Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary schools in this state, and authorizes school districts and other local educational agencies to provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 1 to 6, inclusive, and grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to include, among other subjects, visual and performing arts.

Existing law required, on or before July 1, 2014, the governing boards of school districts and county boards of education to adopt a local control and accountability plan using a template adopted by the State Board of Education. Existing law requires the local control and accountability plan to include, among other things, a description of annual goals for all pupils and specified subgroups of pupils to be achieved for certain state priorities, including the extent to which pupils have access to, and are enrolled in, a broad course of study that includes specified subject areas, including visual and performing arts. Existing law requires the governing board of each school district and each county board of education to update its local control and accountability plan before July 1 of each year.

This bill would require the State Department of Education to establish a statewide program to provide professional development training to assist school districts and county boards of education with offering instruction in visual and performing arts and with including information about courses offered in visual and performing arts in a local control and accountability plan or annual update to a local control and accountability plan.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular Session

SB 777 (Allen) - School accountability: professional development: visual and performing arts

This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.

Bill Summary:

This bill requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to establish a statewide program to provide professional development training to assist local education agencies (LEAs) with offering instruction in visual and performing arts and including information about courses offered in visual and performing arts in a local control and accountability plan (LCAP).

Fiscal Impact: CDE estimates General Fund costs of approximately $789,000 to establish the statewide program required by this measure.

Background:

Existing law requires the course of study for grades 1-12 to include visual and performing arts, including instruction in the subjects of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, aimed at the development of aesthetic appreciation and the skills of creative expression. However, there is no statutory mechanism to ensure each local educational agency is fully implementing the course of study in every grade. Existing law also requires, as a requirement to graduate from high school, one course in visual or performing arts or foreign language, or until July 1, 2022, career technical education. Therefore, high schools are likely to offer at least one course in a visual or performing art.

Existing law establishes state priorities for purposes of local control and accountability plans, including implementation of the academic content and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education (Priority 2), and the extent to which students have access to, and are enrolled in, a broad course of study that includes all of the subject areas described in the adopted course of study for grades 1-6 and 7-12 (Priority 7).

Proposed Law:

This bill requires the CDE to establish a statewide program to provide professional development training to assist school districts and county offices of education with both of the following:

1. Offering instruction in visual and performing arts, as required by the statutorily established course of study for grades 1-6 and 7-12.
   
2. Including information about courses offered in visual and performing arts in a local control and accountability plan or annual update to a local control and accountability plan.

Staff Comments:

The purpose of this bill is to assist LEAs in offering instruction in visual and performing arts and including information about courses offered in visual and performing arts in their local control and accountability plans. The result may be increased offerings of high-quality visual and performing arts courses as well as improved compliance with the course of study.

To administer the statewide program, the California Department of Education estimates ongoing administrative costs of $92,000 General Fund and approximately $697,000 General Fund to contract with a local educational agency or consultant.

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SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Senator Benjamin Allen, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular

Bill No: SB 777 Hearing Date: March 29, 2017

Subject: School accountability: professional development: visual and performing arts

SUMMARY

This bill requires the California Department of Education to establish a statewide program to provide professional development training to assist school districts and county offices of education with offering instruction in visual and performing arts and including information about courses offered in visual and performing arts in a local control and accountability plan.

BACKGROUND

Existing law:

1. Provides that the adopted course of study for grades 1-6, and for grades 7-12, includes visual and performing arts, including instruction in the subjects of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, aimed at the development of aesthetic appreciation and the skills of creative expression. (Education Code § 51210 and 51220)
   
2. Requires the governing board of each school district to adopt a local control and accountability plan (LCAP) which must include, for the school district and each school within the school district, both of the following:
   
   1. A description of the annual goals, for all pupils and each subgroup of pupils, to be achieved for each of the state priorities and for any additional local priorities identified by the governing board of the school district.
      
