BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 547|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 547
Author: Steinberg (D)
Amended: 5/4/11
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-3, 4/27/11
AYES: Lowenthal, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Price, Simitian,
Vargas
NOES: Runner, Blakeslee, Huff
NO VOTE RECORDED: Vacancy
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 6-2, 5/26/11
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Pavley, Price, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Runner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Emmerson
SUBJECT : Academic Performance Index
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill (1) reduces the proportion of the
Academic Performance Index (API) value that relies on the
results of the California Standards Tests and the
California High School Exit Exam, (2) requires the State
Board of Education, in consultation with the Superintendent
of Public Instruction (SPI) and the advisory committee, to
incorporate into the API a measure or measures of the
degree to which pupils graduate from high school with the
skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college and
career by January 1, 2014, and (3) expands the information
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to be reported and improvements to be demonstrated by
school districts to include preparedness of its pupils for
success in postsecondary education and career, as measured
by the API.
ANALYSIS : Existing law establishes the Public School
Performance Accountability Program under which the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), with approval
of the State Board of Education (SBE), is required to
develop an API to measure the performance of schools. The
API was proposed as a means of combining multiple
indicators of school performance into one easy-to-compare
index. The API is required to consist of a variety of
indicators including, but not limited to, the results of
the achievement test, attendance rates for pupils in
elementary schools, middle schools, and secondary schools,
and the graduation rates for pupils in secondary schools.
Existing law also requires that the results of the
California Standards Tests and the California High School
Exit Exam constitute at least 60 percent of the API.
Existing law also requires the SPI to establish a broadly
representative committee (the Public School Accountability
Advisory Committee) to advise the SPI and the SBE on the
creation of the Academic Performance Index (API). SBX5 1
(Steinberg), Chapter 2, Statutes of 2010, Fifth
Extraordinary Session, in addition required the SPI and
SBE, in consultation with the advisory committee to
recommend to the Legislature and Governor by January 1,
2011, methods and approaches for incorporating into the
calculation of the API:
1.An increased emphasis on math and science.
2.Measures of the degree to which pupils graduate from high
school with the skills and knowledge necessary to attain
entry-level employment in business or industry.
3.Measures of the degree to which pupils graduate from high
school with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed
in postsecondary education.
This bill:
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1. Expands the current requirements that schools must meet
under the API to include the demonstration of comparable
improvement in preparedness of its pupils for success in
postsecondary education and career as measured by the
API for all numerically significant subgroups at the
school.
2. Expands the indicators to be reported by schools to the
department for purposes of the API to include
postsecondary education and career preparedness of
pupils in secondary schools.
3. Changes the proportion of the API value that relies on
the results of the California Standards Tests and the
California High School Exit Exam. Specifically it:
A. Reduces the proportion from at least 60 percent to
a minimum of 40 percent for schools serving students
in grades K-8.
B. Establishes a maximum proportion of 40% for
schools serving students in grades 9-12.
4. Requires that the SBE, in consultation with the SPI and
the Public School Advisory Accountability Committee, by
January 1, 2014, incorporate into the API a measure or
measures of the degree to which pupils graduate from
high school with the skills and knowledge necessary to
succeed in college and career.
5. Requires that measures considered for incorporation in
the API be valid, reliable, and stable, and include, but
not be limited to:
A. Rates of completion of a course of study at an
achievement level that fulfills California's
four-year public postsecondary institution's
requirements and pre-requisites for admission.
B. Rates of administration of college preparedness
assessments and rates at which assessed students
demonstrate they do not need remedial coursework.
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C. Rates of enrollment and satisfactory performance
in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate,
or concurrent enrollment programs.
D. Pupil GPAs in the first year of full-time
postsecondary enrollment.
E. Rates of enrollment in a community college
transfer curriculum.
F. Rates of enrollment in a community college course
of technical study leading to a professional
certificate.
G. Rates of satisfactory completion of career
pathways or series of courses that meet career
technical content standards adopted by the SBE.
H. Rates at which students earn certificates,
licenses, or the equivalent in designated occupations
for which they are issued while in high school.
I. Performance of students on valid and reliable
assessments including portfolio assessments designed
to assess skills and knowledge acquired to be
successful in a specified occupation or in the
general workforce.
