(1) Existing law requires each person between the ages of 6 and 18 years not otherwise exempted to attend the public full-time day school or continuation school or classes in the school district in which his or her parent or guardian is a resident. Existing law authorizes 2 school districts to enter into an agreement that allows pupils to transfer between the 2 districts. This bill would establish the Open Enrollment Act to enable pupils residing in the state to attend public schools in school districts other than their school district of residence, as defined. The bill would authorize the parent or guardian of a pupil enrolled in a low-achieving school, as defined, to submit an application for the pupil to attend a school in a school district of enrollment, as defined. The bill would authorize a school district of enrollment, as defined, to adopt specific, written standards for acceptance and rejection of applications for enrollment, subject to specified conditions and a specified priority scheme for applicants. Within 60 days of receiving an application for enrollment, the bill would require a school district of enrollment to notify the applicant parent or guardian and the school district of residence, as defined, in writing whether the application has been accepted or rejected and, if an application is rejected, state in the notification the reasons for the rejection. The bill would require the State Board of Education to adopt emergency regulations to implement these provisions. The bill would require the Superintendent to contract for an independent evaluation of the program using federal funds appropriated for that purpose and to provide a final evaluation report to the Legislature, the Governor, and the state board on or before October 1, 2014. By requiring school districts to perform additional duties regarding the enrollment of nonresident pupils, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) , provides $4.3 billion for the State Incentive Grant Fund (Race to the Top Fund) , which is a competitive grant program designed to encourage and reward states that are implementing specified educational objectives. The ARRA requires a governor to apply on behalf of a state seeking a Race to the Top grant, and requires the application to include specified information. The United States Secretary of Education has issued regulations and guidelines regarding state eligibility under the Race to the Top program. This bill would require a local educational agency to implement one of several specified reforms for any other school which, after one full school year, is subject to corrective action pursuant to a specified provision of federal law and continues to fail to make adequate yearly progress, and have an Academic Performance Index score of less than 800, and where at least12 of the parents or legal guardians of pupils attending the school, or a combination of at least12 of the parents or legal guardians of pupils attending the school and the elementary or middle schools that normally matriculate into a middle or high school, as applicable, sign a petition requesting the local educational agency to implement one of the alternative governance arrangements, unless the local educational agency makes a finding in writing why it cannot implement the recommended arrangement and instead designates in writing which of the other alternative governance arrangements it will implement in the subsequent school year. The bill would require the local educational agency to notify the Superintendent and the state board if it decides to implement a different alternative governance option. The bill would limit this procedure to no more than 75 schools. (3) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions. (4) The bill would provide that it would become operative only if SB 1 of the 5th Extraordinary Session is also enacted and becomes operative.
Sponsored bills
Existing law establishes a comprehensive statewide domestic violence program in the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) and requires the agency to provide financial and technical assistance to local domestic violence centers. Existing law requires the Maternal and Child Health Branch of the State Department of Public Health to administer a comprehensive shelter-based services grant program to battered women's shelters, as prescribed. This bill would, among other things, require Cal EMA to administer the above-described grant program. This bill would require the Department of Finance, upon the enactment of this bill, to transfer $16,300,000 from the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Fund to the General Fund as a loan. The bill would require the full amount of the loan to be repaid, with interest at the rate earned by the Pooled Money Investment Account at the time of the transfer, on or before June 30, 2013. The bill would appropriate $16,300,000 from the General Fund to Cal EMA for the purpose of funding the above-described comprehensive shelter-based services grant program to shelters for victims of domestic violence. This bill would require grantees funded under the above-described grant program, during the 2008–09 fiscal year, to be funded by Cal EMA for a period of one fiscal year, retroactively, commencing July 1, 2009. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. The Governor issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on December 19, 2008. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared by the Governor by proclamation issued on December 19, 2008, pursuant to the California Constitution. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
Existing law requires publishers and manufacturers of printed instructional material for use at public postsecondary educational institutions to provide the material, upon request, in an electronic format that is compatible with commonly used braille translation and speech synthesis software, when those materials are to be used by a student whose disability prevents him or her from using standard instructional materials and other requirements are met. Existing law also requires publishers and manufacturers to provide computer files or other electronic versions of nonprinted instructional materials, defined to include materials that require the availability of electronic equipment in order to be utilized, when technology is available to convert those nonprinted materials to a format that is compatible with braille translation or speech synthesis software. This bill would require publishers, as defined, to provide a captioned format of instructional materials, as defined, or an electronic format of those materials and a license to create a captioned format of the materials, upon request by a public postsecondary educational institution, and would authorize the public postsecondary educational institution to create a captioned format, subject to prescribed conditions, if the publisher provides a license to create the captioned format or fails to respond to a request for a captioned format. The bill would prescribe various requirements with respect to use and distribution of captioned formats of instructional materials by public postsecondary educational institutions that choose to participate in the request process. The bill would also make conforming changes.
The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act, an initiative measure approved by the voters at the November 2, 2004, general election (Proposition 71) , establishes the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) , the purpose of which is, among other things, to make grants and loans for stem cell research, for research facilities, and for other vital research opportunities to realize therapies, protocols, and medical procedures that will result in the cure for, or substantial mitigation of, diseases and injuries. This bill would create the California Stem Cell and Biotechnology Education and Workforce Development Act of 2009 to establish stem cell and biotechnology education and workforce development as a state priority and to promote stronger links among industry sectors, the CIRM, and California public schools. The bill would require the State Department of Education to post certain information on its Internet Web site, including the CIRM model curriculum on stem cell science, and to communicate to science teachers and school districts the availability of this curriculum.
