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 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 measures regarding the administration of the California English language development test, including electronic test administration and procedures by which test booklets may be reused.
Sponsored bills
The Public Employees' Retirement Law requires that, upon the death of any state or school member after retirement and while receiving a retirement allowance, the sum of $2,000 be paid to the member's designated beneficiary, as specified. Existing law provides that the additional employer contributions required to fund this benefit be computed as a level percentage of member compensation, and these are deposited in the Public Employees' Retirement Fund, a continuously appropriated fund. This bill would increase the amount of that payment to $6,163 with respect to those school members. By providing for funds in the Public Employees' Retirement Fund to be spent for a new purpose, and by increasing contributions to that fund, this bill would make an appropriation.
Existing law establishes the public school system in this state, and, among other things, provides for the establishment of school districts throughout the state and for the provision of instruction at the public elementary and secondary schools that these districts operate and maintain. This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to elicit input from pupils, parents, teachers, school administrators, and all members of the public about the core values and mission of public education in California, and to enact legislation that would add a preamble to the Education Code that reflects a collective statement of these values and that mission.
Under existing law, various higher education facilities bond acts authorize the sale of bonds for the purpose of funding the construction of facilities for the University of California, the California State University, the California Community Colleges, the Hastings College of the Law, and the California Maritime Academy. This bill would enact the Higher Education Facilities Bond Act of 2010, to become operative only if approved by the voters at the November 2, 2010, statewide general election, and would provide for its submission to the voters at that election. The bond act, if approved by the voters, would provide for the issuance of state general obligation bonds in a total amount of $8,630,000,000, to provide aid to the California Community Colleges, the University of California, the Hastings College of the Law, and the California State University to construct and modernize education facilities.
The California Constitution requires the state, from all state revenues, to first set apart the moneys to be applied for the support of the public school system and public institutions of higher education. The Constitution requires that the moneys to be applied by the state for the support of school districts and community college districts be not less than the greater of 3 amounts computed pursuant to specified tests. Statutory provisions require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to perform various computations for purposes of allocating these moneys to local educational agencies in the form of revenue limit funding and grants for various categorical education programs. This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation regarding public school finance.
Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges. Existing law provides that, notwithstanding open course provisions in statute or regulations of the board of governors, the governing board of a community college district that provides classes for inmates of certain facilities, including a federal correctional facility, may include the units of full-time equivalent students generated in those classes for purposes of state apportionments. This bill would instead require the open course provisions in statute or regulations of the board of governors to be waived for any governing board of a community college district that provides those classes for inmates, including inmates of state correctional facilities, and would authorize the board of governors to include the units of full-time equivalent students generated in those classes for purposes of state apportionments. Existing law provides for the method of computing apportionments for purposes of these inmate education programs. This bill would make revisions to that method of computation. The bill would prohibit a community college district from claiming, under the bill, for purposes of apportionments, any class for which a district receives full compensation for its direct education costs for the conduct of the class from any public or private agency, individual, or group of individuals, and any class offered pursuant to a contract or instructional agreement entered into between the district and a public or private agency, individual, or group of individuals that has received from another source full compensation for the costs the district incurs under that contract or instructional agreement, as prescribed.
Existing federal law, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, appropriates federal funds for various federal, state, and local programs, including funds for local educational agencies and education-related programs. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would implement the provisions of the act with regard to education finance.
(1) Existing law requires the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Chancellor of the California State University, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to enter into interagency agreements in order to encourage greater involvement of educational institutions in planning and developing prison-based educational programs, and to appoint an advisory committee to accomplish various duties. Existing law requires the Secretary of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to appoint a Superintendent of Correctional Education to oversee all prison education programs. This bill, the Prison Education Reform Act, would instead require those officers to appoint members to the Correctional Education Committee. The bill would rename the position of the Superintendent of Correctional Education as the Deputy Director of Correctional Education, who would be required to perform specified duties in consultation with the committee, including the adoption and enforcement of all necessary rules and regulations for the management and operation of education programs within the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, approval of education programs in correctional institutions, and the adoption of rules and regulations for the admission of inmate students to those education programs. (2) The bill would establish the Correctional Education Committee in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which would be composed of 15 members, as specified. The committee would be required to advise the Deputy Director of Correctional Education regarding various goals and objectives, including the development of a 5-year comprehensive plan for a unified correctional school system by June 1, 2012, and to submit a report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2012, on specified matters relating to correctional education in this state.
(1) Existing law establishes the public school system in this state and, among other things, provides for the establishment of school districts throughout the state and for their provision of instruction at the public elementary and secondary schools they operate and maintain. Existing law authorizes school districts to establish and maintain a paper recycling program in all classrooms, administrative offices, and other areas owned or leased by the school district where a significant quality of wastepaper is generated or may be collected. Existing law requires the California Integrated Waste Management Board to develop and implement a source reduction and recycling program for schools in which schools are encouraged, but not required, to participate. This bill would express findings and declarations of the Legislature with respect to the potential benefits of school recycling programs. The bill would, until January 1, 2012, require each school district to establish a beverage container recycling program at each school campus and public office of that school district, but only to the extent that the district does not incur costs. Under the bill, a school district would be authorized to choose whether to operate its own beverage container recycling program, to contact its local Community Conservation Corps or another recycler to collect the beverage containers, to provide a beverage container collection program as a fundraising activity for the school district, or to continue a recycling program in existence on January 1, 2010. Because the bill would impose new duties on school districts, it would constitute a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the California Integrated Waste Management Board and the Department of Conservation to provide specified recycling supplies and materials to a school district to which the bill is applicable upon request of that district. The bill would authorize school districts to enter into an agreement or partnership with a public agency or private sector or nonprofit entity to obtain all or part of the supplies and information necessary for participation in the beverage container recycling program and to use the proceeds from the program for specified purposes. (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.
Existing federal law, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, appropriates federal funds for various federal, state, and local programs, including funds for local educational agencies and education-related programs. This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would implement the provisions of the act with regard to education finance.