SB 344

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law establishes the public school system in this state and, among other things, provides for the establishment of county superintendents of schools, school districts, and charter schools throughout the state. Existing law provides for the provision of instruction at the public elementary and secondary schools maintained by these local educational agencies. Existing law establishes a public school financing system. This bill would require an audit of a school district to include whether expenditures were in compliance with the regulations related to the expenditure of moneys apportioned on the basis of the number and concentration of unduplicated pupils, as defined. (2) Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with approval of the State Board of Education, to develop an Academic Performance Index to measure the performance of schools and school districts, especially the academic performance of pupils. Existing law requires a school or school district to demonstrate comparable improvement in academic achievement as measured by the Academic Performance Index by all numerically significant pupil subgroups at the school or school district, as specified. This bill would add reclassified English learners, as provided, to the list of pupil subgroups concerning which a school or school district is required to demonstrate this improvement, if the subgroup is numerically significant. By adding to the duties of local educational agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law requires a county board of education and a governing board of a school district to annually adopt or revise a local control and accountability plan that aligns with its annual budget and contains certain elements and that, among other things, was developed in consultation with teachers, principals, administrators, other school personnel, parents, and pupils. Existing law requires a charter for a charter school to include many of the local control and accountability plan elements and requires the charter school to annually update its plan related to those elements. Existing law, an initiative measure, requires that all children in public schools, with certain exceptions, be taught English by being taught in English, requires that all children be placed in English language classrooms, and requires that children who are English learners be educated through sheltered English immersion during a temporary transition period not normally intended to exceed one year. This bill would revise provisions regarding local control and accountability plans, primarily in regard to English learners, including requiring the governing board of a school district to include a listing and description of certain expenditures in its local control and accountability plan, as specified. The bill would require that specified templates developed by the State Board of Education ensure that each school district, county superintendent of schools, or charter school that receives supplemental and concentration funds for unduplicated pupils include specified information in its local control and accountability plan. By adding to the duties of local educational agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to establish a parent advisory committee to provide advice to the governing board of the school district and the superintendent of the school district, as specified. Existing law additionally requires the governing board of a school district to establish an English learner parent advisory committee if the enrollment of the school district includes at least 15% English learners and the school district enrolls at least 50 pupils who are English learners. This bill would instead require the governing board of a school district to establish a districtwide parent advisory committee and, as a condition of supplemental state grant funds, if either the enrollment of the school district includes at least 15% English learners or the school district enrolls at least 50 pupils who are English learners, to establish a districtwide English learner parent advisory committee. The bill would require the districtwide English learner parent advisory committee to advise the governing board on specified tasks, including, among others, the establishment of school district goals and objectives for programs and services for English learners and school district reclassification procedures. (5) Existing law requires a county superintendent of schools to establish an English learner parent advisory committee if the enrollment of the pupils in the schools and programs operated by the county superintendent of schools includes at least 15% English learners and the schools and programs operated by the county superintendent of schools enroll at least 50 pupils who are English learners. This bill would instead require a county superintendent of schools to establish an English learner parent advisory committee if either the enrollment of the pupils in the schools and programs operated by the county superintendent of schools includes at least 15% English learners or the schools and programs operated by the county superintendent of schools enroll at least 50 pupils who are English learners. (6) This bill would incorporate additional changes in Sections 42127, 52060, 52064, and 52066 of the Education Code proposed by both AB 103 and SB 97, to be operative only if this bill and one or both of the other bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2014, to the extent each bill amends Sections 42127, 52060, 52064, and 52066 of the Education Code, and this bill is enacted last. The bill would also incorporate additional changes in Section 52052 of the Education Code proposed by AB 484, to be operative only if AB 484 and this bill are both enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2014, both bills amend Section 52052 of the Education Code, and this bill is enacted after AB 484. (7) 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.