Existing law establishes the State Board of Education for the purpose of, among other things, studying the educational conditions and needs of the state and making plans for the improvement of the administration and efficiency of the public schools of the state. Existing law requires that the State Board of Education adhere to specified requirements relating to meetings and hearings. Existing law establishes the State Allocation Board, consisting of specified members and charged with specified duties, including, but not limited to, determining how bond funds are allocated for public school construction and modernization projects. Existing law requires the State Allocation Board to adhere to specified requirements relating to meetings and hearings. This bill would require the State Board of Education and the State Allocation Board to provide for live video and audio transmission of all meetings and hearings that are open to the public through a technology that is accessible to as large a segment of the public as possible. The technologies to be used would include, but not be limited to, cable, satellite, over-the-air, or any other type of transmission that can be accessed through a television, and Web cast. The State Board of Education and the State Allocation Board would be required to ensure that any Web cast transmission implemented pursuant to these provisions be transmitted over and accessed through the K-12 High-Speed Network. The State Board of Education and the State Allocation Board also would be required to consult with the State Chief Information Officer for the purposes of implementing the provisions of the bill.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to maintain campuses at which instruction is provided to students. Existing law authorizes the governing boards of the Los Rios, Peralta, and Rio Hondo community college districts to require that a transportation service fee be paid only by students and employees using the services, or, in the alternative, by various groups of people, upon the favorable vote of a majority of the people in the affected groups. Existing law prohibits these governing boards from entering into, or extending, a contract for transportation services, funded by the proceeds of a transportation fee and provided by a common carrier or a municipally owned transit system, unless specified conditions are met. This bill would expand that transportation fee authority to include any community college district.
(1) Existing law prescribes the course of study a pupil is required to complete while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district to adopt rules specifying additional coursework requirements. This bill would require a school district to exempt a pupil in foster care from all coursework and other requirements adopted by the governing board of the district that are in addition to the statewide coursework requirements if the pupil, while he or she is in grade 11 or 12, transfers to the district from another school district or between high schools within the district, unless the district makes a finding that the pupil is reasonably able to complete the additional requirements in time to graduate from high school while he or she remains eligible for foster care benefits pursuant to state law. The bill would require a school district to notify a pupil in foster care who is granted an exemption, and, as appropriate, the person holding the right to make educational decisions for the pupil, if any of the requirements that are waived will affect the pupil's ability to gain admission to a postsecondary educational institution, and to provide information about transfer opportunities available through the California Community Colleges. By requiring school districts to perform additional duties in complying with the exemption requirement, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
(1) Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to issue a California teaching credential, including a 5-year preliminary multiple subject teaching credential, a 5-year preliminary single subject credential, or a 5-year preliminary education specialist credential, to a teacher prepared in a country other than the United States who meets specified requirements. This bill would authorize the commission to issue a multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential to a teacher prepared in a country other than the United States who has earned a valid corresponding elementary, secondary, or special education teaching credential in another state and who meets specified requirements. The bill would also make various nonsubstantive conforming changes. (2) Existing law requires the commission to select, administer, and interpret subject matter examinations, and provides that the adequacy of subject matter preparation and the basis for assignment of certified personnel is determined by the successful passage of a subject matter examination, except as specifically waived pursuant to specified provisions. This bill would require a school district, county office of education, or charter school that provides intensive examination preparation courses for the purposes of preparing credential holders to demonstrate subject matter knowledge to meet specified requirements. The bill would authorize those local educational entities to contract with other specified entities for services to provide intensive examination preparation courses to assist teacher participants to prepare for taking commission-approved subject matter examinations.
(1) Existing law establishes the California Education Information System, which consists of the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) and the California Longitudinal Teacher Integrated Data Education System (CALTIDES) . Existing law requires that data elements and codes included in the California Education Information System be maintained in compliance with specified provisions of law. This bill would additionally require that data elements and codes included in the California Education Information System be maintained in compliance with any other applicable federal or state law that can be interpreted as protecting the privacy and confidentiality of individual pupils or certificated personnel. (2) Existing law prohibits data in CALTIDES from being used either solely or in conjunction with data from CALPADS for purposes of pay, promotion, sanction, or personnel evaluation of an individual teacher or groups of teachers, or any other employment decisions related to individual teachers. This bill would delete this prohibition. The bill would prohibit data in CALTIDES from being used in violation of any federal or state law that is intended to protect an individual's right to privacy or the confidentiality of an individual's personal information. (3) Existing law requires the State Chief Information Officer to convene a working group representing specified entities to create a strategic plan to link education data systems and to accomplish specified objectives relating to the accessibility of education data. The State Chief Information Officer is required to deliver this strategic plan to the Legislature and the Governor no later than September 1, 2009. This bill would require the plan to identify specific procedures and policies that would facilitate the sharing and transfer of data, and would change the date the plan is required to be delivered to the Legislature and the Governor to January 1, 2010. The bill additionally would authorize these provisions to be implemented using federal grant funds received pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 through that act's provision of funds for statewide data systems under the federal Education Technical Assistance Act. (4) Existing law requires the State Department of Education under CALPADS to contract for the development of proposals that will provide for the retention and analysis of longitudinal pupil achievement data. Existing law requires local educational agencies to retain individual pupil records for each test taker, including other data elements deemed necessary by the Superintendent, with approval of the State Board of Education, to comply with federal reporting requirements delineated in the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This bill would, prior to the implementation of these provisions with respect to adding data elements to CALPADS for the purpose of complying with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, require the department to submit an expenditure plan to the Department of Finance, as specified. The bill would require the Department of Finance to provide to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee a copy of the plan within 10 days of receipt. The bill also would make technical and clarifying changes.
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.