Bill Text: CA SB521 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Pupil testing: English language development test.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-02-01 - Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. [SB521 Detail]

Download: California-2009-SB521-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 521	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 20, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Romero

                        FEBRUARY 26, 2009

   An act to amend Section 313 of  , and to add Section 60814
to,  the Education Code, relating to pupil testing.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 521, as amended, Romero. Pupil testing: English language
development test.
   Existing law requires each school district that has one or more
pupils who are English learners 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. The assessment primarily consists
of the administration of a specified English language development
test that assesses pupils in grades 2 to 12, inclusive, in English
listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, and pupils in
kindergarten and grade 1 in English listening and speaking.
   This bill would require the annual assessment to be conducted
during a 3-month test period that commences on the day when 65% of
the instructional year is completed. The bill would require the State
Department of Education  annually to release sample
questions from the English language development for the purpose of
instruction and  to provide the score a pupil achieves on
the English language development test to the parent or guardian of
the pupil in English and, if available, in the language reported on
the home language survey. The bill would require that the score be
provided in a format that uses terminology that is easy to understand
and includes an explanation of the purpose of the test, the pupil's
score, and the intended use of that score by the school district.
   The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to direct the
department to explore  cost saving   cost-saving
 measures regarding the administration of the California
English language development test, including electronic test
administration and procedures by which test booklets may be reused.
   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 of the Education Code is amended to read:
   313.  (a) Each school district that has one or more pupils who are
English learners shall assess the English language development of
each pupil in order to determine the level of proficiency for the
purposes of this chapter.
   (b) The department, with the approval of the state board, shall
establish procedures for conducting the assessment required pursuant
to subdivision (a) and for the reclassification of a pupil from
English learner to proficient in English.
   (c) The assessment shall be conducted upon initial enrollment, and
annually thereafter, during a three-month testing period that shall
commence on the day that 65 percent of the instructional year is
completed. The annual assessments shall continue until the pupil is
redesignated as English proficient. The assessment primarily shall
utilize the English language development test identified or developed
by the Superintendent pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section
60810) of Part 33. The department shall provide the score a pupil
achieves on the English language development test to the parent or
guardian of the pupil in English and, if available, in the language
reported on the home language survey. The score shall be provided in
a format that uses terminology that is easy to understand and
includes an explanation of the purpose of the test, the score the
pupil achieved, and the intended use of that score by the school
district.
   (d) The reclassification procedures developed by the department
shall utilize multiple criteria in determining whether to reclassify
a pupil as proficient in English, including, but not limited to, all
of the following:
   (1) Assessment of language proficiency using an objective
assessment instrument, including, but not limited to, the English
language development test pursuant to Section 60810.
   (2) Teacher evaluation, including, but not limited to, a review of
the pupil's curriculum mastery.
   (3) Parental opinion and consultation.
   (4) Comparison of the pupil's performance in basic skills against
an empirically established range of performance in basic skills based
upon the performance of English proficient pupils of the same age,
that demonstrates whether the pupil is sufficiently proficient in
English to participate effectively in a curriculum designed for
pupils of the same age whose native language is English.
   (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that this section does not
preclude a school district or county office of education from
testing English language learners more than once in a school year if
the school district or county office of education chooses to do so.

  SEC. 2.    Section 60814 is added to the Education
Code, to read:
   60814.  The department annually shall release sample questions
from the English language development test developed pursuant to
Section 60810 for the purpose of instruction. 
   SEC. 3.   SEC. 2.   It is the intent of
the Legislature to direct the State Department of Education to
explore  cost saving   cost-saving 
measures regarding the administration, pursuant to Section 313 of the
Education Code, of the English language development test. The
measures shall include electronic test administration and procedures
by which test booklets may be reused.