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.