(1) Existing law states the intent of the Legislature that governing boards of school districts establish a uniform system of evaluation and assessment of the performance of all certificated personnel within each school district of the state. Existing law requires the governing board of each school district to establish standards of expected pupil achievement at each grade level in each area of study and to evaluate and assess certificated employee performance on a continuing basis as it reasonably relates to the progress of pupils toward the established standards and, if applicable, the state adopted academic content standards as measured by state adopted criterion referenced assessments, the instructional techniques and strategies used by the employee, the employee's adherence to curricular objectives, and the establishment and maintenance of a suitable learning environment, within the scope of the employee's responsibilities. This bill would provide that the provisions described above would become inoperative on July 1, 2018. The bill would state findings and declarations of the Legislature regarding the nature of effective teachers and of the teaching profession. Commencing on July 1, 2018, the bill would require the governing board of each school district and each county board of education to adopt and implement a locally negotiated best practices teacher evaluation system, described as one in which each teacher is evaluated on a continuing basis on the degree to which he or she accomplishes specific objectives and multiple observations of instructional and other professional practices that are conducted by trained evaluators. The bill would authorize the State Board of Education, in consultation with the Superintendent of Public Instruction and appropriate education stakeholder groups, to adopt nonregulatory guidance to support the implementation of a best practices teacher evaluation system by school districts and county offices of education, as specified. The bill would also require the governing board of each school district and each county board of education to establish and define job responsibilities for certificated, noninstructional employees whose responsibilities cannot be evaluated appropriately under the best practices teacher evaluation system and to evaluate and assess their performance in relation to the fulfillment of those responsibilities. The bill would, on or before May 1, 2016, or May 1 of the year that precedes the year in which an existing collective bargaining contract will expire, whichever is later, require the governing board of each school district and each county board of education, at a regularly scheduled public hearing, to seek comment on the development and implementation of the best practices teacher evaluation system, and, on or before May 1 of each year before local negotiations required by law, to seek comment on the best practices teacher evaluation system. The bill would require if, by mutual agreement between the school district or county office of education and the collective bargaining unit, an intermediate mid-year agreement is reached regarding a best practices teacher evaluation system, the negotiation timeline to allow time for the governing board of the school district or the county board of education to hold a public hearing to seek comment on the best practices teacher evaluation system. The bill also would require the governing board of each school district and each county board of education to disclose the provisions of the best practices teacher evaluation system at a regularly scheduled public hearing. The bill would provide that these provisions do not apply to certificated personnel who are employed on an hourly basis in adult education classes. The bill would also provide that the provisions of the best practices teacher evaluation system do not supersede or invalidate a teacher evaluation system that is locally negotiated and that is in effect at the time the best practices teacher evaluation system becomes operative. By imposing additional duties on school districts and county offices of education, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires that an evaluation and assessment of the performance of a certificated employee be made on a continuing basis, as provided, including at least every 5 years for personnel with permanent status who have been employed at least 10 years with the school district, are highly qualified, as specified, and whose previous evaluation rated the employee as meeting or exceeding standards, if the evaluator and certificated employee being evaluated agree. This bill, commencing July 1, 2018, would require the evaluation and assessment of the above personnel at least every 3 years, except as locally negotiated and provided in the best practices teacher evaluation system. The bill would also require county offices of education to comply with these provisions. By requiring additional duties on school districts and county offices of education, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law authorizes a school district to evaluate a school principal annually for the principal's first and 2nd year of employment as a new principal and authorizes additional evaluations, as specified. This bill would make those provisions inoperative on July 1, 2018, and, commencing July 1, 2018, would instead require the governing board of each school district and each county board of education to establish a system of evaluation for school administrators to guide their growth and performance with the purpose of supporting them as instructional leaders in order to raise pupil achievement. The bill would require the evaluation system to include certain attributes, including, but not limited to, promoting the success of all pupils, advocating and supporting a safe, nurturing school culture that sustains a quality instructional program conducive to pupil learning and staff professional growth, and ensuring the management, organization, and operation of a safe and successful learning environment as evidenced by the establishment of effective practices for personnel and resource management, campus safety, and school climate. The bill would require the governing board of the school district and the county board of education to identify who will conduct the evaluation of each school administrator. By imposing additional duties on school district and county office of education officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district or a county board of education, as specified, after a public hearing on the matter, to request the state board to waive all or part of any section of the Education Code or any regulation adopted by the state board that implements a provision of the Education Code that may be waived, except for specified provisions. This bill would add the above-mentioned provisions relating to teacher and school administrator evaluation to the list of provisions that may not be waived. (5) This bill also would state the intent of the Legislature to provide adequate resources to train evaluators, continue robust beginning teacher induction programs, and support struggling educators. (6) Under the California Constitution, whenever the Legislature or a state agency mandates a new program or higher level of service on any local government, including a school district and a community college district, the state is required to provide a subvention of funds to reimburse the local government, with specified exceptions. Existing law requires certain funds appropriated in the annual Budget Act for reimbursement of the cost of a new program or increased level of service of an existing program mandated by statute or executive order to be available as a block grant to school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to support specified state-mandated local programs and permits those entities to elect to receive that block grant funding in lieu of claiming mandated costs pursuant to the state claims process. This bill would, as of July 1, 2018, add the best practices teacher evaluation system and the school administrator evaluation system to the state-mandated local programs supported by the block grant funding. (7) This bill would update cross-references and would make other nonsubstantive changes. (8) 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.
