BILL NUMBER: SCR 18	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Liu

                        FEBRUARY 28, 2011

   Relative to public schools.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SCR 18, as introduced, Liu. Public schools: pupil, teacher, and
parent surveys.
   This measure would state the intent of the Legislature to pursue
every means necessary to ensure that the California School Climate,
Health, and Learning Survey (CAL-SCHLS) remains viable and would urge
the state to pursue federal funding, grants, or other sources to
ensure that school districts receive the necessary funding to support
the CAL-SCHLS.
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, School climate and safety are an important priority and
significantly contribute to, or detract from, the overall success of
pupils, schools, and the general well-being of our children; and
   WHEREAS, The California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) is an
anonymous, comprehensive, confidential, and self-reported data
collection system that addresses youth resiliency, school climate,
health risks, and behaviors, and is administered to pupils in grades
5, 7, 9, and 11; and
   WHEREAS, The California School Climate Survey (CSCS) is an online
staff survey that provides a means to confidentially obtain staff
perceptions about learning and teaching conditions for both general
and special education, in order to regularly inform decisions about
professional development, instruction, the implementation of learning
supports, and school reform; and
   WHEREAS, The California School Parent Survey (CSPS) assesses the
perceptions of parents related to school climate, parent outreach,
and pupil achievement, and is designed to provide teachers,
administrators, and other school staff with information directly from
parents that can be used to foster positive learning and teaching
environments, parent involvement, and pupil achievement, health, and
well-being; and
   WHEREAS, Together, the CHKS, CSCS, and CSPS form the California
School Climate, Health, and Learning Survey (CAL-SCHLS) comprised of
three interrelated surveys that secure the critical information with
respect to pupil, staff, and parental perceptions of the teaching and
learning environments in California public schools; and
   WHEREAS, These surveys provide all of the following: a critical
lens into the environments and outcomes of our schools, an important
tool for planning, addressing, and monitoring problematic conditions,
a meaningful tool for transparency and accountability, and an
important mechanism to support parental, civic, and community-based
engagement efforts; and
   WHEREAS, As a condition of receiving funding pursuant to the
federal Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (20 U.S.C.
Sec. 7101 et seq.), or for tobacco use prevention education pursuant
to Article 1 (commencing with Section 104350) of Chapter 1 of Part 3
of Division 103 of the Health and Safety Code, school districts are
required to conduct the CHKS and CSCS biennially; and
   WHEREAS, Funding received pursuant to the federal Safe and
Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act, or for tobacco use prevention
education, has been curtailed, and absent reauthorization of the
federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301
et seq.), the collection of this critical information will no longer
be required; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly
thereof concurring, That it is the intent of the Legislature to
pursue every means necessary to ensure that the CAL-SCHLS remains
viable; and be it further
   Resolved, That the state is urged to pursue federal funding,
grants, or other sources to ensure that school districts receive the
necessary funding to support the CAL-SCHLS, and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.