Section 60605 Of Article 2. Program Provisions From California Education Code >> Division 4. >> Title 2. >> Part 33. >> Chapter 5. >> Article 2.
60605
. (a) (1) (A) Not later than January 1, 1998, the state board
shall adopt statewide academically rigorous content standards,
pursuant to the recommendations of the Commission for the
Establishment of Academic Content and Performance Standards, in the
core curriculum areas of reading, writing, and mathematics to serve
as the basis for assessing the academic achievement of individual
pupils and of schools, school districts, and the California
educational system. Not later than November 1, 1998, the state board
shall adopt these standards in the core curriculum areas of
history/social science and science.
(B) The state board shall adopt statewide performance standards in
the core curriculum areas of reading, writing, mathematics,
history/social science, and science based on the recommendations made
by the Superintendent of a contractor or contractors.
(C) The state board shall require the contractor or contractors to
submit performance standards to the Superintendent and the state
board not later than a specified date that allows sufficient
opportunity for the Superintendent to make a recommendation to the
state board and for the state board to conduct regional hearings
prior to the adoption of the performance standards.
(2) (A) The state board may modify any proposed content standards
or performance standards prior to adoption and may adopt content and
performance standards in individual core curriculum areas as those
standards are submitted to the state board. The state performance
standards shall be established against specific grade level
benchmarks of academic achievement for each subject area tested and
shall be based on the knowledge and skills that pupils will need in
order to succeed in the information-based, global economy of the 21st
century. These skills shall not include personal behavioral
standards or skills, including, but not limited to, honesty,
sociability, ethics, or self-esteem. The standards adopted pursuant
to this section shall be for the purpose of guiding state decisions
regarding the development, adoption, and approval of assessment
instruments pursuant to this chapter and does not mandate any actions
or activities by school districts.
(B) Because these standards are models, the adoption of these
standards is not subject to the Administrative Procedure Act. This
subparagraph is declaratory of existing law.
(3) Before adopting academic content and performance standards,
the state board shall hold regional hearings for the purpose of
giving parents and other members of the public the opportunity to
comment on the proposed standards.
(b) (1) The state board shall ensure that the statewide assessment
system adopted pursuant to this chapter yields valid, reliable
individual pupil scores and, where applicable, aggregate school
scores, school district scores, and statewide scores of pupils and
assesses basic academic skills and content standards, including the
use of a direct writing assessment or other applied academic skills
if deemed valid and reliable and if resources are made available for
their use.
(2) This subdivision does not prevent the state board from
developing or adopting an assessment instrument that also contains
assessments of basic academic skills.
(c) To the extent feasible and as otherwise required, the state
board shall ensure that assessments developed, or contracted for
pursuant to Section 60642.5, by the state are aligned with the
statewide content and performance standards adopted pursuant to
subdivision (a). The department, with the approval of the state
board, periodically shall contract for a review of the achievement
test for conformance with these standards.
(d) After adopting statewide content and performance standards,
the state board shall review the existing curriculum frameworks for
conformity with the new statewide standards and shall modify the
curriculum frameworks where appropriate to bring them into alignment
with the standards.
(e) The state board shall adopt regulations for the conduct and
administration of the testing and assessment program.
(f) The state board shall adopt a regulation for minimum security
procedures that test and assessment publishers and school districts
must follow to ensure the security and integrity of test and
assessment questions and materials.
(g) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2011.