Bill Text: CA AB1521 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Standardized Testing and Reporting Program: academic

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2012-09-21 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 423, Statutes of 2012. [AB1521 Detail]

Download: California-2011-AB1521-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 1521	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Brownley

                        JANUARY 18, 2012

   An act to amend Section 60642.5 of the Education Code, relating to
the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 1521, as introduced, Brownley. Standardized Testing and
Reporting Program: academic achievement: assessment instrument.
   The Leroy Greene California Assessment of Academic Achievement Act
requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to design and
implement a statewide pupil assessment program, known as the
Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program. Existing law
requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with approval of
the State Board of Education, to provide for the development of an
assessment instrument that measures the degree to which pupils are
achieving the academically rigorous content standards and performance
standards, to the extent standards have been adopted by the State
Board of Education. Existing law requires these standards-based
achievement tests to include certain subject areas, as specified, and
requires, at a minimum, a direct writing assessment once in
elementary school and once in middle or junior high school and other
items of applied academic skills if deemed valid and reliable, and if
resources are made available for their use.
   This bill would delete the requirements of the standards-based
achievement tests, and would instead require the standards-based
achievement tests to include California Standards Tests, modified
assessments, alternate performance assessments, and primary language
assessments, as specified, that assess identified subject areas in
specified grades.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 60642.5 of the Education Code is amended to
read:
   60642.5.  (a) The Superintendent, with approval of the state
board, shall provide for the development of an assessment instrument
 , to be called the California Standards Tests, 
 under the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program  that
measures the degree to which pupils are achieving the academically
rigorous content standards and performance standards, to the extent
standards have been adopted by the state board. These standards-based
achievement tests shall contain   include all
of  the  subject areas specified in paragraph (3) of
subdivision (a) of Section 60603 for grades 2 to 8, inclusive, and
shall include an assessment in history/social science in at least one
elementary or middle school grade level selected by the state board
and science in at least one elementary or middle school grade level
selected by the state board, and the core curriculum areas specified
in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 60603 for grades 9 to
11, inclusive, except that history-social science shall not be
included in the grade 9 assessment unless the state board adopts
academic content standards for a grade 9 history-social science
course, and shall include, at a minimum, a direct writing assessment
once in elementary school and once in middle or junior high school
and other items of applied academic skill if deemed valid and
reliable and if resources are made available for their use. 
 following assessments:  
   (1) California Standards Tests that assess:  
   (A) English language arts in grades 2 to 8, inclusive, and in
grades 10 and 11.  
   (B) Mathematics in grades 2 to 8, inclusive.  
   (C) End-of-course mathematics assessments for algebra I, geometry,
algebra II, and summative high school mathematics.  
   (D) Science in grades 5, 8, and 10.  
   (E) End-of-course science assessments for biology, chemistry,
earth science, and physics.  
   (F) History-social science in grades 8 and 11.  
   (G) End-of-course assessments for world history.  
   (2) Modified assessments that assess:  
   (A) English language arts in grades 3 to 8, inclusive, and in
grades 10 and 11.  
   (B) Mathematics in grades 3 to 7, inclusive.  
   (C) End-of-course mathematics assessments for algebra I and
geometry.  
   (D) Science in grades 5, 8, and 10.  
   (3) Alternate performance assessments that assess:  
   (A) English language arts in grades 2 to 8, inclusive, and in
grades 10 and 11.  
   (B) Mathematics in grades 2 to 8, inclusive, and in grades 10 and
11.  
   (C) Science in grades 5, 8, and 10.  
   (4) Primary language assessments, if available, pursuant to
paragraph (3) of subdivision (f) of Section 60640 that assess: 

   (A) English language arts in grades 2 to 8, inclusive, and in
grades 10 and 11.  
   (B) Mathematics in grades 2 to 8, inclusive.  
   (C) End-of-course mathematics assessments for algebra I and
geometry.  
   (b) This section, as amended during the 2011-12 Regular Session,
does not require the department to develop or administer new
assessments.  
   (b) 
    (c)  In approving a contract for the development or
administration of the California Standards Tests, the state board
shall consider each of the following  criteria  :
   (1) The ability of the contractor to produce valid, reliable
individual pupil scores.
   (2) The ability of the contractor to report results pursuant to
subdivision (a) of Section 60643 by August 8.
   (3) The ability of the contractor to ensure alignment between the
standards-based achievement test and the academically rigorous
content and performance standards as those standards are adopted by
the state board. This criterion shall include the ability of the
contractor to implement a process to establish and maintain alignment
between the test items and the standards.
   (4) The per pupil cost estimates of developing and, if
appropriate, administering the proposed assessment with a system to
facilitate the determination of future per pupil cost determinations.

   (5) The procedures of the contractor to ensure the security and
integrity of test questions and materials.
   (6) The experience of the contractor in successfully conducting
testing programs adopted and administered by other states. For
experience to be considered, the number of grades and pupils tested
shall be provided. 
   (c) 
    (d)  The standards-based achievement tests may use items
from other tests.