The hearing, titled “English Proficiency as a Barrier to College Admission: The Costs of a Broken System” explored how state and federal funding shapes California’s English Learner system and whether it is meeting the needs of our students.

“This hearing provided my committee the opportunity to hear directly from education officials in the Fresno area regarding how California’s English Learner programs are working and what needs to be improved upon,” said Senator Alex Padilla.

“Forty-three years after the first law to address limited English students, we are still light years away from our goal. We are failing our young people. Now is the time to act,” said Senator Alex Padilla. “These students are California’s future and it is vital that we do everything we can to make sure they are prepared to compete in the 21st Century economy,” said Senator Alex Padilla.

“Our students’ success in acquiring English Proficiency directly impacts the future economic sustainability of our state,” said Senator Alex Padilla.

Superintendent of Fresno Unified School District Michael Hanson, Superintendent of Fresno County Office of Education Larry Powell and local education officials as well as representatives from the California Legislative Analyst’s Office, the California Department of Education and others spoke at the hearing.

Senator Padilla’s committee has focused its efforts on reforming the English Learner System. In California, 1.45 million public school students are classified as English Learners. An English Learner is a K-12 student who is deemed not proficient in English. Each year, just 11 percent of these students are reclassified Fluent English Proficient. California’s failure to successfully reclassify students English Proficient has had a negative effect on student academic outcomes. Nearly 90 percent of English Learners do not complete courses necessary for admission to a California State University or the University of California.

As a result of his efforts, Governor Jerry Brown recently signed SB 753 (Padilla) which reforms how English Learners are evaluated in California schools by moving the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) from the fall to the spring. This will provide teachers time to work with, and help students reach English proficiency for their grade level. Once reclassified as Fluent-English Proficient, students are able to participate in courses which are required for admission to both the California State University and the University of California systems.

Senator Alex Padilla represents more than 850,000 residents of the 20th State Senate District which includes most of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.

The hearing, titled “English Proficiency as a Barrier to College Admission: The Costs of a Broken System” will explore how state and federal funding shapes California’s English Learner system and whether it is meeting the needs of our students.

“Our success in teaching California students English and reclassifying them Fluent English Proficient not only opens doors of opportunity for our students; it directly impacts the economic sustainability of our state,” said Senator Alex Padilla. “These young people are California’s future and it is vital that we do everything we can to make sure they are prepared to compete in the 21st Century economy,” said Senator Alex Padilla.

Senator Padilla’s committee has focused its efforts on reforming the English Learner System. In California, 1.45 million public school students are classified as English Learners. An English Learner is a K-12 student who is deemed not proficient in English. Each year, just 11 percent of these students are reclassified Fluent English Proficient. California’s failure to successfully reclassify students English Proficient has had a negative effect on student academic outcomes. Nearly 90 percent of English Learners do not complete courses necessary for admission to a California State University or the University of California.

As a result of his efforts, Governor Jerry Brown recently signed SB 753 (Padilla) which reforms how English Learners are evaluated in California schools by moving the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) from the fall to the spring. This will provide teachers time to work with, and help students reach English proficiency for their grade level. Once reclassified as Fluent-English Proficient, students are able to participate in courses which are required for admission to both the California State University and the University of California systems.

When: Tuesday, November 1, 10 a.m.

Where: Fresno Unified School District Board room, 2309 Tulare Street, Fresno

What: Senate Select Committee on College and University Admissions and Outreach

Who: Senator Alex Padilla and fellow members of the Senate Select Committee

Larry Powell, Superintendent of Fresno County Office of Education

Michael Hansen, Superintendent of Fresno Unified School District

Rachel Ehlers, Legislative Analyst Office

Carol Bingham, Senior Fiscal Policy Adviser, California Department of Education

Dr. Jaime Aquino, Deputy Superintendent, Los Angeles Unified School District

Justo Robles, California Teachers Association

Carol Bingham, Senior Fiscal Policy Adviser, California Department of Education

Monique Ramos, Legislative Representative, California Department of Education

Bob Blattner, Blattner & Associates, represents several school districts

Richard Lopez, Principal, Planada Elementary School

Cheryl Ortega, Board of Director member for Bilingual Education, UTLA

Elizabeth Guillen, Public Advocates

Maria Maldonado, Assistant Superintendent, English Learner Services of Fresno USD

Deborah Dougherty, Program Manager, San Diego USD Office of Language Acquisition

Lupe Mejia, parent and former Chair of the Fresno USD English Learner Advisory Committee

Senator Alex Padilla represents more than 850,000 residents of the 20th State Senate District which includes most of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.

