BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 250
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 250 (Brownley)
As Amended May 27, 2011
Majority vote
EDUCATION 7-3 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|Ayes:|Brownley, Ammiano, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Blumenfield, |
| |Buchanan, Butler, Carter, | |Bradford, Charles |
| |Eng, Williams | |Calderon, Campos, Davis, |
| | | |Gatto, Hall, Hill, Lara, |
| | | |Mitchell, Solorio, |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Norby, Halderman, Wagner |Nays:|Harkey, Donnelly, |
| | | |Nielsen, Norby, Wagner |
| | | | |
-----------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY : Establishes a structure for the implementation of the
common core state standards by developing and adopting
curriculum frameworks and professional development opportunities
that are aligned to the common core state standards.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt revised
curriculum frameworks and evaluation criteria that are aligned
to the common core academic content standards for mathematics
and English language arts (ELA) no later than May 30, 2013,
and May 30, 2014, respectively.
2)Requires SBE policies to ensure that curriculum frameworks for
kindergarten and grades 1-12, inclusive (K-12), inclusive, and
instructional materials for kindergarten and grades 1-8,
inclusive (K-8), include strategies for addressing the needs
of English learners (ELs) and students with disabilities, as
specified.
3)Specifies that curriculum frameworks shall focus on
integrating 21st century skills including critical thinking
and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity
and innovation skills into each and across each core content
area, as specified.
AB 250
Page 2
4)Authorizes school districts and the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI), instead of the Curriculum Development and
Supplemental Materials Commission (Curriculum Commission), to
make recommendations for instructional materials to be adopted
by the SBE and requires:
a) Instructional materials recommended by the SPI or by a
school district to meet existing required criteria, as
specified;
b) Recommendations submitted from the SPI and school
districts to include reports of findings that include
specified information; and,
c) The governing board of a school district choosing to
submit recommendations for instructional materials to
ensure that a majority of a review committee convened by a
school district for the purpose of making recommendations
be comprised of classroom teachers serving pupils in the
grade in which the instructional materials are to be used.
5)Expresses legislative intent to direct the SPI, in
consultation with teachers and county offices of education to
develop model professional development modules and provide
opportunities for the professional development of teachers,
principals and other school leaders that support
implementation of the common core state standards.
6)Extends the sunset of state testing program by one additional
year through the 2013-14 school year and adds to the Education
Code the following definitions: "formative assessment,"
"high-quality assessment," and "interim assessment."
7)Requires the SPI to develop and submit recommendations to the
appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature on
or before November 1, 2012, for the reauthorization of the
statewide assessment program, and requires the recommendations
to include a plan for transitioning to a system of
high-quality assessments that includes various elements.
8)Requires the SPI, in developing the recommendations pursuant
to #7 above to consult with all of the specified entities,
committees, groups and individuals.
AB 250
Page 3
9)Makes several findings and declarations including the intent
of the Legislature to ensure that pupils are provided with
resources and learning expectations necessary to succeed and
be competitive in the 21st century, and the need to ensure the
state's curriculum and assessment system is based on
high-quality academic content standards and promotes
creativity, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving,
collaboration, and communication skills in all content areas.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Annual General Fund (GF) administrative costs, until 2014,
likely between $200,000 and $500,000, to the California
Department of Education's (CDE) Curriculum Commission to
develop curriculum frameworks aligned to the common core
standards in ELA and math, as specified.
2)One-time GF administrative costs, likely between $150,000 and
$200,000, to CDE to develop recommendations, by November 1,
2012, for the reauthorization of the state's assessment
program to integrate the common core standards.
3)GF/Proposition 98 (GF/98) costs, of at least $35 million, to
extend the sunset of the Standardized Testing and Reporting
(STAR) program.
4)GF/98 cost pressure, likely in the low millions, to provide
professional development funding to school districts to
implement the common core standards, as specified. The bill
expresses legislative intent for the SPI to develop model
professional development modules and ensure professional
development opportunities are available to schoolsite staff
through multiple methods, including the Internet.
5)GF/98 cost pressure, at least in the tens to hundreds of
millions, to school districts to purchase instructional
materials aligned to the common core standards. This bill
will not be implemented unless funding is allocated for these
purposes.
COMMENTS : In January 2010, the Legislature approved and the
Governor signed SB 1 X5 (Steinberg), Chapter 2, Statutes of
AB 250
Page 4
2009-10, Fifth Extraordinary Session, which- amongst its many
provisions- creates the Standards Commission to develop and
recommend academic content standards in language arts and
mathematics with at least 85% of these standards consisting of
the common core state standards for each subject. The SBE
adopted the common core state standards in language arts and
mathematics on August 2, 2010.
This bill establishes a structure for the implementation of the
common core academic content standards by developing and
adopting curriculum frameworks, and professional development
opportunities that are aligned to the common core academic
content standards. This bill also makes changes to the
instructional materials adoption process to streamline the
process and give school districts the opportunity to participate
in the review of instructional materials. Lastly, this bill
extends the operative date of the state's assessment system by
one year.
