Academic performance.

Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish an advisory committee to make recommendations by July 1, 2005, on a methodology for generating a measurement of academic performance by utilizing unique pupil identifiers for pupils and annual academic achievement growth to provide a more accurate measure of a school's growth over time. Existing law also requires, if appropriate and feasible, the Superintendent, with the approval of the State Board of Education, to implement this measurement of academic performance. This bill would state findings and declarations regarding standards-based education reform, assessments, and accountability and the use of cohort growth measures in accountability systems and intervention determinations. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature that the committee take into consideration specified recommendations and consider measures already in use by other states. The bill would also provide that if the committee considers any measure of annual academic achievement growth, the measure of annual academic achievement growth by cohort approved in connection with requirements described above or adopted through a state plan, as specified, shall meet certain requirements.