SB 3

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law establishes the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program, known as the STAR Program. Existing law requires each school district, charter school, and county office of education to administer a standards-based achievement test, known as the California Standards Tests, to all pupils in grades 2 to 11, inclusive. Existing law authorizes a school district to administer a 2nd test in the pupil's primary language to pupils with limited English proficiency who receive instruction in their primary language or have been enrolled in a school in the United States for less than 12 months. Existing law makes these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2011. This bill would instead require pupils with limited English proficiency who receive instruction in their primary language or have been enrolled in a school in the United States for less than 3 consecutive years to take a 2nd achievement test in their primary language, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. The bill would extend the operative date of these provisions to July 1, 2015. The bill would require the State Department of Education, by January 1, 2011, to modify the California Standards Tests in order to eliminate linguistic complexity, to the extent practicable. The bill would require school districts to provide specified accommodations to pupils who are English learners while taking these tests, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. (2) Existing law requires test publishers who wish to be considered for eligibility for the development of the California Standards Tests to adhere to specified requirements, including that the test publisher provide valid and reliable aggregate scores to school districts and county boards of education in specified forms and formats. Existing law makes these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2011. This bill would additionally require these test publishers to provide valid and reliable aggregate scores to school districts and county boards of education in a format that would show, for pupils who are English learners, their program of instruction, time in the program of instruction, and their English proficiency level as determined by the California English Language Development Test. The bill would extend the operative date of these provisions to July 1, 2015. (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.