BILL ANALYSIS �
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair
AB 1705 (Silva) - CAHSEE: Pupils with disabilities.
Amended: April 26, 2012 Policy Vote: Education 9-0
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: July 2, 2012
Consultant: Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez
This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the
Suspense File.
Bill Summary: AB 1705 delays, until 2015, the implementation of
"alternative means" for demonstrating the same level of academic
achievement as required for passage of the California high
school exit exam (CAHSEE), thereby extending the exemption from
the requirement that eligible pupils with disabilities pass the
CAHSEE as a condition of receiving a high school diploma.
Fiscal Impact: Extending the existing exemption is unlikely to
result in new state costs. To the extent that the alternative
means ultimately adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE)
require new costs, the state Department of Education (CDE) may
seek a future budget appropriation to implement them.
Background: Existing law requires pupils to successfully pass
the CAHSEE as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation,
in addition to completing state and local graduation
requirements. (Education Code � 60851, 51225.3 and 51224.5)
AB 2040 (Nunez) Chapter 666/2008, required the SBE to explore
alternative means for eligible pupils with disabilities who have
fulfilled all of the requirements for a high school diploma
except passage of the CAHSEE to demonstrate they have achieved
the same level of academic achievement required for passage of
the CAHSEE.
Currently, eligible pupils with a disability are exempt from
having to pass the CAHSEE until the SBE determines that the
alternative means by which a pupil may demonstrate the same
level of academic achievement on the content standards required
for passage of the CAHSEE are either not feasible or that the
alternative means are implemented (once the SBE takes any action
AB 1705 (Silva)
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on alternative means). (EC � 60852.3)
Current law and regulation exempt eligible pupils with a
disability from the requirement to pass the CAHSEE until January
1, 2013. The exemption is linked to the alternative means for
demonstrating achievement of standards that are required to pass
the CAHSEE. The exemption expires once the alternative means is
either rejected or approved by the SBE. The SBE has determined
that alternative means are feasible but extended to January 1,
2013, through regulation, the statutory implementation date of
the alternative means, as it explores the alternative means
assessment options. The CDE has expressed concern that
alternative means should not be chosen and implemented at this
time due to the transition to the common core standards, as well
as the upcoming reauthorization of the state's assessment
system.
According to the CDE, the SBE's determination that alternative
means are feasible, in conjunction with implementation dates
established in regulation, results in the expiration of the
exemption on January 1, 2013.
Proposed Law: AB 1705 extends the current exemption until 2015,
by delaying implementation of an alternative means assessment
yet to be determined by the SBE.
Staff Comments: "Alternative means" is a two-tiered system
consisting of both a screening of alternative scale scores
determined to approximate a passing score on the CAHSEE (certain
scores on the California Standards Tests (CST) or California
Modified Assessment (CMA) and a collection of evidence (student
work samples). Tier I of the alternative means is a score of 300
on the CST in 10th grade English, a score of 300 on the Algebra
I CST, a score of 350 on the CMA in 10th grade English, and a
score of 350 on the Algebra I CMA. Tier II is a "collection of
evidence" that will be determined by the SBE. Options for Tier
II assessment could be student portfolios, in-class tasks that
are assessed by teachers, or a standardized computer-based test.
The type of Tier II assessment that is ultimately chosen, now
that the SBE has determined it is feasible, may or may not drive
significant additional costs.
Through regulation, the SBE established July 1, 2012 as the
implementation date of the alternative means assessment.
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Eligible pupils with disabilities will be required to take the
alternative means assessment in order to receive a high school
diploma beginning with the 2013-14 school year, under existing
regulation. The CDE contends the implementation date is not
feasible. Without implementation of an alternative means
assessment, eligible pupils with disabilities would have to pass
the CAHSEE in order to receive a high school diploma because the
SBE established an implementation date for this alternative
assessment via regulations.
This bill extends the implementation date of the alternative
means assessment for eligible pupils with disabilities until
2015, giving additional time to the CDE to determine the best
Tier II option and devise an implementation strategy.