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AB-2116 Academic content standards: implementation: study.(2011-2012)

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Amended  IN  Assembly  April 26, 2012
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 10, 2012

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2011–2012 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2116

Introduced  by  Assembly Member Lara

February 23, 2012

An act to add Section 60605.10 60605.88 to the Education Code, relating to academic content standards.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2116, as amended, Lara. Academic content standards: implementation: study.
Existing law, until July 1, 2014, establishes the Academic Content Standards Commission and requires the commission to develop internationally benchmarked academic content standards in language arts, and mathematics, at least 85% of which are required to be the common core academic standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative consortium or another specified interstate collaboration. Existing law requires the commission to present its recommended academic content standards to the State Board of Education and requires the state board by August 2, 2010, to either adopt the standards proposed by the commission or reject them. Existing law also requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the state board to present to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a schedule and implementation plan for integrating these academic content standards into the state educational system.
This bill would require the State Department of Education, with the approval of the state board, to contract for a multiyear independent study, as specified, of those academic content standards and any subsequent common core academic content standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative consortium, or other interstate collaboration, and adopted by the state board for the purpose of informing policymakers, parents of pupils, and the public about the extent to which newly adopted common core state standards are being effectively and equitably implemented in the state public school system and increasing the ability of policymakers to improve the timely implementation of the standards. The bill would require that the study examine and publicly report on the progress of the implementation of the academic content standards with respect to the actions taken by state-level entities and by a representative sample of schools and school districts across the state, as specified. The bill would require the independent evaluator who conducts the study to report his or her findings to the Governor and the Legislature on or before February 1, 2014, and then on a biennial basis in each even-numbered year, as specified. The bill would require the department to use specified available federal funds to conduct the study.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 60605.10 60605.88 is added to the Education Code, to read:

60605.10.60605.88.
 (a) The purpose of this section is to inform policymakers, parents of pupils, and the public about the extent to which newly adopted common core state standards are being effectively and equitably implemented in the state public school system and to increase the ability of policymakers to improve the timely implementation of the standards.
(b) The department, with the approval of the state board, shall contract for a multiyear independent study of the implementation of the academic content standards adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 60605.8, including the English language development standards pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 60207, as well as any subsequent common core academic content standards developed by the consortium or interstate collaboration set forth in Section 60605.7 and adopted by the state board. The scope of the work and the final contract for this study shall be approved by the state board.
(c) The study shall examine and publicly report on the progress of the implementation of the academic content standards described in subdivision (b) with respect to the actions taken by state-level entities and by a representative sample of schools and school districts across the state, with a focus on whether implementation is proceeding in a manner that promotes equal opportunities for all pupils to learn the academic content developed pursuant to the standards and to be successful on related state assessments.
(d) The study described in subdivision (b) shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:
(1) The extent to which instructional materials that are aligned to the standards are adopted by the state and school districts and are used by teachers and pupils in the classroom, including supplemental materials that are aligned to the standards and are used until new instructional materials are available.
(2) The extent to which teachers are prepared to teach the standards, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(A) The steps taken by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to ensure that teacher preparation programs are aligned to the standards and the competency demonstrated by new teachers in teaching and assessing the new standards.
(B) The alignment of the department’s professional development modules, technical assistance, and implementation plan to the standards, and whether the needs of English learners, pupils with disabilities, and underperforming pupils are addressed.
(C) The professional development of current educators to teach and assess the new standards, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(i) Instructional strategies that support the learning of all pupils, including English learners, pupils with disabilities, and underperforming pupils.
(ii) Training of administrators and teachers on the content and form of new assessments that are designed to measure a pupil’s knowledge of the standards, including English learners, pupils with disabilities, and underperforming pupils.
(iii) Instructional strategies that promote creativity, innovation, critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and communication skills in all academic content areas consistent with the newly adopted standards.
(3) The extent to which the standards are taught to pupils in the classroom, including to English learners, pupils with disabilities, and underperforming pupils.
(4) The extent to which school districts and schools are able to provide access to technology necessary to support the new assessments consistent with the timelines established for the implementation of computer-aided assessments.
(e) The independent evaluator who conducts the study shall report his or her findings to the Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature on or before February 1, 2014, and then on a biennial basis on or before February 1 of each even-numbered year.

(e)

(f) The department shall use available federal carryover funds it has received pursuant to Title I of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.), and to the extent additional funds are needed, the department may use available funds received pursuant to Title VI of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and any other available state and federal funds to implement this act section.