California Standards and Curriculum News

December 2003
Bill Requires Setting of Content Standards in Foreign Languages
The California State Legislature has taken a first step toward developing academic content standards for foreign languages. Senate Bill 5 (Karnette), which was signed by the governor in October 2003, requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt K–12 content standards for teaching foreign languages by June 1, 2009. However, these content standards will not be mandatory. (To view the language of the bill, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov.)

The SBE completed its standard-setting work in the core subject areas in November 2001 with decisions about performance standards in mathematics, science, and social science. This final step in a process that began in 1997 established performance benchmarks on the Standards Tests portion of the state’s Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) System.

The performance standards will be used to evaluate both students and schools’ performance on the tests. That means that student performance on the Standards Tests in all four core subjects will be reported based on these standards. It is expected that the math standards will also be incorporated into the state’s Academic Performance Index (API) calculations for each school beginning with Spring 2002 testing and the 2002 Base API. Results on Standards Tests for English/language arts were reflected in the 2001 Base APIs announced in mid-January 2002.

For more on standards and curriculum

• For the perfect tool to explain California's standards-based reforms, see California’s Commitment: Standards for All Students. This video and its accompanying Moderator Guides offer an up-to-date overview explaining the basics and recognize the importance of maintaining high expectations for students from all backgrounds, in every school. These materials are also available in Spanish.
• Get background on the standards-based reform movement across the nation and in California in the Standards Overview.
• Learn about state and federal programs and policies related to standards and curriculum in Standards Laws and Policies.
• Find out about noteworthy reports and articles on standards in Standards Research and Readings.
• Locate national and California organizations that are dedicated to the study of the standards movement and related issues in Standards Related Resources.