Bill Text: CA AB2820 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: School accountability: school conditions and climate surveys: technical design group.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-06-21 - In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author. [AB2820 Detail]
Download: California-2017-AB2820-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
May 25, 2018 |
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
May 09, 2018 |
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 17, 2018 |
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 04, 2018 |
| Assembly Bill | No. 2820 |
| Introduced by Assembly Member McCarty |
February 16, 2018 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
This bill would establish the Community Engagement and School Climate for Continuous Improvement Initiative as a grant program for purposes of improving school conditions and climate. The bill would require a school district or
charter school that chooses to apply for one of 30 competitive grants of up to $1,000,000 to submit an application to the State Department of Education to receive funding. The bill would require a school district or charter school that is not awarded a grant under that provision, but chooses to apply for grant funding of up to $45,000, to submit an application to the department. The bill would require a county office of education that chooses to apply for grant funding of up to $250,000 to submit an application to the department. The bill would require a school district, charter school, or county office of education to include in its application information about how it proposes to use the grant to improve community engagement and school climate, as provided. The bill would require the department to award grants in accordance with specified criteria.
The bill would require a school district, charter school, or county office of education that receives a grant to
provide a local contribution of matching expenditures equal to at least 25% of the total grant award it received. The bill would require a grant recipient to submit an evaluation of the activities it undertakes with a grant to the governing board of the school district, the charter school’s chartering authority, or the county board of education, as applicable, and the department, as provided. The bill would require the department to compile the information from these evaluations as part of an overall evaluation of the implementation of the grant program, and would require the department to submit a report to the Legislature on its findings on or before January 1, 2023.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)When the local control funding formula was established, new requirements were imposed, including, as part of the multiple measures school accountability system, that local educational agencies adopt local control and accountability plans describing goals, actions, and expenditures to address specified state priorities, including, among others, parental involvement and, as a measure of pupil achievement, pupil engagement and school climate, and that they consult with community stakeholders in developing local control and accountability plans. These new priorities and
consultation requirements required a significant shift for local educational agencies, many of which were not prepared with the skills and practices necessary for meaningful community engagement and school climate assessment and improvement.
(b)Researchers, community members, and equity advocates agree that family and pupil engagement in the development of local control and accountability plans remains a work in progress.
(c)The School Conditions and Climate Work Group, convened by the State Department of Education, found that progress on its recommendations to integrate school climate into state accountability, the system of support, and local continuous improvement requires more resources and that local educational agencies currently lack the skills and capacity for this
task.
(d)School climate includes the values, expectations, interpersonal relationships, materials and resources, supports,
physical environment, and practices that foster a welcoming, inclusive, and academically challenging environment. Positive school conditions and climate ensure people in the school community, such as pupils, staff, family, and community, feel socially, emotionally, and physically safe, supported, connected to the school, and engaged in learning and teaching.
(e)Meaningful community engagement is the linchpin to effective implementation of the local control funding
formula. Practices, resources, and capacities for meaningful local community engagement and school climate must be developed and strengthened as these state priorities are central to the other state priorities and critical for ensuring equity for pupils and families.
SEC. 2.SECTION 1.
Article 3 (commencing with Section 52053) is added to
Chapter 6.1 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:
Article
3. Community Engagement and School Climate for Continuous Improvement Initiative School Conditions and Climate Surveys
The Community Engagement and School Climate for Continuous Improvement Initiative is hereby established to invest in the development and expansion of skills, practices, and capacity of school communities for meaningful stakeholder engagement and assessment of school climate for continuous improvement processes. Through this initiative, the department shall administer a one-time, competitive grant program for school districts and charter schools, and make available grants to all local educational agencies, to do all of the following:
(a)Pilot new ways to improve pupil and family engagement, including the annual assessment of school climate.
(b)Establish professional learning networks of school
district teams to participate in cross-district and intra-district learning networks focused on improving their practices and skill sets for pupil and family engagement.
(c)Assist county offices of education in building their knowledge and skills around community engagement and school climate so they may better support each other and school districts.
(d)Expand and sustain pupil and family engagement activities.
