BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2116
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Date of Hearing: April 18, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
AB 2116 (Lara) - As Amended: April 10, 2012
SUBJECT : Academic content standards: implementation study
SUMMARY : Requires the California Department of Education (CDE)
to contract for a multiyear independent study of the
implementation of the common core academic content standards
(CCC standards). Specifically, this bill :
1)States that the purpose of this bill is to inform policy
makers, parents, and the public about the extent to which
newly adopted CCC standards are being effectively and
equitably implemented in the state's public school system and
to increase the ability of California policy makers to improve
such implementation in a timely manner.
2)Requires the CDE, with the approval of the State Board of
Education (SBE), to contract for a multiyear independent study
of the implementation of the common core academic content
standards in language arts and math, including the English
language development (ELD) standards and any subsequent CCC
standards developed by the specified consortium or interstate
collaboration, and adopted by the SBE.
3)Specifies that the scope of the work and the final contract
for this study shall be approved by the SBE.
4)Requires the study to examine and publicly report on the
progress of the implementation of the CCC standards 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.
5)Requires the study to include, but not be limited to the
following:
a) The extent to which instructional materials that are
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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;
b) The extent to which teachers are prepared to teach the
standards, including, but not limited to, all of the
following:
i) The steps taken by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing (CTC) 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;
ii) The alignment of the CDE's professional development
modules, technical assistance, and implementation plan to
the standards, and whether the needs of English learners
(ELs), pupils with disabilities, and underperforming
pupils are addressed;
iii) The professional development of current educators to
teach and assess the new standards, including, but not
limited to, all of the following:
(1) Instructional strategies that support the
learning of all pupils, including ELs, pupils with
disabilities, and underperforming pupils;
(2) 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 ELs, pupils with disabilities, and
underperforming pupils; and,
(3) 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.
c) The extent to which the standards are taught to pupils
in the classroom, including to ELs, pupils with
disabilities, and underperforming pupils.
d) 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
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established for the implementation of computer-aided
assessments.
6)Requires the CDE to use available federal carryover funds it
has received pursuant to Title I of the federal No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), and to the extent additional funds
are needed, authorizes the CDE to use available funds received
pursuant to Title VI of the federal NCLB and any other
available state and federal funds to implement this bill.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the Academic Content Standards Commission
(Standards Commission), as specified, to develop academic
content standards in language arts and mathematics and present
recommended academic content standards to the SBE by July 15,
2010.
2)Requires that at least 85% of these standards be the common
core academic standards developed by the Common Core State
Standards Initiative consortium sponsored by the National
Governors Association (NGA) and the Council of Chief State
School Officers (CCSSO) or any associated or related
interstate collaboration to jointly develop common
high-quality standards or assessments aligned with the common
set of standards, and requires the SBE to adopt or reject the
recommended standards by August 2, 2010.
3)Requires the SPI and the SBE to present to the Governor and to
the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the
Legislature a schedule and implementation plan for integrating
the revised language arts and math adopted academic content
standards into the state educational system.
4)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.
5)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 and students with disabilities, as
specified.
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6)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.
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 pupil assessment program. Requires those
recommendations to include a plan for transitioning to a
system of high-quality assessments that includes various
specified elements, including alignment to the CCC academic
content standards.
8)Requires 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 the common core
academic content standards and specified topics.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
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- created 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 CCC state standards for each subject, and required the
California CDE to submit a schedule and an implementation plan
to the Legislature for integrating the content standards into
the education system. The SBE adopted the CCC standards in
language arts and mathematics on August 2, 2010.
This bill requires a multiyear independent study of the
implementation of the CCC standards, including the ELD
standards.
Common core implementation efforts underway : Implementation of
the CCC standards will potentially take a number of years, as
new curriculum, professional development, and assessments that
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are aligned to the CCC standards will have to be developed.
