BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1521
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1521 (Brownley)
As Amended August 24, 2012
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |69-5 |(May 3, 2012) |SENATE: |38-0 |(August 28, |
| | | | | |2012) |
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Original Committee Reference: ED.
SUMMARY : Makes the standards-aligned primary language assessment
available for administration to non-English learners enrolled in
dual immersion programs.
The Senate amendments :
1)Delete provisions related to the elimination of end-of-course
integrated math and science assessments.
2)Clarify that the cost of the primary language assessment shall not
exceed the marginal cost for the assessment, including any cost
the California Department of Education (CDE) incurs to implement
this bill.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar to
the version passed by the Senate.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee,
significant General Fund cost pressure, which may be offset by fees,
if the CDE elects to make the primary language assessment available.
COMMENTS : This bill makes the standards-aligned primary language
assessment available to school districts and charter schools for
administration to their non-English learners enrolled in dual
immersion programs.
SB 1448 (Alpert), Chapter 233, Statutes of 2004, required the
development of standards-aligned primary language assessments for
English learner (EL) pupils. The Standards-based Tests in Spanish
(STS) is the adopted primary language assessment and is available in
reading/language arts and mathematics for grades 2-11, inclusive.
Additionally, algebra 1 and geometry end-of-course exams are also
available in Spanish. The STS is currently administered to ELs who
AB 1521
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either receive instruction in their primary language or have been
enrolled in a school in the United States (U.S.) for less than 12
months; and these tests are administered in addition to the English
California Standards Test (CST) in reading/language arts and
mathematics. The STS results are not used for state or federal
accountability purposes.
At the option of a school district, the STS may also be administered
to an EL pupil who has been enrolled in the U.S. for 12 months or
more and who is not receiving instruction in his or her primary
language. Currently, school districts that operate Spanish/English
dual immersion programs are not authorized to administer the STS to
native English speakers or to redesignated fluent-English-proficient
pupils enrolled in these programs. The reason behind this is that
the intent of developing these tests was to provide English learners
a means of demonstrating mastery of the standards in their primary
language. However an argument can be made that these assessments
can be a valuable tool to provide information to teachers relative
to how native English speakers enrolled in dual immersion programs
are doing in acquiring academic content in the Spanish language.
Dual language education programs integrate native English speakers
and native speakers of the target language to provide instruction
presented through two languages. Dual language education programs
have the goal of developing bilingualism and biliteracy in English
and another language.
Allowing English speaking pupils enrolled in a dual immersion
program to take the primary language assessment does not eliminate
the requirement for these pupils to take the CST in English and does
not replace it for state accountability purposes, but it rather
offers school districts an additional tool to measure progress of
these pupils.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi�a / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN:
0005656