Bill Text: CA AB1684 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Pupil literacy: statewide professional learning infrastructure.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-06-26 - In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. [AB1684 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB1684-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  April 29, 2019

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 28, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1684

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Introduced by Assembly Member Maienschein

February 22, 2019

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An act to add Chapter 15.5 (commencing with Section 53008) to Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1684, as amended, Maienschein. Pupil literacy: grant program. statewide professional learning infrastructure.

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state and authorizes local educational agencies throughout the state to operate schools and provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.

This bill would establish the Supporting Literacy in Schools, Families, and Communities Grant Program for the purpose of building a love of reading in schools, families, communities, and all pupils in California. The bill would require the State Department of Education, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, to award competitive grants to local educational agencies that apply to the department for a grant for one or more of 5 purposes, as provided. The bill would require a grant application to include, among other things, the particular context in which the local educational agency is operating, including the assets and challenges of the local educational agency, and the number of pupils that would be impacted by the program, resources, or activities funded by the grant.

The bill would also

This bill would require the department State Department of Education to develop and implement the Literacy Academy for California Educators as a statewide professional learning infrastructure to provide evidence-based support to educators in teaching reading and literacy across grades and across the content areas identified in the state’s English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework, as provided. The bill would require the department to establish the statewide professional learning infrastructure through the statewide system of support and in collabation with the California Collaborative for Education Excellence, and would require the department to identify, though a competitive process, a lead county office of education to administer the infrastructure.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Chapter 15.5 (commencing with Section 53008) is added to Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:

CHAPTER  15.5. Pupil Literacy

53008.

The Supporting Literacy in Schools, Families, and Communities Grant Program is hereby established for the purpose of building a love of reading in schools, families, and communities for all pupils in California. Upon appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, the department shall award competitive grants to local educational agencies pursuant to this section. A grant application shall include, at minimum, the particular context in which the local educational agency is operating, including the assets and challenges of the local educational agency, and the number of pupils that would be impacted by the program, resources, or activities funded by the grant. A local educational agency may apply to the department for a grant for one or more of the following purposes:

(a)(1)To promote a culture of reading in the community, and within families in the community, of the local educational agency. A local educational agency shall use grant funds pursuant to this subdivision to promote a reading culture in the local educational agency and the community through activities such as events and collaboration with community partners. Multiple local educational agencies may apply for a grant pursuant to this subdivision as a consortium.

(2)An application for a grant pursuant to this subdivision shall include, at minimum, all of the following:

(A)The partnerships that the local educational agency will foster.

(B)How the partnerships will build a positive reading culture throughout the local educational agency and community, including how the local educational agency will target the specific needs of pupils and communities of varied demographics within the local educational agency.

(C)The roles, responsibilities, and commitments that will be assigned to each participating partner.

(b)(1)To purchase books for school and classroom libraries. Priority for a grant pursuant to this subdivision shall be given to local educational agencies without an existing school library for the purpose of building a book collection for a new school library.

(2)An application for a grant pursuant to this subdivision shall include, at minimum, both of the following:

(A)How the local educational agency will ensure that the books purchased reflect the diversity within its schools and the state.

(B)How the local educational agency will consult with teachers, librarians, and pupils and their families to purchase books that will have the greatest impact on pupils and inspire a love of reading.

(c)(1)To support early literacy from birth to kindergarten. A local educational agency may use grant funds pursuant to this subdivision to provide books to families with young children and conduct events to support reading in families. Multiple local educational agencies may apply for a grant pursuant to this subdivision as a consortium.

(2)An application for a grant pursuant to this subdivision shall include, at minimum, all of the following:

(A)The partnerships that the local educational agency will foster.

(B)How the partnerships will support early literacy, with a focus on providing parents in the community with books and support in reading to their children.

(C)The roles, responsibilities, and commitments that will be assigned to each participating partner.

(d)(1)To support reading intervention programs at the schoolsite level.

(2)An application for a grant pursuant to this subdivision shall include, at minimum, all of the following:

(A)How the local educational agency will use stipends for reading teachers.

(B)How the local educational agency will foster partnerships with master teachers through the Instructional Leadership Corps and other organizations.

(e)(1)To support a professional development program for teacher librarians to increase the number of teachers who obtain a teacher librarian credential and to hire at least one teacher librarian.

(2)An application for a grant pursuant to this subdivision shall include, at minimum, all of the following:

(A)The partnerships that the local educational agency will foster.

(B)How the partnerships will support teachers and prospective teachers in obtaining a teacher librarian credential.

(C)The roles, responsibilities, and commitments that will be assigned to each participating partner.

(D)A commitment from the local educational agency to hire at least one teacher librarian and a plan for how to fund these positions beyond the grant cycle.

(E)A description of how hired teacher librarians will be able to adequately serve pupils and teachers.

(F)A description about how the program will be sustainable and replicable.

53008.5.53008.

 (a) The department shall develop and implement the Literacy Academy for California Educators as a statewide professional learning infrastructure to provide evidence-based support to educators in teaching reading and literacy across grades and across the content areas identified in the state’s English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework by doing all of the following: Framework. The department shall establish the statewide professional learning infrastructure through the statewide system of support established pursuant to Section 52059.5 and in collaboration with the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. The department shall identify, through a competitive process, a lead county office of education to administer the statewide professional learning infrastructure.

(b) The statewide professional learning infrastructure shall do all of the following:

(a)

(1) Build instructional capacity and increase accountability to ensure that the work done permeates to the classroom teacher level.

(1)

(A) Facilitate statewide events in the northern, central, and southern regions of the state for approximately 1,000 attendees each.

(2)

(B) Provide webinars and regional and local events, as follow up followup to the statewide events, with ongoing professional learning that delves deeper into specific content within the English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework.

(3)

(C) Identify and support a cohort of teachers and instructional coaches to lead and support professional learning in local contexts and share promising practices statewide.

(b)

(2) Adhere to guidance in the English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework and promote literacy across the content areas.

(3) Provide support for tiered interventions, universal design for learning, and early intervention and inclusion for pupils with disabilities, which has the same meaning specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (l) of Section 8208.

(c)

(4) Provide dedicated funds to local educational agencies identified for comprehensive support of pupil performance in English language arts pursuant to Section 1005 of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114-95), or any other federal law that effectively replaces that act, to build out literacy-based professional learning systems to build the capacity of staff to understand and implement the English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework, including collaboration with other local educational agencies and state-level partners to incorporate research-based practices for children from birth to 16 years of age, inclusive, and plan for sustainability after the funds have been used. Support to local educational agencies pursuant to this paragraph shall be provided through the statewide system of support established pursuant to Section 52059.5 and in collaboration with the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence.

(d)

(5) Provide specific resources and professional learning on culturally relevant instruction so that educators can best serve their diverse pupils.

(c) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that an appropriation for purposes of this section be made on a one-time basis.