Noteworthy New Laws
California's Education Code, the set of laws that govern public education in California, is continually evolving.
This section highlights some of the noteworthy new laws and policies that are likely to have a significant impact on K-12 education. For more information on any of the laws mentioned here, visit the Leginfo website and enter the bill number into the search field.
Scroll down or click on the links below for information about recent laws pertaining to the following issues areas:
- Federal Stimulus and the Race to the Top
- Standards-based Education
- Teachers& Leaders
- Charter Schools
- California's Data System
Federal Stimulus Including Race to the Top
SB X5 1 and SB X5 4 1/7/2010
These two bills endeavor to bring the state's education laws into conformance with what federal officials would like to see as part of the Race to the Top grant program. The bills touch on a number of key education reform areas, including standards and assessments, data systems to support instruction, great teachers and leaders, and turning around the lowest-achieving schools.
Senate Bill 19 10/11/2009
Among other things, this bill removes the prohibition against using
data from the burgeoning California Education Information System for
purposes of pay, promotion, sanction, or evaluation of teachers. The
bill thereby removes the “firewall” that federal Secretary of Education
Arne Duncan said existed between California’s personnel evaluations and
student achievement data and thus addresses one of two eligibility
criteria of the Race to the Top.
Senate Bill 680 10/11/2009
This bill extends and expands the School District of Choice program,
which allows districts to accept inter-district transfers according to
specified criteria.
AB 1130 10/11/2009
The current Academic Performance Index (API) system compares annual snapshots of test scores. Because a number of students enter and exit schools each year, these annual snapshots do not track the same students from year to year. AB 1130 states the
Legislature's intent that the committee advising the Superintendent
of Public Instruction (SPI) on the API recommend to the Superintendent
and the State Board of Education a method of holding schools and districts
accountable for the academic growth of the same students over time. The Legislature did not give the committee a deadline.
More on the Federal Stimulus >
Standards-based Education:
AB 1130 10/11/2009
The current Academic Performance Index (API) system compares annual snapshots of test scores. Because a number of students enter and exit schools each year, these annual snapshots do not track the same students from year to year. AB 1130 states the
Legislature's intent that the committee advising the Superintendent
of Public Instruction (SPI) on the API recommend to the Superintendent
and the State Board of Education a method of holding schools and districts
accountable for the academic growth of the same students over time. The Legislature did not give the committee a deadline.
More on Standards-based Education >
Teachers & Leaders:
AB 239 10/11/2009
This bill requires the Commission
on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to issue a clear credential to teachers
and service providers (such as school counselors) who attain certification
by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS); authorizes
the CTC to issue an English learner certification (the Crosscultural,
Language and Academic Development or CLAD) to applicants who attain
English as a New Language certification from the NBPTS; and authorizes
school districts to offer district intern programs in Special Education
to teach pupils at all levels of disability. These actions streamline
the teacher credentialing process and increase access to special education
credential programs. The intent of these policy changes is to help the
state with its teacher shortage, which is particularly acute in math,
science, and Special Education.
SB 751 10/11/2009
This bill (1) streamlines California's
credential application process for out-of-state teachers who were trained
outside the United States and (2) establishes requirements for local
education agencies that provide test preparation courses for teachers
seeking a subsequent credential.
California's credential application process for teachers prepared outside of the United States currently requires all such applicants to obtain a foreign transcript evaluation. This bill would remove that requirement for teachers from other countries who have already earned a valid corresponding credential in another U.S. state.
The bill also requires LEAs that offer test preparation courses to ensure that the programs meet certain subject-matter knowledge requirements.
They must ensure that the program
meets the domains for subject matter understanding and skill adopted
by the CTC in the content area and provide general information to teacher
participants on the requirements for adding a new credential type.
The bill also authorizes a school district, COE, or charter school to contract with other entities, including the California Subject Matter Projects administered by the University of California, to provide intensive examination preparation courses.
More about Teachers & Leaders >
Charter Schools:
SB 191 10/11/2009SB 319, passed in 2005, established a new basis for funding charter high schools that were converted to charter status in unified school districts. Prior to the passage of SB 319, charter high schools in unified districts were often found to have a greater entitlement to general purpose funding, paid out of district funds, than the district was entitled to receive. SB 319 required that the funding for these schools instead be based on the amount they received the year prior to their conversion, but did not provide for modification based on decreases in district funding. For conversions on or after January 1, 2010, SB 191 reverts to the old basis for funding-based on statewide averages of school district general purpose (revenue limit) funding per pupil. SB 191 does not preclude a charter school or unified school district from agreeing to an alternative funding formula.
SB 592 10/11/2009
Current law prohibits an entity
other than a school district from holding title to a school facility
constructed under the Charter School Facilities (CSF) program. Some
districts may be unwilling to assume title holder responsibility because
of liability or other concerns. This legislation provides additional
options for charter schools when school districts are reluctant to hold
title to the facility.
This bill allows local government entities, such as cities, counties, county boards of education, as well as charter schools, to hold title to a school facility constructed using state education bond funds under the CSF program. The bill also authorizes a charter school to request that a district transfer a facility title to the school or one of those other local government entities if the district held the title prior to January 1, 2010. A school district that receives such a request may transfer the title pursuant to terms and conditions that the charter school and district have agreed upon.
California's Data System
SBX5 2
1/7/2010
This bill requires the California Department of Education to establish (by July 1, 2010) a process for handling requests for data showing individual student growth from the emerging California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS), enabling independent researchers and community groups to access achievement data.
The legislation also requires the California Department of Education to establish a process for local education agencies to create unique pupil identifiers for students in publicly-funded child care and development programs by January 1, 2011.
The bill also establishes the Legislature’s intent to create a preschool through higher education (P–20) statewide longitudinal educational data system, and establishes legislative intent for requiring the necessary agencies to disclose records to the data system.