BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2193|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2193
Author: Lara (D), et al.
Amended: 8/21/12 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-0, 6/27/12
AYES: Lowenthal, Alquist, Blakeslee, Huff, Liu, Price,
Simitian, Vargas
NO VOTE RECORDED: Runner, Hancock, Vacancy
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 7-0, 8/16/12
AYES: Kehoe, Walters, Alquist, Dutton, Lieu, Price,
Steinberg
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 68-10, 5/30/12 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Long-term English learners
SOURCE : Californians Together
DIGEST : This bill defines long-term English learner and
English learner at-risk of becoming a long-term English
learner and requires the Department of Education (CDE) to
annually ascertain and provide to school districts and
schools the number of pupils in each school district and
school, as specified, who are, or are at risk of becoming,
long-term English learners.
ANALYSIS : Existing law defines "English learner" as a
child who does not speak English or whose native language
CONTINUED
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is not English and who is not currently able to perform
ordinary classroom work in English. (Education Code (ED)
Section 306)
Both federal and state law require that each school
district with English language learners annually assess
these students' English language development until they are
redesignated as English proficient. (ED Section 313)
Under No Child Left Behind, the CDE and each local
educational agency (LEA) must identify any school that has
not made adequate yearly progress (AYP) for at least two
years as in Program Improvement (PI). Schools that remain
in Program Improvement are subject to increasing
requirements and sanctions.
Existing law further requires that the CDE develop a
statewide system of school support to provide for intensive
and sustained support and technical assistance for school
districts, county offices of education, and schools in need
of improvement. Existing law requires that the system of
support consist of regional consortia, as well as district
assistance and intervention teams, and other technical
assistance providers. Regional consortia are required to
work collaboratively with school districts and program
improvement schools to (1) review and analyze all facets of
the school's operation; (2) assist the LEA or school in
developing recommendations for improving pupil performance
and school operations; and (3) assist the LEA or school in
efforts to eliminate misassignments of personnel. (ED
Section 52059)
This bill defines "long-term English learner" and "English
learner at-risk of becoming a long-term English learner"
and requires CDE to annually ascertain and provide to
school districts and schools the number of pupils in each
school district and school, as specified, who are, or are
at risk of becoming, long-term English learners.
Comments
A recent report by Californians Together, Reparable Harm:
Fulfilling the Unkept Promise of Educational Opportunity
for California's Long-Term English Learners, presented
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survey data collected from 40 school districts. Major
findings of the survey included the following:
The majority (59%) of secondary school English learners
are "Long Term English Learners" (defined as being in
U.S. schools for more than six years without sufficient
English proficiency to be reclassified).
California school districts that do not have a shared
definition of Long-term English learners.
Several contributing factors include; no receipt of
language development programs, being given elementary
school curricula and materials that were not designed to
meet EL needs, weak language development program models,
inconsistent programs, social and linguistic isolation
and other things.
Few districts have designated programs or formal
approaches designed for Long Term English Learners.
English learners . The CDE provides the following
information on English learners in California's public
schools:
In the 2010-11 school year, there were approximately 1.4
million ELs in California public schools, constituting
23.2% of the total enrollment.
Seventy-one percent of English learners are enrolled in
the elementary grades (K-6) with the remaining 29%
enrolled in grades 7-12.
Although English learner data are collected for 59
language groups, 94% speak one of the top 10 languages in
the state, which include Spanish (82.7%), Vietnamese,
Cantonese, Pilipino (Filipino or Tagalog), Hmong,
Mandarin, Korean, Arabic, Punjabi, and Russian.
During 2010-2011, the CDE administered the California
English Language Development Test (CELDT) to 1.57 million
students, 1.25 million of whom were tested under the
annual assessment window.
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Since 2008-09, approximately 11% of ELs have annually
been reclassified as English proficient.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Data collection and hosting . Approximately $50,000 for
.5 PY to compile specified data for each school district.
See staff comments.
Local assistance . $100,000 - $200,000 to support the
expanded role of regional consortia required by this
bill.
Mandates . Potentially substantial reimbursable mandate
on school districts to expand regional consortia duties
and parental notifications.
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/27/12) (per Senate Education
Committee analysis - unable to reverify at time of writing)
Californians Together (source)
Association of California School Administrators
California Association for Bilingual Education
California Association of Latino Superintendents and
Administrators
California Federation of Teachers
California School Boards Association
California Teachers Association
California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
Languages
Families in Schools
San Francisco Unified School District
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, a
mechanism does not currently exist to identify Long-term
English learners or those at risk of becoming such. Absent
a mechanism, school districts and parents find it difficult
to provide appropriate and timely interventions to prevent
an EL from becoming an LTEL. This bill begins the process
of identifying "long-term English learners to ensure that
they do not become 'invisible'" and do no fall through the
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cracks regarding instruction.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 68-10, 5/30/12
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Beall,
Bill Berryhill, Block, Blumenfield, Bonilla, Bradford,
Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Charles Calderon, Campos,
Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Davis, Dickinson,
Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Garrick,
Gatto, Gordon, Gorell, Grove, Hagman, Halderman, Hall,
Hayashi, Roger Hern�ndez, Hill, Huber, Hueso, Huffman,
Lara, Bonnie Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Mitchell,
Monning, Nestande, Norby, Olsen, Pan, Perea, V. Manuel
P�rez, Portantino, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio,
Swanson, Torres, Wagner, Wieckowski, Williams, Yamada,
John A. P�rez
NOES: Donnelly, Beth Gaines, Harkey, Jeffries, Jones,
Knight, Logue, Mansoor, Morrell, Nielsen
NO VOTE RECORDED: Fletcher, Valadao
PQ:m 8/21/12 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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