SB 359: California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015.

(1)Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary education in this state, and authorizes local educational agencies throughout the state to provide instruction to pupils.

This bill would enact the California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015. The bill would require governing boards or bodies of local educational agencies, as defined, that serve pupils entering grade 9 and that have not adopted a fair, objective, and transparent mathematics placement policy as of January 1, 2016, to, before the beginning of the 201617 school year, develop and adopt, in a regularly scheduled public meeting, a fair, objective, and transparent mathematics placement policy for pupils entering grade 9 with specified elements, and would authorize governing boards or bodies of local educational agencies serving pupils who are transitioning between elementary and middle school or elementary and junior high school to develop and implement a mathematics placement policy for these pupils, as applicable, with these specified elements. The bill would further require each governing board or body of a local educational agency to ensure that its mathematics placement policy is posted on its Internet Web site. By imposing additional requirements on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(2)The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.