Pupil instruction: English Learner Roadmap Initiative.

Existing law establishes the State Board of Education, and requires the state board to adopt rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the laws of the state, to govern the public elementary and secondary schools of the state. Existing law requires the state board to determine all questions of policy within its powers. Pursuant to these powers, the state board has adopted a policy known as the California English Learner Roadmap policy, also known as the EL Roadmap, for the stated purpose of assisting the State Department of Education in providing guidance to local educational agencies with respect to educating English learners attending California public schools. Existing law establishes the State Department of Education, under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and assigns the department numerous duties relating to the governance and funding of local educational agencies. Existing law also establishes the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) as a statewide agency that works collaboratively with other statewide agencies, county offices of education, and stakeholders with the goal of improving pupil outcomes. This bill would establish the English Learner Roadmap Initiative under the administration of the department and the CCEE. The bill would require the department and the CCEE to establish a process, administered by the department, to select, subject to the approval of the executive director of the state board, a county office of education with expertise relating to English learners and the EL Roadmap to serve as the lead agency to conduct specified activities required by the bill. The bill would require the lead agency, commencing with the 2020–21 school year, to award grants to local educational agencies for purposes related to implementing the EL Roadmap, as specified. The bill would specify criteria to be applied by the department, the CCEE, and the lead agency in determining which applicants would receive the grants. The bill would specify that the number of grants to be awarded by the lead agency, as well as the amounts and durations of the grants, would be contingent on the level of funding received and the number and quality of the applications. The bill would require grant recipients to submit to the department and the CCEE annual written reviews of their efforts under the program. The bill would also require the department and the CCEE to submit, on or before January 1, 2024, a written report to the Legislature regarding the program. The bill would declare that the implementation of these provisions is contingent upon the enactment of an appropriation for its purposes in the Budget Act or another statute.