BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2437
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Date of Hearing: April 30, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Joan Buchanan, Chair
AB 2437 (Hagman) - As Amended: April 23, 2014
SUBJECT : Pupil assessment: school network infrastructure
SUMMARY : Establishes a grant program for the construction of
network infrastructure in kindergarten through grade 12 schools.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to
establish a competitive grant program to provide grants for
the construction of network infrastructure for K-12 schools to
enable the schools to administer adequately digital
assessments of pupils that are required by state or federal
law.
2)Requires the CDE to evaluate an application and award the
grants based on the need of the local educational agencies
(LEAs).
3)Requires the CDE to require a LEA to provide a match for 50
percent of the project costs.
4)Appropriates $500 million from the Proposition 98/General Fund
for the 2014-15 fiscal year (FY) for this program.
5)Prohibits the CDE from expending an unspecified percent of the
amount for administrative costs.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the Measurement of Academic Performance and
Progress (MAPP) to replace the former Standardized Testing and
Reporting (STAR) program to assess pupil performance in the
following areas and grade levels:
a) English language arts and mathematics in grades 3 to 8,
inclusive, and grade 11.
b) Science in grades 5, 8, and 10, until a successor
assessment is implemented to provide for at least one
assessment in each of the following grade spans: 3 to 5,
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inclusive; 6 to 9, inclusive; and 10 to 12, inclusive.
c) The California Alternative Performance Assessment
(CAPA-the alternate assessment that is administered to
pupils with significant cognitive disabilities who cannot
take part in the general statewide assessment program), in
English language arts and mathematics in grades 2 to 11,
inclusive, and science in grades 5, 8, 10, until a
successor assessment is implemented for English language
arts and mathematics in grades 3 to 8, inclusive, and grade
11; and for science in the three grade spans described in
2) above.
d) The Early Assessment Program (EAP), which is
administered in grades 11 and 12 to assess college
readiness in English and mathematics.
2)Defines "computer-adaptive assessment" as a computer-based
test that utilizes a computer program to adjust the difficulty
of test items throughout a testing session based on a test
taker's responses to previous test items during that testing
session.
3)Defines "computer-based assessment" as a test administered
using an electronic computing device.
4)Specifies that in the 2013-14 school year, the assessment in
English language arts and mathematics shall be a field test
only, to enable the consortium to gauge the validity and
reliability of these assessments and to conduct all necessary
psychometric procedures and studies, including, but not
necessarily limited to, achievement standard setting, and to
allow the CDE to conduct studies regarding full implementation
of the assessment system. Specifies that these field tests
and results shall not be used for any other purpose, including
the calculation of any accountability measure.
5)Specifies that the first full administration of assessments
aligned to the common core standards in English language arts
and mathematics shall occur in the 2014-15 school year unless
the State Board of Education (SBE) determines that the
assessments cannot be fully implemented.
6)Requires the CDE to determine how school districts are
progressing toward implementation of a technology-enabled
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assessment system, and the extent to which the assessments
aligned to the common core standards in English language arts
and mathematics can be fully implemented. The CDE is required
to provide a report and recommendations to the SBE, the
Department of Finance, and the appropriate fiscal and policy
committees of the Legislature on or before October 1, 2014.
7)Specifies that based on the information in the report, the SBE
shall determine whether the state shall fully implement the
operational consortium computer-adaptive summative assessments
in English language arts and mathematics in grades 3 to 8,
inclusive, and grade 11 for the 2014-15 school year.
8)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to
submit recommendations on expanding the MAPP to include
additional assessments to the SBE, the Legislature, and the
Director of Finance no later than March 1, 2016.
9)Establishes the K-12 High-Speed Network (K12HSN) to provide
high-speed, high-bandwidth Internet connectivity to the public
school system. Establishes the California Education Network
consisting of the California Research and Education Network
(CalREN) and the K12HSN.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : The MAPP was established by AB 484 (Bonilla), Chapter
489, Statutes of 2013, to replace STAR. The transition to the
MAPP is part of the larger transition to the Common Core State
Standards (CCSS) and the Smarter Balanced assessment, which will
be aligned to the CCSS. AB 484 contemplates expansion of the
MAPP by requiring the SPI to submit recommendations to the SBE,
the Legislature, and the Director of Finance by March 1, 2016
regarding additional assessments that may be included. The SPI
is required to consult with stakeholders and to take into
consideration assessments already administered or planned, the
use of consortium-developed assessments, various item types,
computer-based testing, and a timeline for implementation.
The SPI is also required to consider additional assessments in
history-social science, technology, visual and performing arts,
and other subjects as appropriate; and to consider English
language arts, mathematics, and science assessments to augment
the currently-required assessments in those areas.
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AB 484 requires the new assessments to begin in the 2014-15
school year, unless the SBE determines, based on a report to be
submitted by the CDE by October 1, 2014, that the assessment
cannot be fully implemented. During the 2013-14 school year,
LEAs are administering English language arts and math as a field
test only. The tests will not be scored.
