to Section 52052 or, if the
17school district has less than three pupil subgroups, all of the school
18district’s pupil subgroups, in regard to more than one key indicator
19specified in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 52053 in
20three out of four consecutive school years.

21(2) The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence
22has provided advice and assistance to the school district pursuant
23to Section 52071 and submits either of the following findings to
24the Superintendent:

25(A) That the school district has failed, or is unable, to implement
26the recommendations of the California Collaborative for
27Educational Excellence.

28(B) That the inadequate performance of the school district, based
29upon an evaluation rubric adopted pursuant to Section 52064.5, is
30either so persistent or acute as to require intervention by the
31Superintendent.

32(c) For school districts identified pursuant to subdivision (a),
33the Superintendent may, with the approval of the state board, do
34one or more of the following:

35(1) Make changes to a local control and accountability plan
36adopted by the governing board of the school district.

37(2) Develop and impose a budget revision, in conjunction with
38revisions to the local control and accountability plan, that the
39Superintendent determines would allow the school district to
P10   1improve the outcomes for all pupil subgroups identified pursuant
2to Section 52052 in regard to state and local priorities.

3(3) Stay or rescind an action, if that action is not required by a
4local collective bargaining agreement, that would prevent the
5school district from improving outcomes for all pupil subgroups
6identified pursuant to Section 52052 in regard to state or local
7priorities.

8(4) Appoint an academic trustee to exercise the powers and
9authority specified in this section on his or her behalf.

10(d) The Superintendent shall notify the county superintendent
11of schools, the county board of education, the superintendent of
12the school district, and the governing board of the school district
13of any action by the state board to direct him or her to exercise
14any of the powers and authorities specified in this section.

15

SEC. 5.  

Section 52072.5 of the Education Code is amended to
16read:

17

52072.5.  

(a) The Superintendent may, with the approval of
18the state board, identify county offices of education in need of
19intervention.

20(b) The Superintendent shall only intervene in a county office
21of education that meets both of the following criteria:

22(1) The county office of education did not meet the standards
23for performance or expectations for improvement for three or more
24pupil subgroups identified pursuant to Section 52052 or, if the
25county office of education has less than three pupil subgroups, all
26of the county office of education’s pupil subgroups, in regard to
27more than one key indicator specified in paragraph (3) of
28subdivision (b) of Section 52053 in three out of four consecutive
29school years.

30(2) The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence
31has provided advice and assistance to the county office of education
32pursuant to Section 52071.5 and submits either of the following
33findings to the Superintendent:

34(A) That the county office of education has failed, or is unable,
35to implement the recommendations of the California Collaborative
36for Educational Excellence.

37(B) That the inadequate performance of the county office of
38education, based upon an evaluation rubric adopted pursuant to
39Section 52064.5, is either so persistent or acute as to require
40intervention by the Superintendent.

P11   1(c) For county offices of education identified pursuant to
2subdivision (a), the Superintendent may, with the approval of the
3state board, do one or more of the following:

4(1) Make changes to a local control and accountability plan
5adopted by the county board of education.

6(2) Develop and impose a budget revision, in conjunction with
7revisions to the local control and accountability plan, that the
8Superintendent determines would allow the county office of
9education to improve the outcomes for all pupil subgroups
10identified pursuant to Section 52052 in regard to state and local
11priorities.

12(3) Stay or rescind an action, if that action is not required by a
13local collective bargaining agreement, that would prevent the
14county office of education from improving outcomes for all pupil
15subgroups identified pursuant to Section 52052 in regard to state
16or local priorities.

17(4) Appoint an academic trustee to exercise the powers and
18authority specified in this section on his or her behalf.

19(d) The Superintendent shall notify the county board of
20education and the county superintendent of schools, in writing, of
21any action by the state board to direct him or her to exercise any
22of the powers and authorities specified in this section.

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23

begin deleteSEC. 6.end delete
24
begin insertSEC. 2.end insert  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
25this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
26local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
27pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
284 of Title 2 of the Government Code.



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