J. Rates of employment of graduates in occupations
with a career ladder, as defined.
K. Rates of employment of graduates in an
apprenticeship program leading to full-time
employment.
L. Earnings of graduates.
M. Rates at which graduates secure employment that
offers paid sick leave, vacation and employer
provided health benefits.
N. Other measures such as enlistment in the Armed
Forces, California Conservation Corps or other
volunteer service organizations.
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6. Requires the SBE to devise methods to significantly
reward schools and districts that can demonstrate pupil
subgroups are proportionately represented among students
prepared and eligible to attend four-year colleges and
universities.
7. Requires the SBE to consider the appropriateness of
including in the API or other aspects of the state's
accountability system, a measure or measures of pupil
satisfaction with and engagement in their secondary
school education including, but not limited to
attendance rates and surveys of pupil, staff and parent
attitudes, as specified.
8. Requires that any changes allow for disaggregation of
component parts of the API so that measures and their
relative weight are distinguishable to parents, the
public, and policymakers.
9. Requires that the SBE not be limited in its redesign of
the API by the scope of the California Longitudinal
Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) or other
relevant data systems.
10.Requires the SPI and the SBE to consult with the
University of California, California Community Colleges,
California Community Colleges, and the Employment
Development Department, and to report to the Governor
and Legislature additional data items and connections
between data systems that are necessary to optimize the
state's capacity, and to better enable the ability to
evaluate the effectiveness of pupil preparedness for
college and career and pupil's engagement in school by
Mach 15, 2012.
11.Makes various related findings and declarations.
Comments
Status of Current Efforts . According to the Senate
Education Committee, SBX5 1 (Steinberg) required the SPI,
SBE, and the Public School Accountability Act (PSAA)
Advisory Committee to make recommendations for
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incorporating measures of college and career preparedness
into the API by January 2011. Staff was unable to obtain
any official communication from the CDE summarizing the
review and recommendations by the PSAA Advisory Committee
on this topic. However, in a program update on
Accountability presented by the CDE in September 2010,
presentation documents note that the PSAA Advisory
Committee recommended that the current API be maintained,
that there be stakeholder review of measures, and noted a
need for additional resources. Clarification of these
general findings by the CDE would be helpful in assessing
whether/what additional statutory action is necessary in
order to develop and incorporate college and career
preparedness measures into the API.
Mandate . Legislative Counsel has noted that, to the extent
school districts would be required to formulate and report
additional data for purposes of inclusion in the API this
bill may create potentially reimbursable state-mandated
costs. Although the actual costs are unknown and would
depend upon the metrics developed, a Senate Appropriations
Committee analysis of a similar bill, AB 400 (Nunez),
2007-2008 Session, noted that, to the extent that local
education agencies did not already collect this data, that
bill created significant costs, unknown but potentially in
the millions, for districts to compile this information and
report it to the CDE. AB 400 was ultimately vetoed by the
Governor.
Similar Legislation
AB 224 (Bonilla), 2011-2012 Session, requires the SPI, in
consultation with the SBE, to incorporate additional
measures of performance in the areas of college
preparedness and workforce preparation into the API using
the best available data and commencing in fiscal year
2012-13. (On Assembly Appropriations Committee Suspense
File)
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: Yes
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
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Major Provisions 2011-12 2012-13
2013-14 Fund
API redesign
$150 $150 General
New API factors Potentially substantial costs;
new General
mandates likely
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/27/11)
America's Edge
Association of Independent California Colleges and
Universities
California Business Educators Association
California Manufacturing and Technology Association
Children Now
Genentech
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles Unified School District
Metropolitan Education District
North State Building Industry Association
State Building and Construction Trades of California
University of California
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
the API has performed an important function, but has been
limited by its sole reliance on standardized test scores as
indicators of school performance and has encouraged
schools/districts to focus on test scores and deemphasize
other important aspects of education. Although dropout and
graduation rates are statutorily required to be
incorporated into the API, that has not yet occurred. The
author contends that it is time to reduce the proportion of
the API which may rely on test scores and require revision
of the API to include measures of student preparedness for
college and career.
CPM:cm 5/27/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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