Bill Text: CA AB476 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Standardized Testing and Reporting Program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2010-01-14 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB476 Detail]
Download: California-2009-AB476-Enrolled.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 476 ENROLLED
BILL TEXT
PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 4, 2009
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 10, 2009
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 19, 2009
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 30, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2009
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 14, 2009
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Torlakson
FEBRUARY 24, 2009
An act to add Section 60649.1 to the Education Code, relating to
the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 476, Torlakson. Standardized Testing and Reporting Program.
Existing law establishes the Standardized Testing and Reporting
Program (the STAR Program) pursuant to which school districts,
charter schools, and county offices of education are required to
administer achievement tests to each of their pupils in grades 2 to
11, inclusive.
This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction,
on or before April 1, 2010, to contract with an independent evaluator
for evaluation of the STAR Program, as specified. The bill would
require the independent evaluator to complete a report containing the
findings of his or her evaluation. The Superintendent would be
required to provide this evaluation to the Legislature, the Governor,
and the State Board of Education on or before November 1, 2010. The
bill would require an existing advisory committee to advise the
Superintendent on the independent evaluation of the STAR Program,
including making recommendations regarding the selection of the
independent evaluator and the evaluation parameters. The bill would
require the Superintendent to appoint 4 additional members to the
advisory committee for these purposes. The bill would require the
State Department of Education to use specified federal funds, not
exceeding the amount of $150,000, for the purpose of contracting for
this evaluation.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 60649.1 is added to the Education Code, to
read:
60649.1. (a) On or before April 1, 2010, the Superintendent shall
contract with an independent evaluator, who shall report to him or
her, for evaluation of the STAR Program. The evaluation shall be a
meta-analysis of existing information and data from the STAR Program
based upon the following:
(1) Information gathered in field testing and annual
administrations of the STAR assessments.
(2) Existing technical reports, peer reviews, and other studies,
reports, and evaluations of the STAR Program conducted by or at the
request of the department, the Legislature, or the state board.
(3) State and federal requirements.
(4) A review of research-based alternative assessment models.
(5) A review of existing and emerging practices in large-scale
assessment from across the nation.
(b) The evaluation shall include, but shall not necessarily be
limited to, all of the following:
(1) A report on the results of prior analyses regarding the
alignment between the STAR assessments and the full range of the
content standards and a determination of whether the STAR Program
assesses pupil knowledge in the same manner and at the same level of
complexity as expected in the content standards.
(2) An independent analysis of the grade level continuity and
vertical articulation of the content standards.
(3) An independent analysis of the ability of the tests to produce
scores for an individual pupil that can be validly compared from
year to year.
(4) An independent analysis of the use of content standards in
other core curriculum areas for testing items, as applicable.
(5) A report on the results of prior analyses regarding pupil
performance, broken down by assessment, grade level, race or
ethnicity, and end-of-course assessments, including any trends that
become apparent over time.
(6) An independent analysis of the degree to which the STAR
Program complies with professional testing standards and satisfies or
exceeds state and federal requirements for assessments for each
grade level.
(7) An independent analysis of the usefulness of the STAR Program
in terms of state and local program evaluations.
(8) An independent analysis of the usefulness of the STAR Program
in providing individual results and in terms of providing a
diagnostic assessment for classroom use.
(9) An independent analysis of the feasibility and cost of the
development and administration of a diagnostic alternative test in
grade levels and content standard areas that are not required to have
an assessment under federal law.
(c) The report by the independent evaluator containing the
findings of his or her evaluation shall include, but shall not
necessarily be limited to, all of the following:
(1) Recommendations to improve the quality, fairness, validity,
and reliability of the examinations.
(2) Recommendations for revisions in design, administration,
scoring, processing, or use of the examinations to ensure compliance
with state and federal requirements in an efficient manner.
(3) Recommendations for revisions of the examinations to improve
grade level continuity and vertical alignment of standards-aligned
test content and the ability of the tests to produce scores for an
individual pupil that can be validly compared from year to year.
(4) Recommendations for revisions of the examination to improve
integration of content standards in other core curriculum areas for
testing items, as applicable.
(5) Recommendations to improve the usefulness of the test to the
state, local educational agencies, schools, teachers, pupils, and
parents.
(6) Recommendations regarding revisions that would allow the STAR
Program to provide pupil-level diagnostic information and to provide
a diagnostic assessment for classroom use.
(7) Recommendations regarding alternative diagnostic assessments
that align with state academic content standards.
(8) Recommendations regarding alternatives to the current testing
format to allow the greatest aggregate base for assessing
districtwide performance on content standards.
(d) In order to provide the Legislature with adequate information
to consider reauthorization of the STAR Program, the Superintendent
shall provide the evaluation to the Legislature, the Governor, and
the state board on or before November 1, 2010.
(e) The advisory committee established pursuant to Section 52052.5
shall advise the Superintendent on the independent evaluation by
providing all of the following:
(1) Recommendations regarding the parameters of the evaluation.
(2) Recommendations regarding any request for proposals or request
for applications used to solicit contract proposals.
(3) Recommendations regarding the selection of the contractor.
(4) A review of any reports submitted by the independent
evaluator, including any midterm reports as well as the final
evaluation.
(f) The Superintendent shall appoint four additional members, who
shall be educators or individuals having expertise in large-scale
assessment and who shall serve only for the purposes of subdivision
(f), to the advisory committee established pursuant to Section
52052.5.
(g) The department shall use federal funds made available under
Title VI (20 U.S.C. Sec. 7301 et seq.) pursuant to the No Child Left
Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.), not to exceed one
hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000), for the purpose of
contracting for this evaluation.
