ACSA is actively supporting Assembly Bill X5 8, which made it out of the Assembly Education Committee last week and was scheduled for a full Assembly vote at press time.
The legislation by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, aims to ensure California is eligible for federal Race to the Top funding.
The Senate’s version of RTT legislation, SB X5 1, Romero, D-Los Angeles, was also heard in Assembly Ed and was shot down. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger favors SB X5 1, which was crafted prior to the release of final RTT guidelines and contains proposals he has advanced that go beyond RTT requirements.
AB X5 8 is designed to strengthen California’s application to obtain a portion of $4.35 billion in federal funding grants under President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Based on input from a series of Assembly Education Committee hearings, it follows recently released final RTT guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Education. More specifically, it does the following:
•Identifies the persistently lowest-achieving schools, requiring them to implement one of four models for transforming to higher-achieving levels.
•By Aug. 2, 2010, requires the state superintendent to develop a set of state content standards in language arts and mathematics that are internationally benchmarked, that build toward college and career readiness, and that reflect the national common core standards being developed by a national consortium of education leaders.
•Removes the cap on the number of charter schools that can operate in the state, while requiring modest new fiscal and academic accountability standards for charter schools that are consistent with those for traditional public schools.
•Targets a portion of the federal RTT funds to low-achieving schools for high-quality, targeted professional development to leverage a positive environment in schools.
•Continues to expand California’s data system and to use that data to improve classroom instruction and to better inform parents and the public about student progress.
•Maximizes the amount of the new federal funding that is allocated to local educational agencies.
"This measure is the most comprehensive proposal we have seen to meet the goals of Race to the Top," ACSA wrote in a Dec. 7 letter to the Assembly Education Committee. "We have carefully analyzed the final RTT guidelines and compared them to AB (X5) 8 and it is the closest match of all the bills introduced."
Assemblywoman Brownley has led four Assembly Education Committee hearings this fall, bringing together representatives of industry, teachers, administrators, parents and school boards to examine each of the reform areas states must address to compete for a portion of RTT grants.
Those reform priorities include developing great teachers and administrators, turning around struggling schools, developing common standards and assessments, and using data to improve instruction.
AB X5 8 was expected to go to the Senate Education Committee, Senate Appropriations and the Senate Floor on an expedited timeline. Gov. Schwarzenegger has threatened to veto the bill.
At press time, it was not known if there would be any negotiation between the Assembly, Senate and governor to reconcile the two bills.
SB X5 1 was recently amended to include the following:
•Allows parents to petition for a school to be turned around, as part of a plan to improve the bottom 5 percent of the state’s persistently lowest-achieving schools, including charters.
•Adds corrective action and restructuring to the conditions at a school that would trigger the option of open enrollment.
•Authorizes the State Board of Education to provide each LEA participating for submissions in Phase 1 of the RTT grant competition relief from compliance with Education Code provisions in order to implement activities in the state plan.
•Requires the state’s RTT plan to address the need for improvement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.
•Allows multiple measures to be used to make performance and employment decisions.
State applications for securing a portion of the $4.35 billion education funding available nationally are due to the federal government by Jan. 19, 2010. If highly competitive, California can secure up to $700 million in federal Race to the Top funding for California’s schools.
ACSA remains concerned that local district superintendents have yet to see a state RTT Plan, but are anticipated to sign on if AB X5 8 is passed.
"It’s important they know what the plan is before they have to commit their local communities," ACSA wrote to the Assembly. "AB (X5) 8 strikes the right balance between meeting the legal and statutory parameters and the funding aspects if California should be awarded an RTT grant."