An English Learner is a K-12 student who is deemed not proficient in English. More than 1.4 million California K-12 students are English Learners, and only 11 percent are reclassified Fluent English Proficient each year.

“I am very pleased Governor Brown signed SB 753. California’s future workforce is in our classrooms today. We need to remove illogical, arbitrary barriers to fluency. That’s exactly what SB 753 does,” said Senator Alex Padilla.

“Forty-eight other states administer English Learner assessments in the spring,” said Senator Padilla. “By adopting the de-facto national standard we will increase the number of students who are successfully reclassified and afford them the opportunity to take A-G courses that are required for college admission,” he added.

SB 753 reforms how English Learners are evaluated in California schools by moving the California English Language Development Test (CELDT) from the fall to the spring. This will provide teachers time to work with, and help students reach English proficiency for their grade level. Most other standardized tests, such as the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) exam, are administered towards the end of the academic year.

The new law will also ensure that a student is no longer required to retake portions of the CELDT for which the student has previously tested proficient within specific grade spans. Currently, students must retake sections for which they have previously tested proficient. This redundant policy is inconsistent with many other state tests, including the California High School Exit Exam and the California Basic Educational Skills Test, which determines the proficiency of teachers.

Achieving proficiency on the CELDT is the first critical step to becoming reclassified as Fluent-English Proficient. Reclassification is vital to career and college readiness. Once reclassified as Fluent-English Proficient, students are able to participate in courses which are required for admission to both the California State University and the University of California systems.

A Tomas Rivera Policy Institute study found that reclassification at any point during the middle school years was associated with improved likelihood that students would stay in the 9th grade, pass the California High School Exit Exam, take an Advanced Placement course in high school, or stay in high school. The findings suggest that furthering English-language learning has considerable potential to keep students in high school through graduation.

Senator Alex Padilla represents more than 850,000 residents of the 20th State Senate District which includes most of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.

“Going to college is a dream that promises intellectual excitement and creative thinking. The Dream Act benefits us all by giving top students a chance to improve their lives and the lives of all of us,” said Governor Brown.

Under current law, undocumented students pay resident tuition rates if they have graduated from a California high school and affirmed that they are in the process of applying to legalize their immigration status. Effective January 1, 2013, AB 131 will make this limited pool of students eligible to apply for Cal Grants and other state aid.

The legislation builds on AB 130, also authored by Assemblymember Cedillo, signed into law by Governor Brown on July 25, 2011. AB 130 makes financial aid from private sources available to the same pool of students. The two laws are collectively known as the “California Dream Act.”

The California Department of Finance estimates that 2,500 students will qualify for Cal Grants as a result of AB 131, at a cost of $14.5 million. The overall Cal Grant program is funded at $1.4 billion, meaning that 1 percent of all Cal Grant funds will be potentially impacted by AB 131 when the law goes into effect.

For full text of the bill, visit: leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html.

