California Assembly Bill AB899 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 899AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 6, 2013 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 25, 2013 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Weber FEBRUARY 22, 2013 An act to  amend Section 60811 of, and to  add Section 60811.4  of   t   o,  the Education Code, relating to academic content standards. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 899, as amended, Weber.  Academic content standards:  English language development  standards: English learners: mathematics: science.   standards.   Existing   (1)     Existing  law requires each school district that has one or more pupils who are English learners and, to the extent required by federal law, each county office of education and each charter school, to assess the English language development of each of those pupils upon initial enrollment in order to determine the level of proficiency of those pupils, and thereafter to assess each of those pupils annually until the pupil is redesignated as English proficient. Existing law requires the State Board of Education to approve standards for English language development for pupils whose primary language is a language other than English. Existing law further requires that these standards be comparable in rigor and specificity to the statewide academically rigorous content standards for English language arts.  This bill would instead require that the standards for English language development for pupils whose primary language is a language other than English be comparable in rigor and specificity to the academic content standards to which they are aligned, including specified standards for English language arts and mathematics and specified science content standards.   Existing   (2)     Existing  law, which is to be repealed on July 1, 2013, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the state board, to update, revise, and align the English language development standards adopted pursuant to existing law to the state board-approved academic content standards for English language arts, as provided. This bill would require the Superintendent, on or before January 1, 2015, to recommend modifications to the English language development standards to align with the state board-approved academic content standards for mathematics, and would  authorize   also require  the Superintendent to recommend modifications to the English language development standards to align with the state board-approved science content standards, for adoption to the state board. The bill would require the Superintendent  and state board,  to hold a minimum of 2 public meetings in order for the public to provide input regarding any modifications to the English language development standards. The bill would require the state board, on or before August 1, 2015, to adopt or reject the Superintendent's recommendations for the alignment of the English language development standards with the state board-approved academic content standards for mathematics and science, as specified. 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.   Section 60811 of the   Education Code   is amended to read:  60811. The state board shall approve standards for English language development for pupils whose primary language is a language other than English. The standards shall be comparable in rigor and specificity to  the academic content standards to which they are aligned, including  the standards for English language arts  and mathematics  adopted pursuant to Section 60605.8  and the science content standards adopted pursuant to Section 60605.85  .  SECTION 1.   SEC. 2.  Section 60811.4 is added to the Education Code, to read: 60811.4. (a) On or before January 1, 2015, the Superintendent shall recommend to the state board modifications to the English language development standards, adopted pursuant to Section 60811, to align with the academic content standards for mathematics adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 60605.8. If the state board modifies the English language development standards to align with the academic content standards for mathematics, it shall explain, in writing, to the Governor and the Legislature the reasons for the modification. The Superintendent's recommendations and the state board's actions shall assist schools in the implementation and application of English language development standards in the mathematics subject area. (b) On or before January 1, 2015, the Superintendent  may   shall  recommend to the state board modifications to the English language development standards, adopted pursuant to Section 60811, to align with the science content standards adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 60605.85. If the state board modifies the English language development standards to align with the science content standards, it shall explain, in writing, to the Governor and the Legislature the reasons for the modification. The Superintendent's recommendations and the state board's actions shall assist schools in the implementation and application of English language development standards in the science subject area. (c) In carrying out subdivisions (a) and (b), the Superintendent  and the state board  shall hold a minimum of two public meetings 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) in order for the public to provide input regarding any modifications recommended pursuant to this section. (d) On or before August 1, 2015, the state board shall do both of the following: (1) Adopt or reject the Superintendent's recommendations for the alignment of the English language development standards adopted pursuant to Section 60811 with the state board-approved academic content standards for mathematics adopted pursuant to Section 60605.8. (2) Adopt or reject the Superintendent's recommendations for the alignment of the English language development standards adopted pursuant to Section 60811 with the state board-approved academic content standards for science adopted pursuant to Section 60605.85.