BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 2303
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 7, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                     AB 2303 (Bloom) - As Amended:  May 1, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                              EducationVote:7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill establishes the State Recognition Program of Multiple  
          Pathways to Biliteracy, administered by the California  
          Department of Education (CDE), to recognize school districts and  
          county offices of education (COEs) that provide specified  
          programs towards student achievement of biliteracy.  
          Specifically, this bill:  

          1)Expresses legislative intent to establish a program of state  
            recognition and awards to school districts and COEs that  
            provide multiple programs and pathways towards the achievement  
            of a biliteracy.

          2)Establishes the State Recognition Program of Multiple Pathways  
            to Biliteracy and requires the CDE, beginning November, 2016,  
            to recognize and award the governing board of a school  
            district under this program if the school district meets any  
            of the specified criteria.

          3)Authorizes a school district or COE to implement any  
            comprehensive program for the study of world languages and  
            identifies a number of program models a school district may  
            wish to consider.

          4)Requires the CDE to use state, federal, or other nonstate  
            funds to implement the Biliteracy program.

           FISCAL EFFECT  


          1)GF administrative costs to CDE of approximately $300,000 to  
            establish the program and award state recognition to school  








                                                                  AB 2303
                                                                  Page  2

            districts and COEs.  

          2)Unknown GF/98 cost pressure to school districts, in the low  
            thousands, to support the development of model programs for  
            achievement of state recognition, as specified.  

           COMMENTS  :   

           Purpose  . In 2012, California became the first state in the  
          nation to award a State Seal of Biliteracy to graduating seniors  
          with demonstrated proficiency in two or more languages. Ten  
          thousand Seals of Biliteracy were awarded in the first year for  
          proficiency in 29 languages, including American Sign Language.   
          By June 2013, the number had more than doubled with 170 school  
          districts, 19 charter schools, and six county offices of  
          education providing 21,655 awards to graduating seniors.

          This bill encourages school districts to offer a program that  
          allows and inspires pupils to obtain the State Seal of  
          Biliteracy.  In so doing, school districts will be encouraging  
          their pupils to learn and acquire other languages with the hope  
          of creating school environments that welcome, accept, and value  
          the cultural and linguistic diversity of California's pupils.  

          Analysis Prepared by  :    Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081