Last year the Legislature approved and the Governor signed three
measures to start a process for transitioning into and
implementing the CCC standards. AB 250 (Brownley), Chapter 608,
Statutes of 2011 develops curriculum frameworks and professional
development modules aligned to the common core standards, and
prepares the state's assessment system for reauthorization and
alignment with the CCC standards. AB 124 (Fuentes), Chapter
605, Statutes of 2011 requires alignment of the ELD standards to
the common core ELA standards. Lastly, SB 140 (Lowenthal),
Chapter 623, Statutes of 2011 creates a process for the review
and approval of supplemental instructional materials to provide
a bridge to the CCC standards. On March 7, 2012, the SBE
approved the CCC standards systems implementation plan that
identifies major phases and activities in the implementation of
these standards throughout California's educational system.
Additionally, California is participating in the SMARTER
Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) with a number of other
states to prepare a common set of assessments based on the CCC
standards. These assessments are scheduled to be available by
the 2014-15 school year. California's pupil assessment system
is authorized through statute and therefore, while the existing
system will sunset on July 1, 2014, it is still uncertain as to
whether the SBAC assessments will indeed be administered in the
2014-15 school year. In fact, California's CCC standards
include an additional 15% of California-specific standards;
therefore the SBAC assessments will not include these California
additions. The assessments will be based solely on the
standards shared by all adopting states. To inform future
decisions of the Legislature in the reauthorization of the
statewide assessment system, AB 250 (Brownley) Chapter 608,
Statutes of 2011 requires the SPI to make recommendations
including a plan for transitioning to a system of high-quality
assessments that are aligned to the CCC standards. The SPI is
currently engaging in this work and those recommendations are
due to the Legislature in November of this year.
Implementation challenges : Proponents of this bill contend that
this bill will "identify any potential challenges to equity in
access to the new education standards for students throughout
the state." It is clear that several challenges exist in
implementing these standards.
This Committee held an informational hearing in March of 2011
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titled, "California's Common Core State Standards:
Implementation Challenges and Opportunities." Testimony
provided during the hearing, recognized that the fiscal climate
and the limited fiscal resources would present challenges in
implementation. The suspension of framework development and
instructional materials adoptions, along with the ongoing budget
cuts will continue to pose challenges. Last year, the
Legislature prioritized taking some of the initial steps in
implementation of the CCC standards through the enactment of
three bills and a modest budget appropriation. While studying
the implementation of the CCC standards may be a worthy goal, an
argument could be made that given the fiscal climate and the
limited resources, any potentially available resources should be
targeted for purposes providing tools to students and teachers
to help with the implementation of the standards. Others could
argue that monitoring the implementation of these standards is
equally important and should also be prioritized.
Common core implementation plan : On March 7, 2012, the SBE
adopted the Common Core State Standards Systems Implementation
Plan for California. The plan identifies phases of
implementation as well as activities that will be necessary both
at the state and local levels to implement the CCC standards.
For example, the plan notes that CDE will work with the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to ensure that
pre-service teachers and administrators have access to programs
that provide the pedagogical and content knowledge needed to
successfully support student attainment of the CCC standards.
Additionally, collaborations with higher education and the
coordination of programs will guide revisions to teacher
competencies, credentialing, and course work for students in all
teacher preparation and credentialing programs. Furthermore, the
plan notes that CDE will also collaborate with various
educational entities; including the county offices of education,
educator professional associations, and stakeholder
organizations to ensure that existing and newly developed CCC
standards-aligned resources are efficiently and adequately
distributed to educators throughout California and will maintain
ongoing communication with the higher education community in the
development of professional learning resources for educators.
Clarification needed : This bill requires the scope of work to
be approved by the SBE and requires the study to examine and
report on the progress of implementation with a focus on whether
implementation is proceeding in a manner that promotes equal
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opportunities for all pupils to learn the academic content
developed pursuant to the CCC standards and to be successful on
related state assessments. It is not clear as to whether the
report is intended to provide recommendations to address
identified shortcomings and challenges or whether the findings
will be for information purposes only. Additionally the bill
does not identify the intended recipients of the report. Staff
recommends the bill be amended to specify that the report shall
be submitted to the Governor and the appropriate policy and
fiscal committees of the Legislature. Additionally, the report
shall be available to the public on the CDE's Internet Web site.
The bill does not specify a timespan during which the study
would be conducted or a specific date for completing the study.
Without a date certain, the study may be completed too late to
be useful, or may not be completed at all. Staff recommends an
amendment to specify a due date that provides adequate time for
CDE to enter into a contract and for the report to be completed.