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(1) The Cal Grant Program establishes the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement awards, the California Community College Transfer Entitlement awards, the Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards, the Cal Grant C awards, and the Cal Grant T awards under the administration of the Student Aid Commission, and establishes eligibility requirements for awards under these programs for participating students attending qualifying institutions. Existing law establishes the total number of Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards granted annually at 22,500 and the maximum tuition award amount for each Cal Grant A and B award for new students attending private nonprofit postsecondary educational institution at $9,084 for the 2014–15 award year and $8,056 for the 2015–16 award year and each award year thereafter. This bill would increase the total number of Competitive Cal Grant A and B awards granted annually to 30,000 and would increase the maximum tuition award amount for Cal Grant A and B for students at private nonprofit postsecondary educational institutions to $9,084 for the 2015–16 award year and each award year thereafter. (2) Existing law establishes the California State University, under the administration of the Trustees of the California State University, and the University of California, under the administration of the Regents of the University of California, as 2 of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. This bill would establish, commencing with the 2015–16 academic year, the Graduation Incentive Grant program to provide eligible matriculating undergraduate students of California State University with financial need attending a campus of the California State University with financial aid for up to 3 college years, as specified. The bill would specify the eligibility criteria and the award amounts of the Graduation Incentive Grant program. The bill would require the California State University to make an annual report, containing specified data about the program, to the Legislature. The program would only be operative in a fiscal year if the Trustees of the California State University determine that sufficient funding has been provided for purposes of the program for that fiscal year in the annual Budget Act or another statute. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature to appropriate funds, for the 2015–16 fiscal year, to the University of California to eliminate a specified tuition increase and to appropriate funds to both the University of California and the California State University to provide additional course offerings and support services for students.
This measure would recognize May 2015 as Better Hearing and Speech Month.
This measure would recognize the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act of 1965, affirm the Legislature's continuing support for the goals of the act, and memorialize the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate to reauthorize the act.
This measure would recognize and honor the men and women of California agriculture for their dedication and productivity by observing March 18, 2015, as National Agriculture Day, and designating March 18, 2015, as California Agriculture Day.
This measure would, among other things, designate the year of 2015 as "State of California Year of Commemoration of the Centennial Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923," designate April 24, 2015, as "State of California Day of Commemoration of the Centennial Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide of 1915–1923," and would call upon the President of the United States and the United States Congress to formally and consistently reaffirm the historical truth that the atrocities committed against the Armenian people constituted genocide.
The California Constitution requires from all state revenues that there first be set apart the moneys to be applied by the state for support of the public school system and public institutions of higher education and requires, commencing with the 1990–91 fiscal year, 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 certain amounts. Existing law provides the method for calculating the amount of moneys required to be applied by the state for the support of school districts and community college districts, and defines the words and phrases used in specifying the method of calculating that amount. This bill would provide that those provisions shall be known, and may be cited, as the John B. Mockler School Finance Act. The bill would also resolve a numbering conflict within these provisions.
This measure would declare April 12, 2015, to April 18, 2015, inclusive, as California Library Week.
This measure would declare February 19, 2015, as a Day of Remembrance in order to increase public awareness of the events surrounding the internment of Americans of Japanese ancestry during World War II.