(a)A school district or charter school that chooses to apply for one of 30 competitive grants of up to one million dollars ($1,000,000) pursuant to this section shall submit an application to the department to receive funding, in a format and by a date determined by the department. An application submitted by a school district or charter school shall include all of the following:
(1)Information about the current pupil and family engagement strategies and approaches and related assets within the school district or charter school.
(2)The activities the school district or charter school will undertake with the grant funding that advance existing and proposed work related to
pupil and family engagement, especially activities that will engage traditionally underrepresented pupil and family groups, and utilize annual school climate surveys pursuant to Section 52053.7.
(3)How the activities specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) support the goals, actions, and services of the school district or charter school for the meaningful engagement of families, pupils, and other stakeholders as provided in its local control and accountability plan.
(4)How the school district or charter school will utilize data from the California School Dashboard, establish local indicators, or both, to measure outcomes and metrics reported in the school district or charter school’s local control and accountability plan to further advance pupil and family engagement.
(5)How the school district or charter school will
provide professional development for pupil and family engagement in the form of training and support to staff involved in school and school district planning and decisionmaking, including local control and accountability plan development, implementation, and evaluation, such as best practices in outreach, relationship-building, shared leadership, meeting facilitation, and awareness of race and culture.
(b)An application shall be for one year of grant funding that may be spent over three years. Consistent with the provisions of this article, the department may establish requirements for grantees to meet at the end of the first and second years after the grant was awarded.
(c)The department shall determine eligibility for grants, and the distribution of grants, based on the following criteria:
(1)The school district
or charter school has demonstrated commitment and ability to advance expertise through continuous improvement processes in pupil, family, and community engagement.
(2)Evidence of school district or charter school commitment to expanding its skills and capacity for meaningful pupil and family engagement, including the participating pupil, family, and community organizations the school district or charter school intends to involve.
(3)A commitment and plan to pilot and advance new ways to improve pupil and family engagement, including for historically underrepresented or low-achieving populations.
(4)A commitment and plan to participate in learning communities, learning networks, and evaluation activities established by this article.
(5)Willingness
and ability to conduct, analyze, and utilize data from annual school climate surveys pursuant to Section 52053.7.
(d)In selecting the grantees, the department shall do both of the following:
(1)Select a mix of small, medium, large, rural, suburban, and urban school districts and charter schools that are representative of school districts and charter schools statewide.
(2)Give positive consideration to each of the following:
(A)Programs that address pupil and family engagement in underrepresented or underserved communities.
(B)Programs that engage pupil groups identified in need of additional support by the school district or charter school based on data from the California School
Dashboard.
(C)Programs that advance the principles and practices recommended by the School Conditions and Climate Work Group convened by the department.
(D)Programs that advance California’s understanding and expertise of authentic, meaningful, and exemplary pupil and family engagement practices that can be brought to scale.
(e)The department shall provide grant funds under this section to successful applicants on the basis of average daily attendance reported as of the second principal apportionment for the prior fiscal year, as follows:
(1)For school districts or charter schools with an average daily attendance, as reported pursuant to this subdivision, of 100 or less, the amount awarded shall be not less than one hundred thousand dollars
($100,000).
(2)For school districts or charter schools with an average daily attendance, as reported pursuant to this subdivision, in excess of 100, but 1,500 or less, the amount awarded shall be not more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000).
(3)For school districts or charter schools with an average daily attendance, as reported pursuant to this subdivision, in excess of 1,500, but 2,500 or less, the amount awarded shall be not more than five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).
(4)For school districts or charter schools with an average daily attendance, as reported pursuant to this subdivision, in excess of 2,500, but 5,000 or less, the amount awarded shall be not more than seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($750,000).
(5)For
school districts or charter schools with an average daily attendance, as reported pursuant to this subdivision, in excess of 5,000, the amount awarded shall be not more than one million dollars ($1,000,000).
(a)A school district or charter school that is not awarded a grant pursuant to Section 52053.1 that chooses to apply for grant funding of up to forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000) pursuant to this section shall submit an application to the department to receive a grant, in a format and by a date determined by the department. An application submitted by a school district or charter school shall include all of the following:
(1)Information about the pupil and family engagement needs within the school district or charter school.
