BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 2361
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 9, 2012

                           ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                                Julia Brownley, Chair
                  AB 2361 (Pan) - As Introduced:  February 24, 2012
           
          SUBJECT  :   School districts:  school accountability report card: 
           visual and performing arts

           SUMMARY  :   Encourages schools to include in their school 
          accountability report cards the following information:

          1)The number of visual and performing arts classes offered in 
            the school district and at the schoolsite.

          2)The amount of time devoted to visual and performing arts 
            instruction.

          3)The number of pupils enrolled in visual and performing arts 
            classes.

          4)The number of full-time equivalent teaching positions in the 
            visual and performing arts.

           EXISTING LAW  requires schools to annually prepare and make 
          public a school accountability report card (SARC).  The SARC is 
          required to include data regarding academic performance, dropout 
          and graduation rates, expenditures, class sizes, teacher 
          assignments, textbooks, school facilities, suspension and 
          expulsion rates, school climate, and career technical education 
          data measures.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   This bill is keyed nonfiscal.

           COMMENTS  :   The SARC requirement was established by voter 
          initiative (Proposition 98) to provide information by which 
          parents can make meaningful comparisons between public schools 
          that will enable them to make informed decisions on the school 
          in which to enroll their children.  Among other things, the SARC 
          reports the school's Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) 
          results in the subjects of English language arts, mathematics, 
          science, and history-social science.  The SARC also reports the 
          number of Advanced Placement courses offered and the percent of 
          students enrolled in those courses for specific subjects, 
          including fine and performing arts.  The SARC does not require 








                                                                  AB 2361
                                                                  Page  2

          schools to report the number of classes offered, the amount of 
          time devoted to instruction, the number of pupils enrolled, or 
          the number of full-time equivalent teaching positions for any 
          subject.   This bill  would encourage schools to provide this 
          information for visual and performing arts.
           
          REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 

           California Federation of Teachers (Sponsor)
          California Alliance for Arts Education 
          California State PTA
          Junior Leagues of California

           Opposition 

           None on file

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Rick Pratt / ED. / (916) 319-2087