Bill Text: CA SB409 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: English learners: reclassification.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Failed) 2016-02-01 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB409 Detail]
Download: California-2015-SB409-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 409 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 9, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Senator De León
FEBRUARY 25, 2015
An act to amend Section 313.5 of the Education Code, relating to
English learners.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 409, as amended, De León. English learners: reclassification.
(1) Existing law required the State Department of Education, by
January 1, 2014, to review and analyze the criteria, policies, and
practices that a sampling of school districts that represent the
geographic, socioeconomic, and demographic diversity of school
districts in the state use to reclassify English learners and
recommend to the Legislature and the State Board of Education any
guideline, regulatory, or statutory changes that the department
determines are necessary to identify when English learners are
prepared for the successful transition to classrooms and curricula
that require English proficiency. Existing law requires the
governing board of each school district to adopt a local control and
accountability plan and requires a local control and accountability
plan to include, among other things, a description of the
annual goals to be achieved for each state priority, as specified,
for all pupils and certain subgroups of pupils.
This bill would instead require the department, by January 1,
2017, to contract with an outside research organization to perform
the above-mentioned review and analysis.
analysis, and would include in that review and analysis the criteria,
policies, and practices that the specified school districts use to
meet the state priorities identified in the local control and
accountability plans provision. The bill would instead require the
department to recommend to the Legislature any policy changes that
the department determines are necessary to identify when English
learners are prepared for the successful transition to
classrooms and curricula that require English proficiency and how
implementation of the state priorities identified in the local
control and accountability plans provision support that transition.
The bill would require the department to examine, as part of
this review and analysis, the extent to which school districts
are following the regulations for implementation of the local control
and accountability plans, and information on English learner
achievement as described in local control and accountability plans.
(2) Existing law required the department, by January 1, 2014, to
issue a report on its findings, research, analysis, recommendations,
and best practices, and requires the department, by January 1, 2017,
to issue an updated report that reflects any changes in analysis and
recommendations as a result of the adoption by the state board of the
common core standards and related English language development
standards.
This bill would change the issue date of this report to January 1,
2017, and would change the issue date of the
updated report to January 1, 2018. 2018, and
would require the department to identify in that report
any pupil outcome measures related to meeting the state priorities in
the local control and accountability plans provision, as related to
the education of English learners.
This bill would also make nonsubstantive changes to these
provisions.
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 313.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:
313.5. (a) By January 1, 2017, the department shall contract with
an outside research organization to review and analyze the criteria,
policies, and practices that a sampling of school districts that
represent the geographic, socioeconomic, and demographic diversity of
school districts in the state use to reclassify English
learners, learners and to meet the eight state
priorities, as related to the education of English learners,
specified in Section 52060, and recommend to the Legislature
and state board any guideline, regulatory, or statutory
any policy changes that the department
determines are necessary to identify when English learners are
prepared for the successful transition to classrooms and curricula
that require English proficiency. proficiency
and how implementation of the eight state priorities specified in
Section 52060 support this transition.
(b) For purposes of completing the review and analysis required
pursuant to subdivision (a), the department shall consult with
parents of English learners, experts with demonstrated experience in
developing and administering assessments for English learners,
classroom or resource teachers, or both, school district
administrators with expertise in curriculum, instruction, assessment,
and accountability, and researchers possessing expertise in the
education of English learners.
(c) The group of experts described in subdivision (b) shall
develop a study design that may include a sampling methodology for
purposes of selecting the school districts that will be part of the
review and analysis to identify best practices pursuant to
subdivision (a).
(d) For purposes of completing the review and analysis required
pursuant to subdivision (a), the department shall examine and report
on the following:
(1) The practices and standards used by a sampling of school
districts that represent the geographic, socioeconomic, and
demographic diversity of school districts in the state to meet the
four reclassification criteria specified in subdivision (f) of
Section 313.
(2) The extent to which school districts are following the
guidelines established by the state board.
board and the regulations for implementation of the local control and
accountability plans developed pursuant to Article 4.5
(commencing with Section 52060) of Chapter 6.1 of Part 28 of Division
4 of Title 2.
(3) The range of reclassification criteria developed by school
districts.
(e) As part of the examination required pursuant to subdivision
(d), the department shall analyze the following:
(1) English language proficiency and academic performance data.
(2) The relationship of the reclassification criteria to
reclassification rates.
(3) The academic performance of pupils after reclassification as
English proficient.
(4) The relationship of the reclassification criteria to the
academic performance of pupils after reclassification.
(5) Information on English learner achievement as described in the
local control and accountability plans developed by school districts
pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 52060) of Chapter
6.1 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2.
(f) In its report, the department also shall identify any other
pupil outcome measures that indicate an English learner is prepared
to successfully transition to a classroom and curricula that require
English proficiency. proficiency, including,
but not limited to, any pupil outcome measures related to meeting the
eight state priorities, as related to the education of English
learners, specified in Section 52060.
(g) By January 1, 2017, the department shall issue a report that
includes the department's findings, research, analysis,
recommendations, and best practices pursuant to subdivisions (a),
(d), (e), and (f).
(h) By January 1, 2018, the department shall issue an updated
report that reflects any changes in analysis and recommendations as a
result of the adoption by the state board of the common core
standards pursuant to Section 60605.8 and the English language
development standards adopted pursuant to former Section 60811.3, as
that section read on June 30, 2013. 2013, or
Section 60811.4.
(i) This section shall be implemented only if state or federal
funds are appropriated as necessary to fully fund this purpose or if
private funds are made available as necessary to fully fund this
purpose.
