(a)(1)(A)Not later than January 1, 1998, the state board shall adopt statewide academically rigorous content standards, pursuant to the recommendations of the Commission for the Establishment of Academic Content and Performance Standards, in the core curriculum areas of reading, writing, and mathematics to serve as the basis for assessing the academic achievement of individual pupils and of schools, school districts, and the California educational system. Not later than November 1, 1998, the state board shall adopt these standards in the core curriculum areas of history/social science and science.

(B)The state board shall adopt statewide performance standards in the core curriculum areas of reading, writing, mathematics, history/social science, and science based on the recommendations made by the Superintendent of a contractor or contractors.

(C)The state board shall require the contractor or contractors to submit performance standards to the Superintendent and the state board not later than a specified date that allows sufficient opportunity for the Superintendent to make a recommendation to the state board and for the state board to conduct regional hearings prior to the adoption of the performance standards.

(2)(A)The state board may modify any proposed content standards or performance standards prior to adoption and may adopt content and performance standards in individual core curriculum areas as those standards are submitted to the state board. The state performance standards shall be established against specific grade level benchmarks of academic achievement for each subject area tested and shall be based on the knowledge and skills that pupils will need in order to succeed in the information-based, global economy of the 21st century. These skills shall not include personal behavioral standards or skills, including, but not limited to, honesty, sociability, ethics, or self-esteem. The standards adopted pursuant to this section shall be for the purpose of guiding state decisions regarding the development, adoption, and approval of assessment instruments pursuant to this chapter and does not mandate any actions or activities by school districts.

(B)Because these standards are models, the adoption of these standards is not subject to the Administrative Procedure Act. This subparagraph is declaratory of existing law.

(3)Before adopting academic content and performance standards, the state board shall hold regional hearings for the purpose of giving parents and other members of the public the opportunity to comment on the proposed standards.

(b)(1)The state board shall ensure that the statewide assessment system adopted pursuant to this chapter yields valid, reliable individual pupil scores and, where applicable, aggregate school scores, school district scores, and statewide scores of pupils and assesses basic academic skills and content standards, including the use of a direct writing assessment or other applied academic skills if deemed valid and reliable and if resources are made available for their use.

(2)This subdivision does not prevent the state board from developing or adopting an assessment instrument that also contains assessments of basic academic skills.

(c)To the extent feasible and as otherwise required, the state board shall ensure that assessments developed, or contracted for pursuant to Section 60642.5, by the state are aligned with the statewide content and performance standards adopted pursuant to subdivision (a). The department, with the approval of the state board, periodically shall contract for a review of the achievement test for conformance with these standards.

(d)After adopting statewide content and performance standards, the state board shall review the existing curriculum frameworks for conformity with the new statewide standards and shall modify the curriculum frameworks where appropriate to bring them into alignment with the standards.

(e)The state board shall adopt regulations for the conduct and administration of the testing and assessment program.

(f)The state board shall adopt a regulation for minimum security procedures that test and assessment publishers and school districts must follow to ensure the security and integrity of test and assessment questions and materials.

(g)This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2011.