California Assembly Bill AB899 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 899AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 26, 2013 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 24, 2013 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 and repeal Section 60811.4 of, the Education Code, relating to academic content standards. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 899, as amended, Weber. Academic content standards: English language development standards. (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 state board to direct the Superintendent to recommend to the state board linking the adopted English language development standards to the academic content standards for mathematics and science. The bill would require the Superintendent to convene a group of experts, as provided, to review the mathematics and science academic content standards to identify those standards that correspond to the English language development standards. The bill would instead require  the  standards for   linked  English language development  for pupils whose primary language is a language other than English   standards to  be comparable in rigor and specificity to the academic content standards to which they are  aligned,   linked,  including specified standards for English language arts and mathematics and specified science content standards. (2) Existing law, which is to be repealed on July 1, 2013, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the state board, to update, revise, and align the English language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   link  with the state board-approved academic content standards for mathematics, and would also require the Superintendent to recommend modifications to the English language development standards to  align   link  with the state board-approved science content standards, for adoption  to   by  the state board. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, to convene a group of experts in English language instruction, curriculum, and assessment, as provided, to meet those requirements. The bill would require the Superintendent 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  to correspond  with the state board-approved academic content standards for mathematics and science, as specified. This bill would require that funding be provided in the annual Budget Act or another statute before these provisions could be implemented. The bill would make its provisions inoperative on July 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. 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.   direct the Superintendent to recommend to the state board linking the adopted English language development standards to the academic content standards for mathematics and science. The Superintendent shall convene a group of experts, pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 60811.4, to review the mathematics and science academic content standards to identify those standards that correspond to the English language development standards.  The  linked English language development  standards shall be comparable in rigor and specificity to the academic content standards to which they are  aligned,   linked,  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. 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   link  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   link  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 shall recommend to the state board modifications to the English language development standards, adopted pursuant to Section 60811, to  align   link  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  link  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 meeting the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b), the Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, shall convene a group of experts in English language instruction, curriculum, and assessment, including individuals who have a minimum of three years of demonstrated experience instructing English learners in the classroom at the elementary or secondary level. The Superintendent shall ensure that  the group includes, but is   members of the group   include, but are  not necessarily limited to,  members   individuals  who are schoolsite principals, school district or county office of education administrators overseeing programs and support for English learners, personnel of teacher training schools at institutions of higher education, and curriculum and instructional specialists with English learner experience.  For the purpose of this subdivision, the Superintendent may use the group of experts convened pursuant to subdivision (b) of former Section 60811.3, as it read on June 30, 2013, with modifications to account for mathematics and science content experience.   At least one-half of the members of the group of experts shall be currently employed public school teachers.  (d) Prior to completing the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b), the Superintendent 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. (e) 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  to correspond  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  to correspond  with the state board-approved academic content standards for science adopted pursuant to Section 60605.85. (f) This section shall not be implemented unless funds are appropriated by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for its purposes. (g) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2016, and as of January 1, 2017, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2017, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.