BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Carol Liu, Chair
2013-2014 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 2408
AUTHOR: Allen
AMENDED: May 1, 2014
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 4, 2014
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Daniel Alvarez
SUBJECT : California Collaborative for Educational
Excellence.
SUMMARY
This bill expands the governing board of the California
Collaborative for Education Excellence (CCEE) from five to
seven members by adding a representative of charter schools
appointed by the Governor, and a parent of a California
public school pupil appointed by the Governor.
BACKGROUND
Chapter 47, Statutes of 2013 (AB 97, Committee on Budget),
and subsequent legislation created the Local Control
Funding Formula (LCFF), which consolidated most of the
state's categorical programs with the discretionary revenue
limit funding to create a new student formula phased in
over eight years. One of the main principles behind the
LCFF is that English learners and low-income students
require more attention and resources in the classroom than
students who do not have these same challenges. By
providing more services (and in turn, funding) to these
student populations, it is widely believed that this will
help to close the achievement gap and help all students
perform better.
In addition to the new LCFF, the 2013 Budget also
established a new system for school accountability. Under
the new system, school districts, county offices of
education, and charter schools are required to complete a
Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). The LCAP
must include a district's annual goals in each of the eight
state priority areas, which include:
AB 2408
Page 2
Student achievement.
Student engagement.
Other student outcomes.
School climate.
Implementation of the Common Core State Standards.
Course access.
Basic services.
Parental involvement.
The plans must include both district wide goals and goals
for specific subgroups. Districts are required to consult
with stakeholders on their plans and hold at least two
public hearings before adopting or updating their LCAP.
The new funding formula also created a new system of school
district support and intervention. The California
Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) was created
in order to provide advice and assistance to local
educational agencies (LEAs). Under the new system, if an
LEA does not meet performance expectations in the eight
state priority areas, they will be subject to intervention
by their County Office of Education or the CCEE. LEAs that
are continuously not meeting performance standards, as
specified, will be subject to intervention by the State
Board of Education (SBE) and State Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI). However, LEAs also may seek assistance
from the CCEE on their own.
Current law specifies that the CCEE shall be governed by a
board consisting of the following five members: (a) the
SPI or his/her designee; (b) the President of the SBE or
his/her designee; (c) a superintendent of a county office
of education appointed by the Senate Rules Committee; (d) a
teacher appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly; and (e) a
superintendent of a school district appointed by the
Governor.
In addition, current law specifies that, at the direction
of the board of the CCEE, the fiscal agent shall contract
with individuals, as well as local educational agencies or
organizations with expertise, experience, and a record of
success to carry out the purposes of LCFF implementation.
The 2013 Budget appropriated $10 million to establish this
AB 2408
Page 3
new system of support through the CCEE. The California
Department of Education (CDE) has not yet started this
work. The CDE recommended, and the SBE approved, the
selection of Riverside County Office of Education as the
fiscal agent for the CCEE. The Administration is proposing
to extend the use of these funds until June 30th, 2015.
Because the number of districts that will need assistance
is unknown and the role of the CCEE is still unclear, the
cost of the new support and intervention system going
forward has yet to be determined. The Governor's Proposed
2014 Budget does not include ongoing funding for the CCEE,
but the Administration will be considering ongoing funding
as the system is further developed.
ANALYSIS
This bill expands the governing board of the California
Collaborative for Education Excellence (CCEE) from five to
seven members by adding a representative of charter schools
appointed by the Governor, and a parent of a California
public school pupil appointed by the Governor.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill . According to the author's office,
in order to address the academic needs of California's
students, every aspect of the California education
system should be represented; not just the narrow
focus of one special interest that may not understand
the unique needs of charter schools or are indifferent
to meaningful parental involvement. The substantial
growth of charter schools demonstrates the need for
charter schools and parents to be meaningfully
represented on the CCEE.
2) Independent research reaffirms need to constantly
communicate between school districts and be held
accountable . In 2013, the Education Trust West (ETW)
released information showing results of some districts
that were able to narrow the achievement gap (the
disparity between the academic performance of white
AB 2408
Page 4
students and other ethnic groups) - and that this
closing of achievement occurred in both low-and-high
socio economic areas - ETW analysis indicated strong
district leadership, sharing data and best practices,
investment in quality instruction that includes deep
professional development and staff collaboration, and
engage students and parents with up-to-date
information on students' academic progress to
strengthen home-school connections and proactively
address students' social or academic needs are
essential for success.
3) What the CCEE board does not do . To be clear, the
CCEE board does not have a statutory role in
evaluating LEA performance, determining which LEAs
receive advice and assistance, or the delivery of
advice and assistance. Those functions lay with the
SPI, county superintendents of schools, and the
individuals and organizations with whom the fiscal
agent has contracted to provide the services. The
advice and assistance may be provided upon request of
an LEA (in which case the LEA pays for the cost).
Alternatively, the CCEE may be assigned to an LEA
(including charter schools) upon the recommendation of
the SPI, if the SPI and the county superintendent of
schools in which the LEA exists determine that
assistance is needed to help the LEA achieve the goals
it has specified for itself in its LCAP.
4) More bodies may not lead to more effective assistance
to schools. Given the limited scope of the CCEE
board's statutory responsibility, its composition was
designed to include a few members who are broadly
representative of the education community, rather than
having a large number of members representing multiple
segments of the education community. This bill may
establish a precedent for other segments to also seek
representation appointments to the board.
5) New local control endeavors necessitate new ways to
assist schools and the public . As California continues
to implement the new Local Control Funding Formula and
with it the local accountability plans, positive
reinforcement, quality support, and data sharing from
AB 2408
Page 5
the state to local school entities and the public at
large is critical. This measure, hopefully, will
assist in the overall process by ensuring the
governing board of the CCEE has representatives with
unique perspectives that cover the spectrum of our
educational system, including the importance of having
a parent of a public school pupil.
However, this bill provides the governor with
additional appointments to the CCEE board --- in this
instance a charter school representative and a parent
- combine this with the appointment of the State Board
of Education President and a school district
superintendent appointee, then the governor will have
appointment authority of the majority on the CCEE
board, this approach may, depending on the sitting
governor, have the undesirable effect of skewing the
decision-making of the CCEE board toward positions,
viewpoints, or expenditures of the CCEE that could
make it an extension of the administration, rather
than in independent and thoughtful body with an
important role of advising and assisting LEAs in a
meaningful way, rather than just rubberstamping
approaches amenable to whatever Administration is in
power. Therefore, staff recommends amendments that
allow for the additional appointments, but rather than
the governor making the appointments have (a) the
Senate Rules Committee appoint the representative of
charter schools, and (b) the Speaker of the Assembly
appoint a parent, as specified.
SUPPORT
California Charter Schools Association Advocates
Charter Schools Development Center
Students First
OPPOSITION
None on file.
AB 2408
Page 6