BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                           Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair

                                          SB 789 (Price)
          
          Hearing Date: 05/09/2011        Amended: 04/14/2011
          Consultant: Jacqueline Wong-HernandezPolicy Vote: Education 7-3
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          ____
          BILL SUMMARY: SB 789 would require the Academic Performance 
          Index (API) advisory committee to consult with experts in 
          specified fields to develop a voluntary "Creative and Innovative 
          Education Index", as specified. This bill require committee to 
          make recommendations to the superintendent concerning the index 
          by June 1, 2013.
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          ____
                            Fiscal Impact (in thousands)

           Major Provisions            2011-12       2012-13       2013-14        
           Fund
                                                                      
          API advisory committee duties    up to $25          up to $25    
                                       General

          New index                                                 
          Potentially significant cost pressure    General
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          ____

          STAFF COMMENTS: This bill meets the criteria for referral to the 
          Suspense File.

          Existing law establishes the API advisory committee, and the 
          committee's duties and functions. This bill would provide that 
          in addition to its other duties, the committee shall consult, as 
          appropriate, with experts in innovation in the fields of 
          business, science, technology, mathematics, engineering, and 
          arts education on the development of a voluntary Creative and 
          Innovative Education Index (CIEI). The California Department of 
          Education (CDE) has indicated that the cost for these activities 
          would likely be minor, as much of the work created could be 
          absorbed within the committee's normal business. CDE further 










          SB 789 (Price)
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          estimates that additional staff time could be required, in the 
          range of $15,000 - $25,000, depending on the extent of 
          consultation and development activities. Additionally, to the 
          extent that the advisory committee must have additional 
          meetings, CDE estimates that each will cost approximately 
          $2,000. It is unlikely that the provisions of this bill would 
          necessitate more than a few additional meetings.
           
          This bill further specifies that the CIEI be based in part on 
          the creative opportunities in each participating school as 
          measured by the availability of classes and before and after 
          school programs that provide creative opportunities for pupils, 
          including, but not necessarily limited to, arts education, 
          debate clubs, science fairs, theater performances,
          concerts, and filmmaking. The advisory committee "shall consider 
          the extent to which this index should be part of the state's 
          accountability system" and methods to foster creative and 
          innovative education in the public schools. Upon making those 
          determinations, the committee is required to make 
          recommendations to the Superintendent of Public Instruction 
          (SPI) on the matters considered by the committee.
          
          The advisory committee does not now, and would not under this 
          bill, have decision-making authority. However, the advisory 
          committee will make recommendations to the SPI on whether and 
          how the index should be used as part of the accountability 
          system for school performance measure. To the extent that its 
          recommendations encourage the SPI to implement the CIEI and use 
          it as an additional accountability tool, there could be 
          significant cost pressure for the state to implement the index. 
          If the CIEI becomes part of the school accountability system, it 
          ceases to be "voluntary" and school districts could incur 
          substantial costs to offer the new programming to score higher 
          on the index.