Amended in Senate May 1, 2014

Amended in Senate April 21, 2014

Amended in Senate March 24, 2014

Senate Bill No. 1248

Introduced by Senator Lara

begin insert

(Coauthor: Senator Wyland)

end insert

February 20, 2014

An act to amend Section 52074 of the Education Code, relating to public schools.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1248, as amended, Lara. California Collaborative for Educational Excellence.

Existing law, on or before July 1, 2014, requires the governing board of each school district and each county board of education to adopt a local control and accountability plan and requires the governing board of each school district and each county board of education to update its local control and accountability plan on or before July 1 of each year. Existing law requires of charter schools something similar to a local control and accountability plan.

Existing law establishes the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence for the purpose of advising and assisting school districts, county superintendents of schools, and charter schools in achieving the goals set forth in a local control and accountability plan.

This bill would specify additional roles for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, including providing ongoing recommendations to the State Board of Education regarding how and if school districts begin insert , county offices of education, and charter schools end insert are making progress in closing the begin insert pupil end insert achievement begin delete gap end delete begin insert gaps end insert in their schools begin insert with respect to specified categories end insert , providing recommendations as to the best practices being used begin delete by school districts end delete to close the achievement begin delete gap relative to pupils who are low income, English learners, or foster youth, and collecting data relevant to monitoring the implementation of the local control funding formula, including local control and accountability plans and pupil achievement data end delete begin insert gap, and providing recommendations on the collection and analysis of data that can provide comparisons of local control and accountability plans and pupil achievement data, and comparisons of schools of comparable size, type, and pupil demographics end insert .

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 52074 of the Education Code is amended
to read:

52074.  

(a) The California Collaborative for Educational
Excellence is hereby established.

(b) The purpose of the California Collaborative for Educational
Excellence is to do all of the following:

(1) Advise and assist school districts, county superintendents
of schools, and charter schools in achieving the goals set forth in
a local control and accountability plan adopted pursuant to this
article.

(2) Provide ongoing recommendations to the state board
regarding how and if school districts begin insert , county offices of education,
and charter schools end insert are making progress in closing the begin insert pupil end insert
achievement begin delete gap end delete begin insert gaps end insert in their schools begin insert identified and measured
pursuant to paragraphs (4), (5), (6), (7), and (8) of subdivision (d)
of Section 52060, with respect to school districts, paragraphs (4),
(5), (6), (7), and (8) of subdivision (d) of Section 52066, with
respect to county offices of education, and similar provisions
referenced in Section 47606.5, with respect to charter schools,
respectively end insert .

(3) Provide recommendations begin insert to the state board end insert as to the best
practices being used by school districts begin insert , county offices of education,
and charter schools end insert to close the achievement gap relative to begin delete pupils
who are low income, English learners, or foster youth end delete begin insert pupil
achievement as measured pursuant to paragraphs (4), (5), (6), (7),
and (8) of subdivision (d) of Section 52060, with respect to school
districts, paragraphs (4), (5), (6), (7), and (8) of subdivision (d)
of Section 52066, with respect to county offices of education, and
similar provisions referenced in Section 47606.5, with respect to
charter schools, respectively end insert .

(4)  begin delete Collect data relevant to monitoring the implementation of
the local control funding formula, including local control and
accountability plans and pupil achievement data. end delete begin insert Provide
recommendations to the state board on the collection and analysis
of data that can provide comparisons of local control and
accountability plans and pupil achievement data for school
districts, county superintendents of schools, and charter schools,
and comparisons of schools of comparable size, type, and pupil
demographics. end insert

(c) The Superintendent shall, with the approval of the state
board, contract with a local educational agency, or consortium of
local educational agencies, to serve as the fiscal agent for the
California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. The
Superintendent shall apportion funds appropriated for the California
Collaborative for Educational Excellence to the fiscal agent.

(d) The California Collaborative for Educational Excellence
shall be governed by a board consisting of the following five
members:

(1) The Superintendent or his or her designee.

(2) The president of the state board or his or her designee.

(3) A county superintendent of schools appointed by the Senate
Committee on Rules.

(4) A teacher appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.

(5) A superintendent of a school district appointed by the
Governor.

(e) At the direction of the governing board of the California
Collaborative for Educational Excellence, the fiscal agent shall
contract with individuals, local educational agencies, or
organizations with the expertise, experience, and a record of
success to carry out the purposes of this article. The areas of
expertise, experience, and record of success shall include, but are
not limited to, all of the following:

(1) State priorities as described in subdivision (d) of Section
52060.

(2) Improving the quality of teaching.

(3) Improving the quality of school district and schoolsite
leadership.

(4) Successfully addressing the needs of special pupil
populations, including, but not limited to, English learners, pupils
eligible to receive a free or reduced-price meal, pupils in foster
care, and individuals with exceptional needs.

(f) The Superintendent may direct the California Collaborative
for Educational Excellence to advise and assist a school district,
county superintendent of schools, or charter school in any of the
following circumstances:

(1) If the governing board of a school district, county board of
education, or governing body or a charter school requests the advice
and assistance of the California Collaborative for Educational
Excellence.

(2) If the county superintendent of schools of the county in
which the school district or charter school is located determines,
following the provision of technical assistance pursuant to Section
52071 or 47607.3 begin insert , end insert as applicable, that the advice and assistance of
the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence is
necessary to help the school district or charter school accomplish
the goals described in the local control and accountability plan
adopted pursuant to this article.

(3) If the Superintendent determines that the advice and
assistance of the California Collaborative for Educational
Excellence is necessary to help the school district, county
superintendent of schools, or charter school accomplish the goals
set forth in the local control and accountability plan adopted
pursuant to this article.