(2)The activities the school district or charter school will undertake with the grant funding to address pupil and family engagement, including
for historically underrepresented or low-achieving populations, in the school district or charter school.
(3)How the activities specified in paragraph (2) support the goals, actions, and services of the school district or charter school for meaningful engagement of families, pupils, and other stakeholders as provided in its local control and accountability plan.
(4)How the school district or charter school will utilize data from the California School Dashboard, establish local indicators, or both, to measure the outcomes identified in its application and local control and accountability plan.
(b)An application shall be for one year of grant funding that may be spent over three years. Consistent with the provisions of this article, the department may establish requirements for grantees to meet at the end of the
first and second years after the grant was awarded.
(c)The department shall award grants under this section to any school district or charter school that is not awarded a grant pursuant to Section 52053.1, and that submits an application that demonstrates how the school district or charter school will do all of the following:
(1)Commit to conducting school climate surveys annually.
(2)Improve pupil and family engagement, including outreach methods and the creation of community-friendly materials and training.
(3)Commit to participate in learning communities, learning networks, and evaluation activities established pursuant to this article.
(d)The department shall provide grant funds
under this section to applicants on the basis of average daily attendance reported as of the second principal apportionment for the prior fiscal year, as follows:
(1)For school districts or charter schools with an average daily attendance, as reported pursuant to this subdivision, of 100 or less, the amount awarded shall be not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
(2)For school districts or charter schools with an average daily attendance, as reported pursuant to this subdivision, in excess of 100, but 1,500 or less, the amount awarded shall be not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).
(3)For school districts or charter schools with an average daily attendance, as reported pursuant to this subdivision, in excess of 1,500, but 2,500 or less, the amount awarded shall be not more than twenty-five thousand
dollars ($25,000).
(4)For school districts or charter schools with an average daily attendance, as reported pursuant to this subdivision, in excess of 2,500, but 5,000 or less, the amount awarded shall be not more than thirty-five thousand dollars ($35,000).
(5)For school districts or charter schools with an average daily attendance, as reported pursuant to this subdivision, in excess of 5,000, the amount awarded shall be not more than forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000).
(a)A county office of education that chooses to apply for grant funding of up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) pursuant to this section shall submit an application to the department to receive a grant, in a format and by a date determined by the department. An application submitted by a county office of education shall include all of the following:
(1)Information about the pupil, family, and community engagement needs within the county served by the county office of education.
(2)The activities that the county office of education will undertake with the grant funding to support school districts and charter schools in their engagement activities.
(3)How the activities specified in paragraph (2) build the county office of education’s capacity to support school districts and charter schools within its jurisdiction to engage families, pupils, and other stakeholders in the development, implementation, and evaluation of their local control and accountability plans, including pupil and family engagement goals, actions, and services provided in their local control and accountability plans.
(4)How the county office of education will utilize data from the California School Dashboard, establish local indicators, or both, to measure outcomes associated with the activities specified in paragraph (3) and metrics contained in the county office of education’s local control and accountability plan.
(5)How the county office of education will develop, share, and implement
training programs that build the knowledge, skill sets, and commitment of key system leaders to improve pupil and family engagement, including the use of climate surveys.
(6)Incentivize and support school districts and charter schools to create lasting staff positions and engagement structures that are sustained beyond the expenditure of any one-time state funds received pursuant to this article.
(7)Support professional learning networks focused on building school system leader capacity around meaningful engagement, including how the county office of education will establish a professional learning network that supports cross-district and intra-district learning focused on improving practices and skills, and on building school system leader capacity for meaningful pupil and family engagement.
(b)An application
shall be for one year of grant funding that may be spent over three years. Consistent with the provisions of this article, the department may establish requirements for grantees to meet at the end of the first and second years after the grant was awarded.
(c)The department shall award grants under this section based on the county office of education’s commitment to do all of the following:
(1)Increase its knowledge and skills in stakeholder engagement and school climate.
(2)Commit to sharing knowledge, skills, and exemplary practices with other county offices of education and school districts through the statewide system of support.
