Article 8. Educational Evaluations of California Education Code >> Division 2. >> Title 2. >> Part 20. >> Chapter 3. >> Article 8.
It is the intention of the Legislature in enacting this
article that:
(a) Evaluations shall be performed in such a manner as to minimize
the resources required of school districts in the collection,
analysis, and reporting of evaluation information. In order to
achieve this goal, program evaluations shall require only that
information which is essential to the State Department of Education
for carrying out statutorily mandated functions, and shall be
conducted only as necessary for the conduct of those functions. In
addition, in evaluations of state-funded programs, the department may
use sampling procedures as it determines to be appropriate based on
professional standards.
(b) Evaluations shall be performed and reported in such a manner
as to maximize their utility to decisionmakers in the Legislature.
The State Department of Education shall perform evaluations
of those educational programs as determined to be necessary by the
Superintendent of Public Instruction to carry out the purposes of
this article or as required by the Legislature. Program evaluations
determined to be necessary by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction shall be carried out in accordance with Section 33400.
It is the understanding of the Legislature that the
evaluation needs of the educational programs change over a period of
time and during the progress of the programs and, therefore, the
Legislature may require through supplemental language to the Budget
Act:
(a) That additional types of information or reporting formats be
employed.
(b) That the evaluation be altered to reflect current needs.
(c) That an evaluation shall be conducted by contracted,
independent evaluators.
The State Department of Education shall conduct special
studies as determined to be necessary by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction to carry out the purposes of this article or as required
by the Legislature.
The department shall utilize existing information to the maximum
extent feasible in conducting the special studies. The special
studies shall address topics determined by the Legislature or the
Superintendent of Public Instruction to be of current policy
significance.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall annually, not
later than February 15, submit to the State Board of Education and
the Legislature a proposal for the initiation or continuance for the
succeeding fiscal year of special studies and evaluation activities.