California Assembly Bill AB455 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 455AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 3, 2013 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Medina (Coauthor: Assembly Member Quirk) FEBRUARY 19, 2013 An act to amend Sections  56351.7,  56351.8  ,  and 56351.9 of  , and to add Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 56355) to Chapter 4 of Part 30 of Division 4 of Title 2 of,  the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 455, as amended, Medina. Pupil instruction: special  education: braille reading and mathematics standards.   education.   Existing   (1)    Existing  law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to form an advisory task force to develop standards for the mastery of the braille code as a child progresses through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the Superintendent to utilize this advisory task force to develop standards for visually impaired pupils to learn, and achieve mastery of, the braille mathematics code, and requires the task force to report those standards to the State Board of Education by March 1, 2006. This bill would  require those standards to be aligned to the common core academic content standards and would   replace the advisory task f   orce with a group of experts on the   blind and   visually impaired, as defined   , and would  require the  task force   Superintendent, upon consultation with the group of experts,  to  report the new   develop  standards  that are aligned to the common core academic standards for blind and visually impaired pupils to learn, and achieve mastery of and literacy in, braille and braille mathematics codes. The bill would require the Superintendent to recommend those standards  to the state board by March  1   30  , 2015.  This bill would additionally require the Superintendent, upon consultation with a group of experts on the deaf and hard-of-hearing, to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards, for deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils to learn, and achieve mastery of and literacy in, American Sign Language as a child progresses through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The bill would require the Superintendent to recommend these standards to the state board by March 30, 2015.   Existing   (2)     Existing  law requires the state board to adopt braille reading and mathematics standards for visually impaired pupils by June 1, 2006. This bill would require the state board to adopt braille reading and mathematics standards for  blind and  visually impaired pupils that are aligned to the common core academic content standards by June  1   30  , 2015  , as specified  . The bill would require county offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas to provide  blind and  visually impaired pupils opportunities for instruction to master  those   the  standards adopted by the state board, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.  This bill would also require the state board to adopt American Sign Language standards for deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils that are aligned to the common core academic content standards by June 30, 2015, as specified. The bill would require county offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas to provide deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils opportunities for instruction to master the standards adopted by the state board, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program.  The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 56351.7 of the     Education Code   is amended to read:  56351.7. (a) The Superintendent  of Public Instruction shall form an advisory task force   shall consult   with   a group of experts on the   blind and   visually impaired  to develop standards  for   that are aligned to the common core academic content standards to learn, and achieve  the mastery of  and literacy in,  the braille code as a  child   pupil  progresses through kindergarten  to grade   and grades 1 to  12, inclusive. (b) The  task force   group of experts  shall include, but shall not be limited to, members  approved by the State Board of Education  representing all of the following: (1) Parents of  blind and visually impaired pupils. (2) Teachers of  blind and  visually impaired pupils. (3) Researchers in the field of  blindness and  visual impairment.  (4) Braille experts.   (4) Curriculum and instructional specialists with experience with blind and visually impaired pupils.  (5) Groups that advocate for teaching of, and use of, braille.  (6) Groups that advocate for the visually impaired.   (c) The task force shall report to the Governor and to the education committees of the Assembly and the Senate by June 30, 2004.   (c) At least one-half of the members of the group of experts shall be currently employed public school teachers.   (d) The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the state board regarding the standards developed pursuant to subdivision (a) by March 30, 2015.   SECTION 1.   SEC. 2.  Section 56351.8 of the Education Code is amended to read: 56351.8. (a) The Superintendent shall  utilize the advisory task force   consult with the group of experts  established pursuant to Section 56351.7 to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards for pupils described in subdivision (b) to learn, and to achieve mastery  of   ,   of   and literacy in,  the braille mathematics code as they progress through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. (b) The standards described in subdivision (a) shall be developed for pupils who, due to a visual impairment, are functionally blind or may be expected to have a need to learn the braille code as their primary literacy mode for learning. (c) The  task force   shall, by March 1, 2015, report   Superi   ntendent shall   make a recommendation  to the state board  with   regarding  the standards  it develops   developed  pursuant to subdivision (a)  by March 30, 2015  .  SEC. 2.   SEC. 3.  Section 56351.9 of the Education Code is amended to read: 56351.9. (a)  By June 1, 2015,   Except as provided in subdivision (c), by June 30, 2015,  the state board shall adopt braille reading and mathematics standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards for pupils who, due to a visual impairment, are functionally blind or may be expected to have a need to learn the braille code as their primary literacy mode for learning. (b) County offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas shall provide to pupils described in subdivision (a) opportunities for instruction to master the braille reading and mathematics standards  described in subdivision (a)   adopted by the state board  .  (c) (1) The state board shall, if it revises braille reading or mathematics standards recommended by the Superintendent, provide written reasons for the revisions at a public meeting held pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).   (2) The state board shall adopt the revised braille reading and mathematics standards at a meeting subsequent to the meeting held pursuant to paragraph (1) but no later than August 31, 2015.   SEC. 4.   Article 3.6 (commencing with Section 56355) is added to Chapter 4 of Part 30 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read: Article 3.6. Individualized Education Program for Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Pupils 56355. (a) The Superintendent shall consult with a group of experts on the deaf and hard-of-hearing to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards to learn, and achieve the mastery of and literacy in, American Sign Language as a pupil progresses through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. (b) The group of experts shall include, but shall not be limited to, members representing all of the following: (1) Parents of deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils. (2) Teachers of deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils. (3) Researchers in the field of deafness and auditory impairment. (4) Curriculum and instructional specialists with experience with deaf and hard-of-hearing pupils. (5) Groups that advocate for teaching of, and use of, American Sign Language. (c) At least one-half of the members of the group of experts shall be currently employed public school teachers. (d) The standards described in subdivision (a) shall be developed for pupils who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and who use American Sign Language as their primary language or literacy access mode. (e) The Superintendent shall make a recommendation to the state board regarding the standards developed pursuant to subdivision (a) by March 30, 2015. 56356. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), by June 30, 2015, the state board shall adopt American Sign Language literacy standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards for pupils who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and use American Sign Language as their primary language or literacy access mode. (b) County offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas shall provide to pupils described in subdivision (a) opportunities for instruction to master the American Sign Language literacy standards adopted by the state board. (c) (1) The state board shall, if it revises American Sign Language literacy standards recommended by the Superintendent, provide written reasons for the revisions at a public meeting held pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). (2) The state board shall adopt the revised standards at a meeting subsequent to the meeting held pursuant to paragraph (1) but no later than August 31, 2015.   SEC. 3.   SEC. 5.  If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.