June 6, 2005

Sacramento - State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell provided an update today that 14 of 16 bills in his sponsored legislative package have been approved and passed out of the first house in the legislative approval process. The two remaining bills have become two-year bills.

In his State of Education address this year, O'Connell pledged to work on laying the groundwork for high-quality preschool for all California families, and to improve physical fitness and nutrition options so more students can be healthy and ready to learn. He also committed to continuing his work on improving high school and reducing the burden of data collection on schools. (For more information on O'Connell's State of Education address, please visit State of Education - Initiatives.

PRESCHOOL FOR ALL

"We need to better prepare all California students for success after high school," said O'Connell. "Research tells us that important groundwork for that success needs to start before students enter kindergarten. I am sponsoring legislation that will ensure families have access to high-quality preschool programs that focus on instilling a love of learning."

AB 1246 by Assemblymember Lois Wolk (D-Davis) authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop preschool learning standards and develop curriculum guides in reading/language arts, mathematics, history/social science, and science.           

IMPROVING HIGH SCHOOLS

"We need to improve our high schools so we can better prepare young people for life after the K-12 school system, whether they are headed to college or straight to the work force. Making sure we have well-trained teachers and school leaders and access to standards-aligned instructional materials is a key part of this effort," said O'Connell.

AB 564 by Assembly Member Betty Karnette (D-Long Beach) will help high schools select standards-aligned instructional materials. The measure authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction to work with county offices of education and local education agencies to develop reports on the extent to which these high school basic instructional materials are aligned to the content standards adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE).

AB 430 by Assembly Member Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) extends the sunset date for California's Principal Training Program from July 1, 2006 to July 1, 2012 and renames the program, "The Administrator Training Program." The bill expands eligibility for the program to include other curriculum and instructional leaders who support principals and includes training on English learners and students with disabilities.

SB 414 by Senator Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara) extends the Mathematics and Reading Professional Development Program for teachers from July 1, 2006 to July 1, 2012, and renames the program, "The Science, Mathematics, and Reading Teacher Development (SMART) Program," and adds science instruction to the subject matter of the existing program.

CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM

"I am pleased that the bills supporting my agenda for high school reform are moving forward," said O'Connell. "However, I have also opposed legislation that would undermine high school reform by delaying or weakening the high school exit exam. It is critical that a high school diploma means a clear level of achievement. The high school exit exam has been a powerful tool for focusing on our standards and targeting assistance to those with the greatest need."

AB 1531 by Assembly Member Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) and SB 517 by Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles) would have undermined the state's commitment to the California High School Exit Exam. O'Connell opposed both of these bills. While the issue continues through the legislative process, the Superintendent was pleased that no legislation currently calls to delay the consequences of the exam for the Class of the 2006 or beyond.

IMPROVING STUDENT HEALTH AND NUTRITION

"The health of our students is everybody's responsibility. Physical health affects learning, and schools have a role to play in developing lifelong habits of nutrition and fitness. It is time to promote and support a culture of health and fitness in our schools," said O'Connell.

AB 689 by Assembly Member Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) requires the SBE, based on recommendations from the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to adopt model content standards for health education by December 1, 2007.

AB 1392 by Assemblymember Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) makes it easier for eligible students to access free or reduced price meals during summer school.

REDUCING THE BURDEN OF DATA COLLECTION

AB 110 by Assembly Member Ira Ruskin (D-Redwood City) will reduce the paperwork burden for school districts by deleting certain redundant and duplicative data collection and reporting requirements contained in existing law, and would modify procedures that apply to data collection and reporting relating to pupil expulsions.

Other bills in O'Connell's sponsored legislative package are:

AB 831 by the Assembly Committee on Education is one of two annual education omnibus bills and corrects errors, resolves conflicts in code sections, deletes obsolete references, and makes other noncontroversial changes to the Education Code.

AB 953 by Assemblymember Joe Coto (D-San Jose) will improve intervention services that assist school districts designated as "Program Improvement" by making several technical amendments to the Local Educational Agency Intervention Program.

AB 1071 by Assemblymember Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) increases the amount of funding that may be used for the School Assistance and Intervention Team to $17,648,050.

AB 1610 by Assemblymember Lois Wolk (D-Davis) requires a charter school to notify the district of residence of pupils who are expelled or leave the charter school without graduating or completing the school year for any reason, and, upon request, provide a copy of the cumulative record of that pupil.

AB 1642 by Assemblymember Simon Salinas (D-Salinas) authorizes a county committee on school district organization to abolish a common governing board.

AB 1662 by Assemblymember Sally Lieber (D-Mountain View) conforms state law to the new federal Individual with Disabilities Education Act Reauthorization 2004 provisions, as required by the U.S. Department of Education, in order to receive approximately $1.3 billion in federal special education funds, California 's projected share of funds in the 2005-2006 fiscal year.

SB 512 by the Senate Committee on Education is the second of two annual education omnibus bills and corrects errors, resolves conflicts in code sections, deletes obsolete references, and makes other noncontroversial changes to the Education Code.