III.Motion Requested by Superintendent

A.The Board of Education will consider and take action upon a recommendation by the Superintendent regarding the administration of student achievement tests. The Board of Education will receive the advice of counsel with respect to the District's obligations under state and federal law in closed session prior to consideration and action at the special Board meeting. The public is hereby notified that the Superintendent and Board may consider different options related to test administration, including but not limited to administering the tests under the same policies and procedures as were implemented in the last school year, or other options which will be presented at the special meeting before the Board takes up the matter.

Whereas, It is not educationally sound to administer the current State Testing Program (STAR) as presently constituted in that the program requires administration of a standardized test to students whose inability to understand English prevents them from producing any viable test results;

Whereas, The administration of this testing program raises important questions of state and federal law, including the civil rights of students who do not read or understand English; and

Whereas, In a society governed by the rule of law the appropriate avenue to raise these questions and concerns is in the courts; now, it is

Moved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles authorize staff and counsel to immediately go to court to seek appropriate relief with respect to the administration of student achievement tests to those students who are unable to substantially comprehend the content of tests administered in English; and

Moved further, That the District proceed with achievement test administration in a manner which will provide accurate information about each student and that this administration include the Stanford 9 Test to students able to adequately comprehend it, and the Aprenda Test where appropriate, and that the District reserve the option to administer the Stanford 9 Test to additional students, pending the outcome of court action.

IV. Motions and Resolutions For Action

B.Ms. Castro - School Construction Program (Noticed 1-26-98)(Discussed in Facilities Committee) ADOPTED

Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District has participated in the Greene-Lease Purchase School Construction Program since its inception and has completed over 210 new construction and modernization projects totalling over $690 million in the last 11 years;

Whereas, Notwithstanding the increase in and improvement of school facilities mentioned above, the District continues to grapple with severe overcrowding and the resulting need to house students in their neighborhood schools;

Whereas, The District's enrollment has increased by approximately 32,500 students over the last two years; with its total enrollment representing over 12 percent of the entire State of California student population;

Whereas, The District has not benefitted fairly from the existing State School Construction Programs given its complexities and favoring of districts that could match the State's funding prior to 1996; and

Whereas, The District would like to see a State school construction program that includes the following:

• State funding to match the $900 million in new construction and modernization funds set aside from the $2.4 billion bond authorized by the voters in April 1997 (the State will match 50 percent of the total cost of the project);

• long-term State funding guarantee;

• program simplification;

• separation of the Operational Grant and the Greene-Lease Purchase Programs and the restoration of the 40,000 units of lost eligibility;
  
  
• revised elementary loading standards to reflect CSR-20:1 ratios in Grades K-3

• guaranteed funding for pipeline projects for which at least a planning approval has been obtained by the State Allocation Board; and

• modernization grant programs that recognize the age of the building; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles authorize the Superintendent to review the various legislative proposals to streamline the current program and provide Statewide funding for school construction and to identify the package that includes the District's goals mentioned above; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education adopt as its position that bill which most adequately addresses the needs of the students of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

V.Meeting, Conference and Convention Motions and Announcements

VI.Adjournment