California Assembly Bill AB272 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: AB 272AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 30, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 14, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Solorio  (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member   Torlakson   )  FEBRUARY 12, 2009 An act to add and repeal Chapter 3.75 (commencing with Section 44788) of Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to  teachers   schools  . LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 272, as amended, Solorio.  Teachers: professional development.   Leadership for English Learner Success Program.  Existing law establishes the professional development block grant to apportion funds to school districts for the purpose of funding specified staff development, credentialed teacher retention in high-priority schools, as defined, and intersegmental programs, as specified. This bill would authorize an institution of higher education, a nonprofit organization specializing in English learner research or professional development, or a county office of education with demonstrated success in establishing and implementing English learner professional development programs to offer a Leadership for English Learner Success Program for school administrators or counselors, or both, under contract or other cooperative arrangement with a school district. The program would be required to include specified components. Necessary facilities and equipment would be provided by the school district and the necessary instructional materials would be provided by the contractor. The program would be implemented with funds from the school improvement grants component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The program would become inoperative on July 1, 2015, and, as of January 1, 2016, would be repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before that date, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.   The bill would require the State Department of Education to submit to the Legislature, by November 1, 2013, a report that evaluates the program and would require school districts that offer the program to provide the department with the information necessary to complete that report.   This bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2015, and would repeal them as of January 1, 2016.  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. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) Millions of school-aged immigrants have arrived at the doors of California's public schools, filling our classrooms with the most ethnically, linguistically, and culturally diverse populations ever. (2) Each year, thousands of California children who are United States citizens come to school from homes where languages other than English are spoken primarily. (3) Educators need to make sure these learners reach the new, higher standards set for all pupils in California as well as teach them English. (4) Schools must show that their programs are research based, has sufficient resources to succeed, and result in pupils overcoming the language barrier. (5) Good instruction, a comprehensive program, and an accountable school community must all be in place for English learner success. Effective schools are able to put these ingredients into place because they have knowledgeable, focused, and strong leadership at the site and district level and these leaders have built the systems and supports necessary to create and sustain the services and programs that pupils need. (6) Effective leaders must respond to pupil needs and build accountability for inclusion and English learner success into the life of the school. Effective leaders must understand the research and theory behind second language development and have a very clear vision of a program that is built upon research. Effective leaders build consensus behind a vision of English learner success and motivate, inspire and provide supports necessary to create and sustain the services and programs that pupils need. (b) The Legislature recognizes that the usual preparation and professional development required by law of school administrators may not provide sufficient exposure to the range of new and innovative strategies and techniques necessary to strengthen their ability to effectively and efficiently lead an organization and build the capacity of staff to enhance the academic performance of English learners. (c) The Legislature, therefore, intends to establish a professional development program for school administrators, to be known as the "Leadership for English Learner Success Program." SEC. 2. Chapter 3.75 (commencing with Section 44788) is added to Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read: CHAPTER 3.75.  LEADERSHIP FOR  ENGLISH LEARNER SUCCESS PROGRAM 44788. An institution of higher education, a nonprofit organization specializing in English learner research or professional development, or a county office of education with demonstrated success in establishing and implementing English learner professional development programs may offer a Leadership for English Learner Success Program for school administrators or counselors, or both, under contract or other cooperative arrangement with a school district. The program is voluntary, and participation is voluntary. 44788.1.  An  A Leadership for  English Learner Success Program shall not duplicate but build upon the English learner components of the Administrator Training Program established pursuant to Article 4.6 (commencing with Section 44510) of Chapter 3. 44788.2. (a) The  Leadership for  English Learner Success Program shall include, but not be limited to, strategies to enable administrators and counselors who participate in the program to accomplish all of the following: (1) Create designated roles and structures for staff with specific responsibility for the education of English learners while infusing responsibility for English learners across roles and structures that are not specific to English learners. (2) Obtain and maintain active engagement of parents. (3) Gauge the implications of current planning efforts for English learners and steps for revision. (b) The  Leadership for  English Learner Success Program shall provide administrators and counselors who participate in the program the knowledge and understanding of all of the following: (1) The following skills that are needed by teachers to serve English learners: (A) Stages of second language development and the implications for instruction. (B) The different types of English learners and the implications for instruction. (C) Program options available to English learners. (D) Strategies to build cultural competencies for all pupils. (E) Strategies of specially designed academic instruction in English that provide English learners with access to grade level curriculum. (F) Content-specific academic English and strategies for developing academic English among English learners. (2) Funding resources for English learners and the processes to obtain funding. (3) Parent rights, parent notifications, program options and placement, and parent choice. (c) The  Leadership for  English Learner Success Program shall give administrators and counselors who participate in the program approaches for creating mechanisms that ensure good coordination, consistent focus, and communication across all departments and aspects of the school. (d) The  Leadership for  English Learner Success Program shall identify and provide tools designed to gauge gaps in the services and supports provided by the district, and in the relationship between district and sites, that if addressed, would strengthen programs for English learners. (e) The  Leadership for  English Learner Success Program shall provide administrators and counselors tools and support that address, at least, all of the following: (1) The ability to diagnose barriers to change and identify opportunities for strengthening English learner responsiveness in the school. (2) Ways to support improvements in practice and program design. (3) Ways of inspiring and motivating school personnel for the purpose of increased responsiveness to the needs of English learners. 44788.3. The governing board of a school district may offer a Leadership for English Learner Success Program and shall provide the following information to prospective participants: (a) The objectives of the school district in establishing the project. (b) The process and criteria to be used to select the program participants. (c) The duration of the program and the number of hours per week each program participant would be in the program. (d) The courses to be made available to program participants through the school district and in collaboration with its contractor. (e) A description of the criteria and manner in which the program participants will be evaluated upon completion of the program. (f) A description of the criteria and manner in which the program will be evaluated. (g) The proposed expenditures and an outline of proposed federal, state, or local fund matching requirements. 44788.4. Necessary facilities and equipment shall be provided by the school district and the necessary instructional materials shall be provided by the contractor. 44788.5. The program shall be implemented with funds from the School Improvement Grants component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Public Law 111-4). A school district may use any other appropriate federal or state funds for purposes of this chapter.  44788.6. (a) By November 1, 2013, the department shall submit to the Legislature, including the chairpersons of the education policy committees, a report that evaluates the program established pursuant to this chapter. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the number of administrators and counselors participating in the program and the extent to which the objectives of the program are being met. (b) A school district that offers a program pursuant to this chapter shall provide the department with the information the department deems necessary for the completion of the report that the department is required to prepare pursuant to subdivision (a).   44788.6.   44788.7.  This chapter shall become inoperative on July 1, 2015, and, as of January 1, 2016, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2016, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.