Curriculum frameworks provide a blueprint for curriculum and
instruction by describing the scope and sequence of the
knowledge and skills all students need to master in a specific
subject area, and the evaluation criteria found within the
framework provides guidance to publishers in the development of
instructional materials. The framework and criteria are used to
evaluate K-8 instructional materials that are submitted for
state adoption and the curriculum frameworks also provide
guidance to teachers in the delivery of the curriculum. The
process for adopting curriculum frameworks and instructional
materials has been suspended for the next five years; however,
the state has adopted new content standards in language arts and
math and the curriculum and instruction system is not aligned to
those standards. In an effort to take a first step in the
implementation of the common core state standards, this bill
requires the SBE to adopt revised curriculum frameworks and
evaluation criteria that are aligned to the common core academic
content standards for mathematics and language arts no later
than May 30, 2013, and May 30, 2014, respectively. Because the
budget flexibility has delayed adoption of instructional
materials, curriculum frameworks can be a valuable tool even
without an immediate subsequent instructional materials
adoption, as the framework, itself, provides updated guidance
for teachers to deliver instruction in the new content
standards. This bill additionally expresses legislative intent
AB 250
Page 5
to provide pupils with instructional materials that are aligned
to the common core state standards consistent with the timelines
in budget provisions.
This bill provides for the inclusion of English language
development and teaching strategies for addressing the needs of
ELs and students with disabilities in all future curriculum
frameworks and instructional materials in math, English language
arts, history social science and science. Arguments have been
made that existing curricular tools are not sufficient or are
inadequate in promoting the academic success of ELs and that
this population of students needs more explicit support to
address the academic deficits that often emerge as result of
their language barriers. Similarly, it has been argued that not
enough curricular tools are available for educators to meet the
needs of students with disabilities. The adoption of the common
core state standards represents an opportunity to assess the
existing deficiencies in the curriculum and to address the needs
California's diverse student population.
Furthermore, this bill seeks to provide for the inclusion of
21st Century skills such as creativity, innovation, critical
thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and communication
within curriculum frameworks in all content areas. According to
a survey conducted by the American Management Association,
"Executives say they need a workforce fully equipped with skills
beyond the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic in order to
grow their businesses. Skills such as critical thinking,
communication, collaboration, and creativity will become even
more important to organizations in the future."
The K-8 instructional materials adoption process has been
criticized in the past for being overly complex and not giving
school districts enough flexibility and options for
instructional materials. This bill seeks to remove the
Curriculum Commission from the instructional materials adoption
process, and instead allow the SPI and/or school districts to
submit recommendations to the SBE for the adoption of
instructional materials. The Curriculum Commission will
continue to exist but will be primarily responsible for
developing and revising curriculum frameworks and criteria.
This bill removes one layer of the complex adoption process and
allows for more district participation in the process. This
bill also gives the SPI a role in the review and adoption of
AB 250
Page 6
instructional materials by authorizing the SPI to submit
recommendations for instructional materials to the SBE for
adoption.
This bill expresses legislative intent to direct the SPI, in
consultation with teachers and county offices of education to
develop model professional development modules and provide
opportunities for the professional development of teachers,
principals and other school leaders that support implementation
of the common core state standards. California's newly adopted
common core state standards will require some form of
professional development and or training for the teacher
workforce, as the new standards involve new content and require
that teachers teach with a depth of understanding for key
concepts. Teachers have focused on instructional strategies
designed to assist students to acquire the knowledge outlined
through California's existing content standards, however the
common core state standards include content of a deeper and more
comprehensive nature that involve problem solving, critical
thinking, and in-depth conceptual understanding of core content
ideas. Even though the common core state standards have been
adopted, there has been little information and guidance given to
the field on implementing these standards. Thus, supporting
teachers in the transition to the common core state standards is
an important element in the implementation of these standards.
California's state assessment program is comprised of three
major testing components, the STAR Program, the California
English Language Development Test, and a high school exit
examination; the program also includes a number of smaller, more
specialized assessments. The STAR Program, initially authorized
in 1997, requires testing of students in English language arts,
mathematics, science and history/social science at specified
grade levels. Today, the STAR Program includes the California
Standards Tests (CSTs), the California Alternate Performance
Assessment administered to students with significant cognitive
disabilities, the California Modified Assessment administered to
students whose disabilities preclude them from achieving
grade-level proficiency on an assessment of the California
content standards with or without testing accommodations, and a
national norm-referenced test in Spanish that is administered to
Spanish speaking ELs who have been in school in the United
States for less than 12 months or who are receiving instruction
in Spanish.
AB 250
Page 7
In an effort to prepare California's assessment system for
potential changes in federal law, this bill extends the
operative date of the state's assessment system by one year
through the 2013-14 school year. This additional year will give
the Legislature the opportunity to examine national common
assessment initiatives and will give the state flexibility to
adapt to potential changes through the reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act before considering
proposals for the reauthorization of the state pupil assessment
system. To inform future decisions of the Legislature in the
reauthorization of the statewide assessment system, this bill
additionally requires the SPI to make recommendations including
a plan for transitioning to a system of high-quality assessments
that are aligned to the common core state standards.
The adoption of the common core state standards will only have
an impact on the achievement of California's pupils if the state
starts a process to bring the curriculum, instruction and
assessment system into alignment with the common core state
standards.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avina / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0001128