California Assembly Bill AB1249 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1249AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 31, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Davis FEBRUARY 18, 2011  An act to amend Section 50 of the Education Code, relating to education.   An act to add Section 307 to the Education Code, relating to standard English learners.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1249, as amended, Davis.  Public schools.   Pupils: standard English learners.   Existing law provides various programs and services for the purposes of assisting English learner pupils.   This bill would define a standard English learner as a pupil whose primary language is English, but who is performing behind the average California pupil due to his or her lack of proficiency in speaking or writing English. The bill would encourage each school district maintaining a school that has been ranked in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the prior year's base Academic Performance Index, to develop a comprehensive plan with identifiable goals for the purpose of increasing the academic performance of standard English learners. The bill would require any plan developed pursuant to these provisions to contain specified components, and to be submitted to the Governor, the Superintendent, the district superintendent, members of the governing board of the school district, the Senate Committee on Education, and the Assembly Committee on Education, and to be posted on the school district's Internet Web site.   Existing law provides that public schools, other than those supported exclusively by the state, are day and evening elementary and secondary schools.   This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive changes to those provisions.  Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION. 1.   Section 307 is added to the   Education Code   , to read:   307. (a) For purposes of this section, a "standard English learner" means a pupil whose primary language is English, but who is performing behind the average California pupil due to his or her lack of proficiency in speaking or writing English. (b) Each school district maintaining a school that ranks in deciles 1 to 3, inclusive, of the prior year's base Academic Performance Index, is encouraged to develop a comprehensive plan with identifiable goals for the purpose of increasing the academic performance of standard English learners. (c) If a school district develops a plan pursuant to these provisions, the plan shall be developed according to the following criteria: (1) The school district shall consult parents, teachers, counselors, pupils, and other appropriate stakeholders in developing the plan. (2) The plan shall detail benchmarks, as well as performance objectives, and, in order to achieve academic success, shall provide information on how to utilize extracurricular activities, including, but not limited to, after school programs, field trips, apprenticeships, and other projects demonstrating excellence. (3) The plan shall be submitted to the Governor, the Superintendent, the district superintendent, members of the governing board of the school district, the Senate Committee on Education, and the Assembly Committee on Education. The plan shall also be posted on the school district's Internet Web site.   SECTION 1.   Section 50 of the Education Code is amended to read: 50. The public schools, other than those supported exclusively by the state, are day and evening elementary schools, and day and evening secondary schools.