BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       


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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   AB 816|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 816
          Author:   Reyes (D)
          Amended:  8/16/04 in Senate
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE  :  10-0, 6/24/04
          AYES:  Vasconcellos, McPherson, Alarcon, Alpert, Chesbro,  
            Denham, Karnette, Scott, Sher, Speier
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Romero, Vincent

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  Senate Rule 28.8

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  Not relevant 


           SUBJECT  :    Consolidated application for categorical  
          programs

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill allows the Superintendent of Public  
          Instruction to add categorical programs to the monitoring  
          process and recasts current law to conform to the revised  
          monitoring system.

           Senate Floor Amendments  of 8/16/04 strike intent language  
          concerning the state monitoring based on electronic data  
          and, instead, add language requiring that state monitoring  
          be based on available data and identify actions that are to  
          be taken to correct any compliance issues.

           ANALYSIS  :    Current law (SB 374, O'Connell, Chapter 724,  
                                                           CONTINUED





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          Statutes of 2001) requires the Superintendent of Public  
          Instruction (SPI) to establish the process and frequency  
          for conducting reviews of school district achievement and  
          compliance with state and federal categorical program  
          requirements.  Current law requires the SPI to establish  
          the content of these instruments, including any criteria  
          for differentiating these reviews based on the achievement  
          of pupils, as demonstrated by the Academic Performance  
          Index and evidence of district compliance with state and  
          federal law.  Current law requires the State Board of  
          Education (SBE) to review the content of these instruments  
          for consistency with SBE policy.

          Current law establishes the Consolidated Application  
          through which school districts apply for participation in  
          eighteen categorical programs.  Schools that receive  
          funding from consolidated application programs are required  
          to assure that schoolsite councils have developed and  
          approved a Single Plan for Pupil Achievement (SPPA) for  
          schools participating in programs funded through the  
          consolidated application process, and any other programs  
          that they chose to include.

          The State Department of Education (SDE) currently operates  
          the Coordinated Compliance Review (CCR), a review of  
          compliance with laws authorizing 18 state and federal  
          categorical programs.  Each local education agency is  
          reviewed once every four years by state staff and local  
          administrators trained to review one or more of these  
          programs. 

          This bill:

          1.Expands the list of categorical programs covered by the  
            consolidated application provisions to include other  
            federal and state funded programs that the SPI is  
            required by law to monitor for compliance with program  
            requirements, as deemed necessary by the SPI, including  
            programs funded through a block grant.

          2.States legislative intent that the SPI begin replacing  
            the coordinated compliance review of categorical programs  
            with a data-driven, results-based monitoring process, as  
            specified.







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          3.States that if the monitoring process is developed, the  
            SPI is authorized to conduct a pilot program of the  
            monitoring process during the 2004-05 fiscal year.

          4.States legislative intent that the SPI evaluate the  
            monitoring process once it is implemented and make  
            reports to the Legislature as it may request.

          5.Eliminates a provision which states that the SPPA is  
            required in lieu of the Program Quality Review, which has  
            been eliminated. 

          6.Requires the SPI to conduct a review of each categorical  
            program, based upon an analysis of available data  
            including pupil achievement data and test results.  The  
            SPI shall determine whether a program is in compliance  
            with state and federal law and shall identify corrective  
            action to be taken, if needed, and assist school  
            districts to develop and complete a corrective action  
            plan.

           Comments  

           SDE compliance monitoring system undergoing reform .  The  
          SDE compliance monitoring system is in the process of being  
          redesigned, under the authority granted by SB 374.  The new  
          system will differentiate monitoring of local educational  
          agencies based on compliance history and student outcomes,  
          and involve technical assistance with local educational  
          agencies to improve student outcomes through improved  
          implementation of categorical programs.  According to the  
          author's office, SDE has conducted approximately twenty  
          regional and statewide orientation and input sessions on  
          the proposed new monitoring system, and plans to hold a  
          training on the new system this fall.  The program is  
          expected to be implemented in January, 2005. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  8/17/04)

          Superintendent of Public Instruction







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          NC:nl  8/17/04   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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