BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 250
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 250 (Brownley)
As Amended August 30, 2011
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |52-24|(June 1, 2011) |SENATE: |24-10|(August 31, |
| | | | | |2011) |
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Original Committee Reference: ED.
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.
The Senate amendments :
1)Rename the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials
Commission (Commission) as the Instructional Quality
Commission.
2)Delete all the provisions relative to the instructional
materials adoption process including the authority for school
districts and the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI)
to make recommendations for instructional materials to be
adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE) and instead
reverts to current law requiring the Commission to make these
recommendations.
3)Expand the role of the Commission to advise and make
recommendations to the SBE, including, but not limited to,
what policies and activities are needed to implement the
state's academic content standards, and to bring the state's
curriculum frameworks, instructional materials, professional
development programs, pupil assessments, and academic
accountability systems into alignment with those standards.
4)Require the SPI, in collaboration with the SBE, and specified
individuals, to develop criteria to guide the development of
model professional development modules for teachers and
administrators that incorporate, make use of, and build upon
existing programs currently available at the local, state and
national levels to deepen the understanding of specified
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topics.
5)Revise the list of topics required to be covered by the model
professional development modules by deleting the following:
curriculum frameworks, English language development standards,
instructional technology, and use of assessments and data.
6)Specify that the California Department of Education (CDE)
shall use federal carryover funds received pursuant to Title I
of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) and
other available state and federal funds to implement this
bill, and delete language making implementation of this bill
subject to an appropriation in the Annual Budget Act.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill established 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, and revising the instructional materials
adoption process.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee:
1)The CDE has indicated that existing staff would take on the
administrative work needed to implement changes to the
frameworks and evaluation criteria, the instructional
materials, and the Instructional Quality Commission. The CDE
would require additional resources for travel and related
reimbursements (for committee members, consultants, and
staff), as well as mailing and duplication costs. The CDE
estimates that it would require $267,000 over two years to
cover these costs.
2)The CDE estimates that it would cost $100,000 in federal Title
I carryover funds to create each professional development
module, make it accessible on the CDE's Internet Web site, and
provide training to local trainers; the estimate assumes the
modules will be created by existing staff. The CDE plans to
develop 4 modules in the first year ($400,000) and 6-10
modules over the following two years ($600,000 - $1,000,000).
3)The actual cost of extending the Standardized Testing and
Reporting (STAR) Program would depend upon the contract
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negotiated by the CDE and SBE, based on several factors
including the final test components and the amount apportioned
to local education agencies. The CDE estimates the total cost
to be approximately $65,400,000, which includes $12,400,000 in
federal funds.
COMMENTS : In January 2010, the Legislature approved and the
Governor signed SB 1 X5 (Steinberg), Chapter 2, Statutes of
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 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 kindergarten and grades 1-8, inclusive, 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
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subsequent instructional materials adoption, as the framework,
itself, provides updated guidance for teachers to deliver
instruction in the new content standards.
This bill provides for the inclusion of English language
development and teaching strategies for addressing the needs of
English Learners (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."
This bill requires the development of model professional
development modules to 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
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problem solving, critical thinking, and in-depth conceptual
understanding of core content ideas. Supporting teachers in the
transition to the common core state standards is an important
element in the implementation of these standards.
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.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi�a / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0002491