Amended in Assembly April 25, 2013

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 959

Introduced by Assembly Member Bonilla

February 22, 2013

An act to add Section 60604.6 to the Education Code, relating to pupil assessment.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 959, as amended, Bonilla. Pupil assessment.

The Leroy Greene California Assessment of Academic Achievement Act states the intent of the Legislature to provide a system of individual assessment of pupils that has the primary purpose of assisting teachers, administrators, and pupils and their parents to improve teaching and learning. Existing law establishes the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program pursuant to which each school district, charter school, and county office of education is required to administer to each of its pupils in grades 2 to 11, inclusive, the standards-based achievement tests. These provisions are inoperative on July 1, 2014, and as of January 1, 2015, are repealed.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature that the reauthorization of the statewide pupil assessment program begin delete include a specified plan to reform that program as it relates to grades 7 to 12, inclusive end delete begin insert bring together elementary and secondary school policy leaders, the segments of higher education, and postsecondary career technical and vocational programs to develop criteria and create pathways in which assessments taken by middle and high school pupils are aligned with college and career readiness, as specified end insert . The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction begin delete , in consultation with various groups of individuals and entities, to develop and present to the State Board of Education, by July 1, 2014, recommendations to effectuate those reforms. The bill would require the state board to adopt, or modify and adopt, the recommendations by November 15, 2014. The bill would require the Superintendent and the state board end delete begin insert and the State Board of Education, in consultation with certain entities and using certain assessment results, to recommend specific uses of these assessments by certain higher education entities for specified purposes. The bill would require the Superintendent and state board, on or before January 1, 2018, end insert to present to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a schedule and begin delete implementation end delete plan. The bill would require the State Department of Education to use specified federal funds or any other available and appropriate state and federal funds to implement these provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

It is the intent of the Legislature that the
reauthorization of the statewide pupil assessment program pursuant
to Section 60604.5 of the Education Code begin delete include a plan to end delete bring
together elementary and secondary school policy leaders, the
California Community Colleges, the California State University,
the University of California, private colleges and universities, and
postsecondary career technical and vocational programs to develop
criteria and create nonpunitive pathways in which assessments
taken by middle and high school pupils are aligned with college
and career readiness and may be recognized as one of a number
of multiple measures for entry into college, placement in
college-level courses, and career training.

SEC. 2.  

Section 60604.6 is added to the Education Code, to
read:

60604.6.  

(a)  begin delete For purposes of developing a plan to strengthen
the pupil relevance of assessments and to strengthen the alignment
between state-mandated middle and high school assessments and
the entry requirements or course placement decisions of public
and private colleges and universities and postsecondary career and
technical training institutions, the Superintendent, in consultation
with the state board, the segments of public and end delete begin insert Using pupil,
school, grade, district, county, and state level summative
assessment results from the administration of the common
assessments for middle and high school pupils that are aligned to
the common core state standards, the Superintendent and the state
board, in consultation with the Regents of the University of
California, the Trustees of the California State University, the
Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, end insert private
postsecondary education begin insert institutions end insert , career technical and training
institutions, administrators of elementary and secondary schools,
teachers, members of the governing board of school districts, pupil
representatives, and parents, shall begin delete develop and end delete recommend begin delete to the
state board both of the following: end delete begin insert specific uses of these assessments
by the regents, the trustees, and the board of governors for all of
the following purposes: end insert

begin delete

(1) Principles among elementary and secondary schools, public
and private colleges and universities, and postsecondary career
and technical training institutions that would strengthen the
alignment of assessments of pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to
any of the following:

(A)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert 1) end insert  Requirements for entry into college.

begin delete

(B)

end delete

begin insert (2) end insert  Placement in college-level courses.

begin delete

(C)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert 3) end insert  Career opportunities.

begin insert

(4) Early assessment programs.

end insert begin delete

(2) A plan and timeline to expand and strengthen future early
assessment programs to provide information to postsecondary
institutions, secondary schools, and pupils about pupil preparedness
for all California postsecondary educational institutions, including
the California Community Colleges, the California State
University, the University of California, private colleges and
universities, and postsecondary career training institutions.

(b) The Superintendent shall present recommendations to the
state board on or before July 1, 2014. After the Superintendent
presents the recommendations, two public hearings shall be held
during regularly scheduled state board meetings to ensure public
input and participation.

(c) On or before November 15, 2014, the state board shall adopt,
or modify and adopt, the recommendations.

(d) The

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert b) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert On or before January 1, 2018, the end insert Superintendent and the
state board shall present to the Governor and the appropriate policy
and fiscal committees of the Legislature a schedule and
begin delete implementation end delete plan that meets the intent of this section.

begin delete

(e)

end delete

begin insert ( end insert begin insert c) end insert  The department shall use funds received pursuant to Title
VI of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C.
Sec. 6301 et seq.), or any other available and appropriate state and
federal funds, to implement this section.