BILL NUMBER: AB 2116	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 10, 2012

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Lara

                        FEBRUARY 23, 2012

   An act to add Section 60605.10 to the Education Code, relating to
academic content standards.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2116, as amended, Lara. Academic content standards:
implementation: study.
   Existing law, until July 1, 2014, establishes the Academic Content
Standards Commission and requires the commission to develop
internationally benchmarked academic content standards in language
arts, and mathematics, at least 85% of which are required to be the
common core academic standards developed by the Common Core State
Standards Initiative consortium or another specified interstate
collaboration. Existing law requires the commission to present its
recommended academic content standards to the State Board of
Education and requires the state board by August 2, 2010, to either
adopt the standards proposed by the commission or reject them.
Existing law also requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
and the state board to present to the Governor and the appropriate
policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a schedule and
implementation plan for integrating these academic content standards
into the state educational system.
   This bill would require the State Department of Education, with
the approval of the state board, to contract for a multiyear
independent study  , as specified,  of those academic
content standards and any subsequent common core academic content
standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative
consortium, or other interstate collaboration, and adopted by the
state board  for the purpose of informing policymakers, parents
of pupils, and the public about the extent to which newly adopted
common core state standards are being effectively and equitably
implemented in the state public school system and increasing the
ability of policymakers to improve the timely implementation of the
standards  . The bill would require that the study examine and
publicly report on the progress of the implementation of the academic
content standards  in   with respect to the
actions taken by state-level entities an   d by  a
representative sample of schools and school districts across the
state, as specified.  The bill would require the department to
use specified available federal funds to conduct the study. 
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 60605.10 is added to the Education Code, to
read:
   60605.10.  (a) The  department,   purpose of
this section is to inform policymakers, parents of pupils, and the
public about the extent to which newly adopted common core state
standards are being effectively and equitably implemented in the
state public school system and to increase the ability of
policymakers to improve the timely implementation of the standards.

    (b)     The department,  with the
approval of the state board, shall contract for a multiyear
independent study of the implementation of the academic content
standards adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 60605.8,
 including the English language development standards pursuant to
subdivision (b) of Section 60207,  as well as any subsequent
common core academic content standards developed by the consortium or
interstate collaboration set forth in Section 60605.7 and adopted by
the state board. The scope of the work and the final contract for
this study shall be approved by the state board. 
   (b) 
    (c)  The study shall examine and publicly report on the
progress of the implementation of the academic content standards
described in subdivision  (a) in   (b) with
respect to the actions taken by state-level entities and by  a
representative sample of schools and school districts across the
state, with a focus on whether implementation is proceeding in a
manner that promotes equal opportunities for all pupils to learn the
academic content developed pursuant to the standards and to be
successful on related state assessments. 
   (d) The study described in subdivision (b) shall include, but not
be limited to, all of the following:  
   (1) The extent to which instructional materials that are aligned
to the standards are adopted by the state and school districts and
are used by teachers and pupils in the classroom, including
supplemental materials that are aligned to the standards and are used
until new instructional materials are available.  
   (2) The extent to which teachers are prepared to teach the
standards, including, but not limited to, all of the following: 

   (A) The steps taken by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to
ensure that teacher preparation programs are aligned to the standards
and the competency demonstrated by new teachers in teaching and
assessing the new standards.  
   (B) The alignment of the department's professional development
modules, technical assistance, and implementation plan to the
standards, and whether the needs of English learners, pupils with
disabilities, and underperforming pupils are addressed.  
   (C) The professional development of current educators to teach and
assess the new standards, including, but not limited to, all of the
following:  
   (i) Instructional strategies that support the learning of all
pupils, including English learners, pupils with disabilities, and
underperforming pupils.  
   (ii) Training of administrators and teachers on the content and
form of new assessments that are designed to measure a pupil's
knowledge of the standards, including English learners, pupils with
disabilities, and underperforming pupils.  
   (iii) Instructional strategies that promote creativity,
innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and
communication skills in all academic content areas consistent with
the newly adopted standards.  
   (3) The extent to which the standards are taught to pupils in the
classroom, including to English learners, pupils with disabilities,
and underperforming pupils.  
   (4) The extent to which school districts and schools are able to
provide access to technology necessary to support the new assessments
consistent with the timelines established for the implementation of
computer-aided assessments.  
   (e) The department shall use available federal carryover funds it
has received pursuant to Title I of the federal No Child Left Behind
Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.), and to the extent
additional funds are needed, the department may use available funds
received pursuant to Title VI of the federal No Child Left Behind Act
of 2001 and any other available state and federal funds to implement
this act.