BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 342
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 342 (Blumenfield)
As Amended May 24, 2013
Majority vote
EDUCATION 7-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-0
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|Ayes:|Buchanan, Olsen, Campos, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Ch�vez, Nazarian, | |Bradford, |
| |Ammiano, Williams | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Eggman, Gomez, Hall, |
| | | |Ammiano, Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Weber |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Makes changes to provisions governing independent
study (IS) programs and legislation enacted last year regarding
online synchronous pupil instruction, as specified.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Deletes the reference to "synchronous, online instruction" and
replaces it with "technology-based synchronous instruction."
2)Requires a technology-based synchronous instruction course to
be approved by a governing board of the school district or
county office of education (COE), be as rigorous as a
classroom-based course, and meet or exceed all relevant state
content standards.
3)Requires attendance for pupils participating in an opportunity
school or continuation high school IS program to be calculated
by prior year average daily attendance (ADA).
4)Authorizes the student teacher ratios for IS programs to be
different than regular school district programs, if this ratio
is established through a local collective bargaining
agreement.
5)Defines "periodic contact" as communication that occurs at
least twice per month and consists of either in-person
interaction or interaction through electronic means,
including, but not limited to, the use of real-time,
Internet-based collaborative software that combines audio,
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video, file sharing, and other forms of interaction.
6)Requires a certificated employee to notify a pupil and his or
her parent or guardian if satisfactory educational progress is
not made in an IS program. Further prohibits a pupil from
continuing in an IS program without evidence of satisfactory
educational progress unless the IS program is determined by
the district or COE or charter school administrator to be in
the best interest of the pupil.
7)Defines "satisfactory educational progress" as meeting
measures such as applicable statewide accountability measures
and assessments, the completion of assignments, locally
approved or state-approved formative assessments, required
laboratories or online workgroups, or other indicators the
pupils is working on assignments and learning required
concepts, as determined by the supervising certificated
employee.
8)Requires a current written agreement for each IS pupil to be
maintained in a paper or electronic copy and requires the
written agreement to include a copy of the governing board's
IS authorization, as specified.
9)Repeals IS program provisions specifying the maximum length of
time allowed between assignments and completion of these
assignments and allowed missed assignments prior to an
evaluation of whether or not the pupil continues in the
program. Instead, this bill requires a statement regarding
periodic contact between the pupil and certificated employee
and the identification of the accountability and assessment
measures used to determine satisfactory educational progress,
as specified.
10)Authorizes IS to commence upon receipt of an electronic copy
of a written agreement. Further requires local education
agencies (LEAs), as a condition of apportionment, to retain
written or electronic documentation that demonstrates
satisfactory educational progress for IS pupils.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, to the extent the streamlining of IS program
requirements make it easier to comply and offer pupils this
program, there will be General Fund (GF)/Proposition 98 cost
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pressure of approximately $2.6 million to provide additional ADA
funding for this purpose. There will likely be an indeterminate
amount of local school district and COE savings - less than
$250,000 statewide - due to the streamlined requirements in this
measure, such as authorizing electronic documentation.
COMMENTS : AB 644 (Blumenfield), Chapter 579, Statues of 2012,
authorized a school district or COE to claim, for revenue limit
funding purposes (general purpose funding), the attendance for
pupils in grades 9-12 who are participating in synchronous,
online courses, commencing with the 2014-15 school year.
According to the author's office, changing the terminology from
"synchronous, online courses" to "technology-based synchronous
instruction" allows for a broader use of technology, because not
all synchronous instruction is online. The changes to IS
generally strengthen assurances that IS pupils are making
satisfactory progress and that IS is appropriate for them.
Analysis Prepared by : Rick Pratt / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0000838