BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2319
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 7, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 2319 (Bonilla) - As Amended: April 29, 2014
Policy Committee: EducationVote:7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Broadband Infrastructure Fund Program
(BIFP) to provide adequate Internet capacity to support new
content standards and assessments, and establishes the
Innovation, Training, and Common Core Implementation Fund
(ITCCIF) to support the integration of common core academic
content standards in instruction for grades K-12, inclusive, for
purposes of establishing quality instructional programs for all
pupils. Specifically, this bill:
1)Establishes the Broadband Infrastructure Fund Program (BIFP)
to do the following:
a) Set forth objectives, including providing all local
educational agencies (LEAs) with the minimum level of
broadband connectivity to support the implementation of the
common core academic content standards, Next Generation
Science Standards, English language development standards,
and the California Assessment of Student Performance and
Progress.
b) Encourage collaboration between local educational
agencies, postsecondary educational institutions, and other
cultural and educational research institutions for the
purpose of leveraging regional resources and existing
statewide broadband infrastructure, such as the K-12
High-Speed Network and the California Research and
Education Network, and other state, federal, and private
funding sources to meet the goals of the program.
c) Require the California Department of Education to
allocate funding, as specified, including hard to serve
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areas where broadband is limited.
FISCAL EFFECT
One-time General Fund/Proposition 98 costs in the range of $1.75
billion to $2.5 billion. CDE estimates a total statewide cost
of $3 billion to prepare for the Common Core State Standards
(CCSS). Estimates to update Broadband connectivity are in the
range of $360 million to $700 million. The 2013-14 Budget Act
provided $1.25 billion towards this effort. The 2014-15
Governor's proposed budget does not propose funding for the BIFP
or the ITCCIF and this bill does not contain an appropriation
for this purpose.
Summary Continued
2)Creates the Innovation, Training, and Common Core
Implementation Fund (ITCCIF) to enable the following:
a) Require a LEA to expend the funds for a variety of
purposes, including professional development for teachers,
administrators, and paraprofessional educators that is
aligned to the common core academic content standards;
integration of the common core academic content standards
through technology-based instruction, infrastructure
upgrades to increase Internet bandwidth; and instructional
materials aligned to the common core academic content
standards.
b) Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI)
to allocate funds in the 2014-15 fiscal year to LEAs on the
basis of prior year enrollment. Provides allocated funds
may be available for encumbrance through the 2015-16 fiscal
year.
c) Requires, as a condition of receipt of funds, the
governing board or body of an LEA to develop and adopt a
plan delineating how funds will be spent and explain the
plan in a regularly scheduled public meeting before
adopting it in a subsequent regularly scheduled public
meeting; report detailed expenditure information to the CDE
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on or before January 1, 2016, as specified.
d) Requires the CDE to determine the format of the report
and submit a summary of the information to the appropriate
budget and policy committees of the Legislature on or
before July 3, 2016. Makes this requirement inoperative as
of January 1, 2019.
1)Provides that the BIFP and the ITCCIF shall not be implemented
unless funding is provided in the annual Budget Act or another
statute.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose. According to the author, schools are emerging from
deep budget cuts due to the recession and at the same time are
in the midst of implementing major reforms including the
adoption of CCSS and the implementation of a new standards
aligned assessment. Further, 72% of K-12 schools have
insufficient internet access. This measure seeks to provide
schools with additional funding to support professional
development, integration of technology and updated
instructional materials.
2)Background. California adopted the CCSS in 2010, joining 43
other states and the District of Columbia. The common core is
a set of standards in English language arts and mathematics
that outline what pupils should know and be able to do at the
end of each grade level. In California, the CCSS replace
academic content standards adopted in 1997. The STAR testing
program was aligned to those standards. The adoption of the
CCSS requires the development of new assessments that are
aligned to the new standards.
California is a governing state for the Smarter Balanced
Assessment Consortium (SBAC), a multistate consortium working
to develop a common student assessment system aligned with the
CCSS for English language arts/literacy and mathematics. The
state is currently field-testing the new assessment
developed out of SBAC and the assessment is expected to be
fully operational in 2014-15.
3)Current funding . The 2013-14 Budget Act provided $1.25 billion
(one-time/P98) to LEAs to support the transition to the new
standards, associated professional development, instructional
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materials and technology. This funding provides approximately
$201 per student and can be used through the 2014-15 fiscal
year.
The Governor's 2014-15 January Budget proposes an increase of
$52 million for costs associated with the new student
assessments. The Legislature has not yet acted on this
proposal.
Analysis Prepared by : Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081