Schools will not only need sufficient equipment and the
facilities to administer the tests, but adequate software,
operating systems and bandwidth. The tests will be administered
during a 12 week period between March and June. According to
the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California
(CENIC), which manages the CalREN technological infrastructure
by which K-12 schools and higher education institutions may be
provided with network connectivity and internet services,
schools need to have connection speeds of 100 Megabytes per
second (Mbps) to administer the tests to 100 students at the
same time.
CDE Survey . The CDE conducted a survey of LEAs and charter
schools between June 21 and September 5, 2013 and received a
total of 880 respondents (683 school districts and 197 charter
schools). According to the CDE, the responding LEAs serve
approximately 87 percent of students enrolled in California
public schools in grades 3 through 8 and 11th, and include the
25 largest school districts. The survey asked LEAs and charters
their level of confidence in administering the tests at the time
the survey was administered and their level of need for
technology, peripheral equipment, technical support personnel,
and facilities. Sixty-seven percent of respondents indicated
complete/considerable confidence with the ability to test all
eligible students within a 12-week testing window, and 26
percent expressed some level of confidence. There is a
possibility that the confidence level may be lower if the
testing window is reduced from the 12-week period.
This bill appropriates $500 million from the Proposition
98/General Fund to establish grants for the construction of
network infrastructure in K-12 schools. The bill requires a 50
percent match and directs CDE to award the funds based on the
need of LEAs. The bill authorizes the CDE to expend an
unspecified percent of the funds for administrative costs.
Existing funding . The state provides $8 million to fund the
K12HSN. According to the Imperial County of Education, which
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administers the K12HSN through a contract with the CDE, the
primary focus of the K12HSN is to connect schools, districts and
county offices of education with adequate high-speed bandwidth
through the CalREN. Approximately 793 schools connect to the
CalREN. However, the bandwidth available to schools through the
CalREN is significantly lower than the 100 Mbps necessary for
the Smarter Balance assessments.
Common core implementation funding . The FY 2013-14 budget
appropriated $1.25 billion to LEAs for the purpose of
implementing CCSS. The funds can be used for professional
development, instructional material and expenditures to support
technology-based instruction, including expenditures necessary
to support the administration of computer-based assessments and
provide high-speed, high-bandwidth Internet connectivity for the
purpose of administration of computer-based assessments.
According to the CDE survey, 88 percent of respondents reported
that they plan to purchase additional or new technology
equipment using these funds. There is potential for additional
funding in FY 2014-15. The Committee may wish to consider
whether this funding is sufficient in providing LEAs with
resources and flexibility to prepare for the CCSS. LEAs
determine their priorities without the need to create a new
program.
Committee amendments . This bill does not provide guidelines for
awarding funds. Other than requiring a 50 percent match for
project costs, the bill simply directs the CDE to evaluate
applications and award grants based on the need of the LEA.
This is too broad. The bill does not specify what the funds can
be used for, the eligibility criteria for awarding funds, or the
amount per grant. The bill also does not define "network
infrastructure." Staff recommends the following amendments:
1)Authorize funding for LEAs, not just K-12 schools.
2)Based on a recommendation by the CDE, define "network
infrastructure" as the "hardware and software resources of an
entire network that enable network connectivity,
communication, operations and management of an enterprise
network<1>."
3)Specify that the funds can be used for networking hardware
(e.g., routers, switches, LAN cards, wireless routers,
---------------------------
<1> Source: Techopedia (Cory Janssen)
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cables), networking software (e.g., network operations and
management, operating systems, a firewall and network security
applications), and network services (e.g., DSL, satellite,
wireless, etc.).
4)Specify that the priority for funding shall be for LEAs with
no or little connectivity.
5)Require CDE to develop guidelines to implement the grant
program and require the guidelines to include, but not be
limited to, the following:
a) The maximum grant amount.
b) A match based on a sliding scale instead of 50 percent.
c) Process for submitting applications and determining
awards.
Arguments in support . The author states, "Full implementation
of these test wills begin next year, however many schools
throughout California still do not have the adequate levels of
internet access and infrastructure to administer these tests.
Aside from the new testing, technology has become an
increasingly central component of classroom instruction and will
continue to increase with the new standards. Thus it is
essential that we bring our schools up to date with their
network infrastructure, bandwidth and internet accessibility."
Arguments in opposition. The Small School Districts'
Association (SSDA) has an oppose unless amended position. The
SSDA is concerned that the criteria for selection of LEAs
currently listed in the bill would largely exclude small school
districts who would not likely have the same degree of need as
larger districts in a one-to-one comparison. The SSDA does not
offer a suggested amendment.
Related legislation . AB 2319 (Bonilla), pending in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee, establishes the Innovation, Training,
and Common Core Implementation Fund Act and specifies that the
funds may be used to implement CCSS-related activities,
including computer-based assessments and infrastructure upgrades
to increase Internet bandwidth.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
AB 2437
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Support
None on file
Opposition
Small School Districts' Association (unless amended)
Analysis Prepared by : Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916) 319-2087