Furthermore, it is not clear whether the intent of this bill
is to have a one-time study or whether the intent is to have
annual or biennial reports covering a specified number of years.
According to the author's staff, the intent is for regular
biennial reports to be submitted indefinitely. Staff
recommends the bill be amended to clarify the author's intent.
This bill is currently in conflict with SB 1200 (Hancock)
pending in the Senate Education Committee. This bill and SB
1200 add the same Education Code Section number, which if both
are enacted, could result in one bill chaptering out the other.
Although it is still early in the process, the author may wish
to consider addressing this conflict by renumbering the new Code
section added by this bill.
Information provided by the author compares the roll-out of the
common core standards to the implementation of the high school
exit exam. The author suggests that the Legislature and the
Governor felt it necessary to have an independent contractor
study the implementation of the exit exam and the degree to
which students were exposed to the English language arts and
math content standards. Likewise, the intent of this bill is to
conduct a similar independent study to assess the implementation
of the common core standards. The author states, "AB 2116 calls
for an evaluation of the readiness for CCSS �Common Core State
Standards] implementation before students take the first
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state-imposed assessments and will ensure that policy makers are
fully informed of the potential obstacles districts, schools,
teachers, and students may experience and will also help to
ensure students have equal and equitable access to the CCSS."
Arguments in support : Public Advocates, the sponsor of this
bill writes, "California has an obligation to monitor
proactively the new standards as they are being rolled out and
implemented so that California's students - particularly
students of color, English learners, students in disadvantaged
neighborhoods and students with disabilities - are not at risk
of facing widespread inequalities and significant gaps in
learning, as we witnessed in the implementation of our current
academic content standards. By calling for an independent study
while the new standards are being rolled out, AB 2116 will help
California identify obstacles and avoid repeating past mistakes
in implementing new statewide academic standards."
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) writes, "The ACLU of
California strongly supports AB 2116 and its goal to ensure
California's Common Cores State Standards (CCSS) are implemented
fairly and equitably so that all students graduate college and
career ready."
Related legislation : AB 1719 (Fuentes) establishes a process
for the review and approval of supplemental instructional
materials that are aligned to the common core state standards
and the revised English language development (ELD) standards for
English learner pupils. AB 1719 is pending in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee.
Previous legislation : AB 250 (Brownley), Chapter 608, Statutes
of 2011, establishes a process for the implementation of the
common core academic content standards by developing and
adopting curriculum frameworks, instructional materials, and
professional development opportunities that are aligned to the
common core academic content standards and are appropriate for
all pupils. AB 250 also extends the operative date of the
Standardized Testing and Reporting program by one year, to July
2014 and requires the SPI to develop recommendations and a plan
for the reauthorization of the state's assessment system.
AB 124 (Fuentes), Chapter 605, Statutes of 2011, establishes a
process to update, revise, and align the ELD standards to the
common core state standards in ELA and requires the
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Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) and the SBE to
present to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal
committees of the Legislature a schedule and implementation plan
for integrating the revised ELD standards into the education
system.
SB 140 (Lowenthal), Chapter 623, Statutes of 2011 requires the
CDE, on a one time basis, to develop a list, on or before July
1, 2012, of supplemental instructional materials for use in
kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, that are aligned with
California's common core (CCC) academic content standards in
language arts and for kindergarten and grades 1-7, inclusive,
that are aligned with CCC standards in mathematics, and repeals
these provisions on July 1, 2014.
SB 1 5X (Steinberg) Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009-10, Fifth
Extraordinary Session, proposes comprehensive changes to the
Education Code consistent with the federal Race to the Top
(RTTT) program, and addresses the four RTTT policy reform areas
of standards and assessments, data systems to support
instruction, great teachers and leaders and turning around the
lowest-achieving schools. Establishes the Standards Commission
to develop academic content standards in language arts and
mathematics and present recommended academic content standards
to the SBE by July 15, 2010 and requires the SBE to adopt or
reject the recommended standards by August 2, 2010.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Public Advocates (Sponsor)
American Civil Liberties Union
Association of California School Administrators
California Latino School Boards Association
Californians Together
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi�a / ED. / (916) 319-2087
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