Pupil instruction: special education: blind and visually impaired pupils: Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing pupils.

(1) Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to form an advisory task force to develop standards for the mastery of the braille code as a child progresses through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the Superintendent to utilize this advisory task force to develop standards for visually impaired pupils to learn, and achieve mastery of, the braille mathematics code, and requires the task force to report those standards to the State Board of Education by March 1, 2006. This bill would replace the advisory task force with a group of experts on the blind and visually impaired, as described, and would require the Superintendent, upon consultation with the group of experts, to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards for blind and visually impaired pupils to learn, and achieve the mastery of and literacy in, the braille code and the braille mathematics code. The bill would require the Superintendent to recommend those standards to the state board by May 31, 2016. This bill would additionally require the Superintendent, upon consultation with a group of experts on the Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing, to develop standards that are aligned to the common core academic content standards, for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing pupils to learn, and achieve the mastery of and literacy in, American Sign Language as a pupil progresses through kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The bill would require the Superintendent to recommend these standards to the state board by May 31, 2016. (2) Existing law requires the state board to adopt braille reading and mathematics standards for visually impaired pupils by June 1, 2006. This bill would require the state board to adopt braille reading and mathematics standards for blind and visually impaired pupils that are aligned to the common core academic content standards by June 30, 2016, as specified. The bill would authorize county offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas to provide blind and visually impaired pupils opportunities for instruction to master the standards adopted by the state board. The bill would specify that the standards are to be advisory and are not intended to interfere with a pupil's individualized education program. This bill would also require the state board to adopt American Sign Language standards for Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing pupils that are aligned to the common core academic content standards by June 30, 2016, as specified. The bill would authorize county offices of education, school districts, and special education local plan areas to provide Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing pupils opportunities for instruction to master the standards adopted by the state board. The bill would specify that the standards are to be advisory and are not intended to interfere with a pupil's individualized education program.