BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1248
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Date of Hearing: August 6, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 1248 (Lara) - As Amended: July 1, 2014
Policy Committee: EducationVote:7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill requires the California Collaborative for Educational
Excellence (CCEE) to report to the State Board of Education
(SBE) on or before October 15, 2015, with recommendations for
methods, study designs, and data needs to evaluate the
effectiveness of local control and accountability plans (LCAPs)
in closing the achievement gap and achieving the state
priorities in existing law. Further, this bill requires the
report to provide methods for the statewide identification and
dissemination of best practices.
FISCAL EFFECT
One-time General Fund costs, potentially in the range of
$100,000 to $110,000, if the CCEE utilizes CDE staff to complete
the report. Minor absorbable costs to the CCEE to the extent the
CCEE is sufficiently staffed in time to complete the report and
costs are absorbed within the existing $10 million appropriation
in the budget.
This bill authorizes funding appropriated for the CCEE in the
budget act to be applied to the preparation of the report. The
2013-14 Budget Act appropriated $10 million (GF/Proposition 98)
for the CCEE. These funds are available for encumbrance until
June 30, 2015. The SPI has not yet contracted with an LEA to
serve as the fiscal agent and the CCEE has not been yet been
created.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . Supporters of this bill, including Public Advocates,
express concerns over the lack of plans to study whether the
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Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) works to meet one of the
purposes of this new education funding system - closing the
achievement gap between low-income students, English learners
and foster youth and their less disadvantaged counterparts.
They contend this bill can lead to and support a deliberate,
focused, and coordinated effort by the state to close the
achievement gap.
2)Background . In 2013, the state implemented a new funding
formula for schools known as the Local Control Funding Formula
(LCFF). The new law replaces most previously existing K-12
funding streams (revenue limit and categorical programs) with
per pupil grade span funding and targeted funding for low
income, English learner and foster youth students. With the
elimination of most state categorical programs, the LCFF also
shifts many spending decisions from the state to the local
level. To this end, local education agencies (LEAs) are
required to produce a local control and accountability plan
(LCAP) that will set annual goals and describe how the LEA
plans to use available resources.
The LCAP must include a district's annual goals in each of the
eight state priority areas, which include: 1) student
achievement; 2) student engagement; 3) other student outcomes;
4) school climate; 5) implementation of the Common Core state
standards; 6) course access; 7) basic services; and, 8)
parental involvement.
The plans must include both district wide goals and goals for
specific student subgroups. Districts are required to consult
with stakeholders and hold public hearings before adopting or
updating their LCAP. Districts must adopt an LCAP by July 1,
2014, update the plan annually, and adopt an LCAP every three
years. Districts are required to submit their LCAP to the
County Office of Education (COE) for review. The COE can
suggest amendments to the district's LCAP, which the district
must consider (but is not required to adopt). The COE must
approve the district's LCAP by October 8. If the COE does not
approve the LCAP, the state can intervene, including providing
assistance from the CCEE.
Under existing law, the CCEE is intended to be used only if
assistance is requested by an LEA or if the COE or if the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) determines
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that-after locally-delivered assistance has been tried and
failed-the advice and assistance of the CCEE is needed to help
an LEA accomplish the goals described in its LCAP.
This bill expands the role of the CCEE to provide
recommendations for methods, study designs, and data needs for
evaluating the effectiveness of local control and
accountability plans (LCAPs) in closing the achievement gap.
Analysis Prepared by : Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081