California Assembly Bill AB899 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 899AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 11, 2013 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 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 linked English language development standards to be comparable in rigor and specificity to the academic content standards to which they are linked, including specified standards for English language arts and mathematics and specified science content standards.   additionally require these standards to be comparable in rigor and specificity to the   standards for mathematics and science.  (2) Existing law, which is to be repealed on July 1, 2013, requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the state board, to update, revise, and align the English language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 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 link with the state board-approved science content standards,   mathematics and science  for adoption 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.   requirements and to review the mathematics and science academic content standards to identify those standards that correspond to the English language development standards.  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 English language development standards to correspond with the state board-approved academic content standards for mathematics and science, as specified.  This   The  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 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 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.   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 standards for English language arts adopted pursuant to Section  60605.8.   60605.8, the standards for mathematics adopted pursuant to Sections 60605.8 and 60605.11, and the standards for science 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   60811.3  , to link with the academic content standards for mathematics adopted by the state board pursuant to  Section 60605.8.   Sections 60605.8 and 60605.11 and the academic content standards for science adopted by the state   board pursuant to Section 60605.85.  If the state board modifies the English language development standards to link with the academic content standards for  mathematics,   mathematics and science,  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  and science  subject  area.   areas.   (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 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 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)   (   b)  In meeting the requirements of  subdivisions (a) and (b),   subdivision (a),  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 experts shall review the mathematics and science academic content standards to identify those standards that correspond to the English language development standards.  The Superintendent shall ensure that members of the group include, but are not necessarily limited to, 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. At least  one-half   a majority  of the members of the group of experts shall be currently employed public school teachers.  (d)   (   c)  Prior to completing the requirements of  subdivisions (a) and (b),   subdivision (a),  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)   (   d)  On or before August 1, 2015, the state board shall  do both of the following:   (1)     Adopt   adopt  or reject the Superintendent's recommendations for the English language development standards adopted pursuant to Section  60811   60811.3  to correspond with the state board-approved academic content standards for mathematics adopted pursuant to  Section 60605.8.   Sections 60605.8 and 60605.11 and the state board-approved   academic content standards for science approved pursuant to Section 60605.85.   (2) Adopt or reject the Superintendent's recommendations for 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)   (  e)  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)   (   f)  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.