BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 267
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 267 (Pavley)
As Amended July 1, 2014
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :Vote not relevant
EDUCATION 5-0 APPROPRIATIONS 12-5
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|Ayes:|Buchanan, Ch�vez, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bocanegra, |
| |Gonzalez, Nazarian, Weber | |Bradford, |
| | | |Ian Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Eggman, Gomez, Holden, |
| | | |Pan, Quirk, |
| | | |Ridley-Thomas, Weber |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | |Nays:|Bigelow, Donnelly, Jones, |
| | | |Linder, Wagner |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Authorizes an eligible pupil with a disability to
participate in the alternative means of demonstrating the level
of academic achievement in the content standards required for
passage of the California high school exit examination (CAHSEE)
until the State Board of Education (SBE) implements an
alternative assessment.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires pupils to successfully pass the CAHSEE, in addition
to completing state and local graduation requirements, as a
condition of receiving a diploma of graduation.
2)Permits, commencing July 1, 2105, an eligible pupil with a
disability to participate in the alternative means of
demonstrating the level of academic achievement in the content
standards required for passage of the CAHSEE; and authorizes
the SBE to extend this date by up to one year.
3)Exempts an eligible pupil with a disability from the CAHSEE if
the school district in which that pupil is enrolled is
notified that he or she has successfully demonstrated the same
SB 267
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level of academic achievement in the statewide content
standards as the level of academic achievement that is
necessary to pass the high school exit examination through one
or more of the alternative.
4)Defines "eligible pupil with a disability" to mean a pupil who
meets all of the following criteria:
a) The pupil has an individualized education program (IEP)
or Section 504 plan that indicates that the pupil has an
anticipated graduation date and is scheduled to receive a
high school diploma on or after July 1, 2015;
b) The pupil has not passed the high school exit
examination;
c) The school district or state special school certifies
that the pupil has satisfied or will satisfy all other
state and local requirements for the receipt of a high
school diploma on or after July 1, 2015; and
d) The pupil has attempted to pass those sections of CAHSEE
not yet passed at least twice after grade 10, including at
least once during the current enrollment of the pupil in
grade 12, with the accommodations or modifications, if any,
specified in the IEP or Section 504 plan.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, no additional General Fund/Proposition 98 costs to
school districts to comply with this measure. School districts
have implemented the CAHSEE exemption process for eligible
pupils with disabilities since 2009.
COMMENTS : The CAHSEE was established in 2000 and took effect
with the class of 2006. It assesses pupils in English-language
arts and mathematics and must be passed in order to receive a
high school diploma. In 2002 a lawsuit was filed that
challenged the CAHSEE as an invalid and discriminatory test for
pupils with disabilities (Crawford v. California Department of
Education, later designated as Kidd v. California Department of
Education). A settlement agreement was reached in 2005 that
exempted pupils with disabilities from having to meet the CAHSEE
requirement in the classes of 2006 and 2007. The agreement also
required the California Department of Education (CDE) to
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contract for a study of the issues involved, and to specifically
determine whether some group of students have learned the
material being tested, but are unable to demonstrate their
mastery through the CAHSEE, despite the use of permissible
modifications and/or accommodations.
In response to the lawsuit, AB 2040 (N��ez), Chapter 666,
Statutes of 2008, established the option for an alternative
assessment for eligible pupils with disabilities, commencing
January 1, 2011. That date was changed to July 1, 2015, by AB
1705 (Silva), Chapter 192, Statutes of 2012.
The future of CAHSEE. Consistent with the changes currently
taking place with the implementation of the common core
standards and related assessments, the CDE is developing a
proposal for legislative consideration to replace the current
CAHSEE. The CDE indicates that a new exit exam would not go
into effect until 2017-18 at the earliest. The alternative
assessment will go into effect after that.
Analysis Prepared by : Rick Pratt / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0004444