ALSO:
• AB 199 by Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) – School curriculum: social sciences: Filipinos in World War II.
• AB 250 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) – Instructional materials: pupil assessment.
• AB 339 by Assemblymember Susan Bonilla (D-Martinez) – Instructional materials: social content reviews: fees.
• AB 387 by Assemblymember Susan Bonilla (D-Martinez) – Pupils: excused absences: military deployment activities.
• AB 438 by Assemblymember Das G. Williams (D-Santa Barbara) – County free libraries: withdrawal: use of private contractors.
• AB 597 by Assemblymember Mike Eng (D-Monterey Park) – California Financial Literacy Fund.
• AB 620 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) – Public postsecondary education: nondiscrimination and training: sexual orientation.
• AB 668 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) – California State University: examinations: undue hardship.
• AB 684 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) – Community college districts: trustee elections.
• AB 743 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) – California Community Colleges: common assessment system. A signing message can be found here.
• AB 790 by Assemblymember Warren T. Furutani (D-Long Beach) – Career technical education: Linked Learning Pilot Program.
• AB 795 by Assemblymember Marty Block (D-San Diego) – Public postsecondary education: smoke-free campuses.
• AB 815 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) – Instructional programs: State Seal of Biliteracy.
• AB 844 by Assemblymember Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate) – Student government: students qualifying for exemption from nonresident tuition: California Community Colleges: governing board membership.
• AB 1056 by Assemblymember Paul Fong (D-Mountain View) – Public postsecondary education: community colleges.
• AB 1330 by Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach) – Graduation requirements: career technical education.
• SB 128 by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) – School facilities funding: high-performance schools.
• SB 140 by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) – Instructional materials.
• SB 300 by Senator Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) – Pupil instruction: instructional materials: content standards.
• SB 361 by Senator Tom Berryhill (R- Stanislaus) – School funding: minimum schoolday: Center for Advanced Research and Technology.
• SB 429 by Senator Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord) – Before and after school programs: After School Education and Safety Program: supplemental grants.
• SB 451 Senator Curren Price (D-Los Angeles) – Student financial aid: Cal Grant C awards.
• SB 461 by Senator Sam Blakeslee (R-San Luis Obispo) – High school equivalency certificates.
• SB 509 by Senator Curren Price (D-Los Angeles) – Instructional materials.
• SB 537 by Senator Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) – California Cadet Corps.
• SB 611 by Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) – Public postsecondary education: University of California. A signing message can be found here.
• SB 612 by Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) – Postsecondary education: instructional strategies. A signing message can be found here.
• SB 650 by Senator Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) – Postsecondary education: the College Promise Partnership Act.
• SB 753 by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) – Pupils: English learners: assessment.
• SB 821 by Senator Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield) – School district reorganization: fiscal actions affecting newly organized or reorganized school districts.
• SB 835 by Senator Lois Wolk (D -Davis) – Public contracts: University of California: pilot program: best value procedures.

The Governor also announced that he has vetoed the following bills:

• AB 47 by Assemblymember Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) – Schools: open enrollment. A veto message can be found here.
• AB 86 by Assemblymember Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) – Charter schools: authorization: petition. A veto message can be found here.
• AB 165 by Assemblymember Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate) – Pupil fees. A veto message can be found here.
• AB 202 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) – Local educational agencies: reimbursable state mandates. A veto message can be found here.
• AB 203 by Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) – Public schools: parent empowerment: school intervention. A veto message can be found here.
• AB 288 by Assemblymember Paul Fong (D-Mountain View) – Public postsecondary education: community colleges: expulsion hearing. A veto message can be found here.
• AB 450 by Assemblymember Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) – California State University: food service contracts. A veto message can be found here.
• AB 532 by Assemblymember V. Manuel Pérez (D-Coachella) – Pupil assessments. A veto message can be found here.
• AB 1021 by Assemblymember Richard Gordon (D-Redwood City) – Ballot measures: fiscal analysis. A veto message can be found here.
• AB 1034 by Assemblymember Mike Gatto (D-Burbank) – Charter schools. A veto message can be found here.
• AB 1310 by Assemblymember Warren Furutani (D-Long Beach) – Career technical education and workforce development. A veto message can be found here.
• SB 185 by Senator Ed Hernandez (D-Los Angeles) – Public postsecondary education.A veto message can be found here.
• SB 512 by Senator Curren Price (D-Los Angeles) – Academic Performance Index: pupil subgroups: performance data. A veto message can be found here.
• SB 547 by Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) – Public school performance accountability. A veto message can be found here.
• SB 737 by Senator Mimi Walters (R-Laguna Niguel) – Organized camps. A veto message can be found here.

For full text of the bills, visit: leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html .

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued the following statement regarding SB 48 by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco):

“History should be honest. This bill revises existing laws that prohibit discrimination in education and ensures that the important contributions of Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life are included in our history books. It represents an important step forward for our state, and I thank Senator Leno for his hard work on this historic legislation.”

For full text of the bill, visit: leginfo.ca.gov/bilinfo.html.