   2. A description of the specific actions the school district will take during each year of the LCAP to achieve the identified, including the enumeration of any specific actions necessary for that year to correct any deficiencies in regard to the state priorities. (EC § 52060)
      
3. Establishes state priorities for purposes of the LCAP, including implementation of the academic content and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education (Priority 2), and the extent to which students have access to, and are enrolled in, a broad course of study that includes all of the subject areas described in the adopted course of study for grades 1-6 and 7-12 (with the exception of driver’s training; Priority 7). (EC 52060)
4. Requires the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to establish a statewide program to provide professional development training to assist school districts and county offices of education with using the evaluation rubrics to inform the development and updates to local control and accountability plans and to improve student outcomes. (AB 1624, Committee on Budget, Chapter 319, Statutes of 2016)

ANALYSIS

This bill requires the California Department of Education to establish a statewide program to provide professional development training to assist school districts and county offices of education with both of the following:

1. Offering instruction in visual and performing arts, as required by the statutorily established course of study for grades 1-6 and 7-12.
   
2. Including information about courses offered in visual and performing arts in a local control and accountability plan or annual update to a local control and accountability plan.

STAFF COMMENTS

1. Need for the bill. According to the author, “California requires students to receive arts education in first through 12^th grade. The Education Code also specifies that all students must complete one course in the arts or foreign language in grades nine to 12 in order to satisfy the graduation requirement. Despite state law, California is not providing students access to art courses. The Los Angeles Times found that eight out of every 10 elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District don't have the programs needed to meet state requirements. Statewide, the California Arts Education Data Project has shown that for grades six through 12, only 38 percent of students were enrolled in at least one arts discipline course. The enactment of the Local Control Funding Formula in 2013 provides school districts the opportunity to pursue arts education as a strategy to enhance student learning, improve school climate, and increase student and parent engagement.”
   
2. Compliance with the course of study. Existing law requires the course of study for grades 1-12 to include visual and performing arts. There is no statutory mechanism to ensure each local educational agency is fully implementing the course of study in every grade (existing law also requires, as a requirement to graduate from high school, one course in visual or performing arts or foreign language, or until July 1, 2022, career technical education; therefore, high schools are likely to offer at least one course in a visual or performing art). Existing law establishes state priorities for purposes of local control and accountability plans, including implementation of the academic content and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education (Priority 2), and the extent to which students have access to, and are enrolled in, a broad course of study that includes all of the subject areas described in the adopted course of study for grades 1-6 and 7-12 (with the exception of driver’s training; Priority 7).

State priority 7 is enrollment in a broad course of study that includes all of the subject areas, but the indicator to measure whether the priority as been met is the College and Career Indicator, which only reflects high school-level information. Priority 2 is implementation of standards and uses a local indicator (met, not met, not met for two or more years).

The purpose of this bill is to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) in offering instruction in visual and performing arts and including information about courses offered in visual and performing arts in their local control and accountability plans (LCAPs). The result may be increased offerings of high-quality visual and performing arts courses as well as improved compliance with the course of study.

1. California Arts Education Data Project. The California Department of Education, in partnership with others, recently launched the California Arts Education Data Project, which analyzes and reports school-level data on arts education courses, and middle and high school enrollment. The data provides a baseline for LEAs to help them move toward providing equitable access to arts education for all students and move closer to offering comprehensive arts education. The goal is to assist LEAs and education stakeholders in identifying gaps in grade six through 12 arts offerings and to support additional access to arts education for underserved populations.
   
2. Visual and performing arts standards. The existing academic content standards for visual and performing arts are outdated, as they were adopted by the State Board of Education in 2001. Legislation was passed in 2016 to authorize the revision of the visual and performing arts content standards by January 1, 2019. The Governor’s 2017 Budget Act proposes to delay the completion of the updated standards until 2020. Should the standards be updated prior to the development of professional development?
   
3. Why just visual and performing arts? This bill requires the California Department of Education to establish a statewide program to provide professional development training related exclusively to visual and performing arts. Could LEAs benefit from professional development in other subjects, as well?
   
4. Related professional development. The 2016 Budget Act provided $29.6 million to the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence to administer a pilot program of advice and assistance to LEAs related to meeting their LCAP goals, and to conduct statewide training for all LEAs and education stakeholders on the evaluation rubrics, now known as the California School Dashboard, and their use to inform development of LCAPs, with a focus on improving student outcomes and closing the achievement gap. At least $20 million of the total is to be used for the statewide training activities. This bill requires the establishment of a similar structure of professional development that is specific to visual and performing arts.

SUPPORT

California Alliance for Arts Education (sponsor)

OPPOSITION

None received

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