Staff Present:
Mr. Gordon Wohlers, Assistant Superintendent, Policy Research and Development
Ms. Tiffany Heben, Legislative Advocate, Legislation/Implementation Office

Ms. Heben was introduced to give a slide presentation and summarize four measures that were enacted as part of the 1999 Special Legislative Session. The reading bill went into effect immediately as an urgency statute, and the remaining three bills will go into effect in July.

1. School Accountability Bill, SB 1X (Alpert), establishes the Public School Performance Accountability Program.

2. High School Exit Examination Bill, SB 2X (O'Connell), repeals existing program requiring locally-determined proficiency standards and graduation examination on
January 1, 2000.

3. California Peer Assistance and Review Program for Teachers, AB 1X,
(Villaraigosa), will provide assistance to veteran teachers in need of subject matter
development or improved teaching strategies.

4. Reading Instruction and Staff Development, AB 2X (Mazzoni), contains six reading programs.

SUPERINTENDENT'S THIRTEEN POLICY COMPONENTS UPDATE

Mr. Wohlers commended Mr. Horton on initiating a proposal which authorized the Superintendent and staff to examine the best practices on accountability in the country. The information they obtained is reflected in these thirteen policy components, and the Board of Education will vote on them April 27.