Dear Mr. Carter,

As this Board well knows, California is still struggling to overcome the effects of the great recession which forced tens of billions of dollars in state budget cuts.

The state university system has been particularly hard hit with painful sacrifices on the part of faculty and students alike. As trustees, you have to make tough calls and strive as best you can to protect our proud system of higher education.

It is in this context, and prompted by the salary decision you are about to make today, that I write to express my concern about the ever-escalating pay packages awarded to your top administrators.

I fear your approach to compensation is setting a pattern for public service that we cannot afford.

I have reviewed the Mercer compensation study and have reflected on its market premises, which provide the justification for your proposed salary boost of more than $100,000. The assumption is that you cannot find a qualified man or woman to lead the university unless paid twice that of the Chief Justice of the United States. I reject this notion.

At a time when the state is closing its courts, laying off public school teachers and shutting senior centers, it is not right to be raising the salaries of leaders who–of necessity–must demand sacrifice from everyone else.

These are difficult times and difficult choices must be made. I ask that you rethink the criteria for setting administrators’ salaries.

With respect,

Edmund G. Brown Jr.

Cc: Charles Reed, CSU Chancellor
Members of the Board of Trustees

To view the original letter, goto: gov.ca.gov/docs/SKMBT_C45011071120240.pdf .

“Parents play a critical role in motivating their children to learn and achieve. Schools play an equally critical role and we must work hand-in-hand with parents and do a better job of engaging and empowering them in their child’s education.

My Partnership Schools have been an incubator of creative, innovative methods to motivate parents to motivate their children to succeed in school. Our dedicated parent empowerment team has created a Family Action Team at every school to assist in engaging every family and encourage them to play a role in their child’s education. We have launched programs like “Donuts for Dads” at 99th Street Elementary School to bring positive male role models into our schools and promote literacy. We have also offered every 6th grader in the Partnership a desktop computer at home, and required parents to participate in technology and education workshops to ensure those home-learning centers are put to good use.

Knowing that their parents and family members are there to support and motivate them, our students are showing more promise with each day. Now we are calling upon the LAUSD to set these high expectations across the district, so that more students — and parents — will have the opportunity to rise to the occasion.”

Burr has served as the executive director of the California County Superintendents Educational Services Association since 2006, after serving as the association’s governmental relations director from 2003 to 2006. She was the assistant superintendant for business services with the Elk Grove Unified School District from 2000 to 2003.

She served as the undersecretary of education under Governor Gray Davis from 1999 to 2000, also serving as interim secretary from March 2000 to August 2000. Burr was the co-director of the California State University Institute for Education Reform from 1995 to 1999, a principal consultant for the Senate Education Committee from 1991 to 1994, and a principal consultant for the Senate Appropriations Committee from 1986 to 1991. Burr currently serves as secretary of the board of directors for EdSource and serves as president of the board of directors for Sacramento Children’s Home.

This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $175,000. Burr is a Democrat.

For more than twenty years, computers, wireless communication devices and the increasingly mobile nature of the Internet has revolutionized education. While the increased use of the Internet in and out of the classroom has made student access to information and social networking easier, the Internet unfortunately has also been used to harass, intimidate and bully students in ways unimaginable a generation ago.

Recent incidents of harassment and cyber bullying across the country have led to violence against youth and the tragic suicides of middle, high school and college students. These tragedies have raised a nationwide awareness of this crisis and a demand for states to take a more active role to protect students from bullying, intimidation and harassment.

In 2010, over $36 million in federal education technology grants were administered to school districts throughout California impacting nearly 3 million students. While this money helped to increase technology access in the classroom, school districts were not required to ensure that students were being protected from inappropriate material or cyber bullying.

AB 227 takes a pro-active approach to prevent cyber bullying by requiring school districts to use content control software on school computers, to establish clear guidelines to prevent cyber bullying and to develop policies to promote the responsible use of mobile communication devices.

“The Internet is a great educational tool that can be used to increase student success and prepare our future workforce for the demands of the 21st Century global economy,” said Assemblymember Hall. “This measure will help students learn the responsible use of this technology and provide important tools to keep students safe while on and off line.”

AB 227 now moves to the State Senate for further action.