(3)Develop, share, and implement in-depth training activities that build the knowledge, skill sets, and commitment of
key system leaders to improve pupil and family engagement.
(4)Support the development of professional and community learning networks.
(5)Provide leadership development in the form of training, resources, and support that includes training on collecting, examining, using, and acting on data, and awareness of culture and race, to county office of education, school district, and charter school staff, families, and pupils to participate, in an informed and meaningful way, in engagement activities and decisionmaking.
(d)(1)The department shall provide grant funds under this section to applicants on the basis of the average daily attendance of public schools in the county, reported as of the second principal apportionment for the prior fiscal year, as follows:
(A)For a county office of education in a class seven or class eight county, the amount awarded shall be not less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).
(B)For a county office of education in a class five or class six county, the amount awarded shall be not more than one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000).
(C)For a county office of education in a class three or class four county, the amount awarded shall be not more than two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000).
(D)For a county office of education in a class one or class two county, the amount awarded shall be not more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000).
(2)For purposes of paragraph (1), the classification of
counties shall be as described in Section 1205.
(e)Grant funds may be used for staff time to participate in activities, such as professional learning networks or in-depth training series for pupils, families, or community members.
A school district, charter school, or county office of education that receives a grant pursuant to this article shall provide a local contribution of matching expenditures equal to at least 25 percent of the total grant award it received. This local contribution may be from cash expenditures or in-kind contributions. A school district, charter school, or county office of education is encouraged to exceed the 25 percent match requirement to enable it to sustain the activities or programs established under this article beyond the three-year grant period.
(a)A school district, charter school, or county office of education that receives grant funding pursuant to Section 52053.1 or 52053.3 shall submit an independent evaluation that reports to the governing board of the school district, the charter school’s chartering authority, or the county board of education, as applicable, and the department the results of the activities it undertakes pursuant to this article.
(b)A school district or charter school that receives grant funding pursuant to Section 52053.2 shall evaluate and report to the governing board of the school district or the charter school’s chartering authority, as applicable, and the department the results of the activities it undertakes pursuant to this article.
(c)(1)The department shall compile the information from the grantee reports required by this section as part of an overall evaluation of the implementation of the grant program. The department shall assess the benefits of participation in the program and identify increased capacity of school communities to have meaningful stakeholder engagement and assess school climate for the continuous improvement processes of grantees as part of the statewide system of support efforts. The department shall provide a framework for grantee evaluation activities and work with the statewide system of support to disseminate findings and exemplary practices identified by ongoing evaluation activities.
(2)The department shall submit a report to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision on or before January 1, 2023. The report shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795
of the Government Code.
(a)The Superintendent shall facilitate the engagement of the broad range of stakeholders involved in the development of the statewide system of support, including the department, county offices of education, the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, additional community and advocacy stakeholders, and school districts and charter schools awarded grants pursuant to this article, to develop the California Student and Family Engagement and School Climate Roadmap, to be shared statewide on or before ____, which shall include all of the following:
(1)A common definition and framework for supporting quality community engagement that addresses the following four cornerstones of community engagement:
(A)Equitable stakeholder engagement.
(B)Leadership development.
(C)Shared decisionmaking.
(D)Accountability and transparency.
(2)Best practices for community engagement and inclusion of stakeholders in conducting, analyzing, and utilizing data from annual school climate surveys.
(3)Community-friendly engagement tools.
(b)Of the funds appropriated for purposes of this article, the sum of ____ ($____) shall be allocated to the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence as one-time funds to use over a two-year period to develop innovative toolkits and
in-depth training series and communication processes that are designed to enhance community engagement in the continuous improvement process statewide.
52053.7.52053.
(a) On or before March 1, 2019, the Superintendent shall convene a technical design group, composed of stakeholders and technical experts who can advise the department on survey validity and reliability, to develop criteria for vetting and certifying school conditions and climate surveys.(4)Contingent upon a specific appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, all state-vetted and state-supported surveys, along with basic analysis and reports, shall be provided to school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education free of charge. The department shall contract with a county office of education to provide free school conditions and climate surveys to school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education.
