Signed by Governor Gavin Newsom

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that establishes distance education guidance and standards for the 2020-2021 school year.

Highlights:

• Requires a local educational agency to offer in-person instruction to the greatest extent possible for the 2020-2021 school year (Sec. 34).

• Defines “local educational agency” as a school district, county office of education, or charter school (Sec. 34).

• Requires the minimum school day for a local educational agency to proceed as follows for the 2020-2021 school year (Sec. 34):

• 180 instructional minutes in kindergarten; 

• 230 instructional minutes in grades 1 through 3; 

• 240 instructional minutes in grades 4 through 12;

• 180 instructional minutes for pupils in grades 11 and 12 that are also enrolled part-time in classes of the California State University or the University of California for which academic credit will be provided upon satisfactory completion of enrolled courses; 

• 180 instructional minutes for any pupil who is also a special part-time student enrolled in a community college and who will receive academic credit upon completion of enrolled courses; and

• 180 instructional minutes for pupils enrolled in a continuation high school.

• Requires a local educational institution that offers distance learning to comply with the following requirements (Sec. 34):

• Distance learning can be offered under either of the following circumstances:

• On a local educational agency or school wide level as a result of an order or guidance from a state public health officer or a local public health officer; and

• For pupils who are medically fragile or would be at risk by in-person instruction, or who are self-quarantining because of exposure to COVID-19; and

• Distance learning must include all of the following:

• Confirmation or provision of access for all pupils to connectivity and devices adequate to participate in the educational program and to complete assigned work;

• Content aligned to grade-level standards that are provided at a level of quality and intellectual challenge substantially equivalent to in-person instruction; 

• Academic and other supports designed to address the needs of pupils who are not performing at grade level, or need support in other areas, such as English learners, pupils with exceptional needs, pupils in foster care or experiencing homelessness, and pupils requiring mental health support;

• Special education, related services, and other services required by a pupil’s individualized education program with accommodations necessary to ensure that individualized education programs can be executed in a distance learning environment;

• Designated and integrated instruction in English language development, including assessment of English language proficiency, support to access such curriculum, the ability to reclassify as fully English proficient, and support for dual language learning; and

• Daily live interaction with certified employees and peers for purposes of instruction, progress monitoring, and maintaining school connectedness.

• Authorizes the above-mentioned daily interaction to take the form of internet or telephonic communication, or by other means under public health orders (Sec. 34).

• Defines “distance learning” as instruction in which the pupil and instructor are in different locations and pupils are under the general supervision of a certified employee of the local educational agency, and may include (Sec. 34):

• Interaction, instruction, and check-ins between teachers and pupils through the use of a computer or communications technology;

• Video or audio instruction in which the primary mode of communication between the pupil and certified employee is online interaction, instructional television, video, telecourse, or other instruction that relies on computer or communications technology; and

• The use of print materials incorporating assignments that are the subject of written or oral feedback.

• Requires the superintendent to multiply $6.92 billion by the ratio of the revenue limit or charter school general purposes funding for each office of education, school districts, or charter school, to the statewide total of revenue limit and charter school general purpose funding (Sec. 9).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that establishes distance education guidance and standards for the 2020-2021 school year.

Highlights:

• Requires a local educational agency to offer in-person instruction to the greatest extent possible for the 2020-2021 school year (Sec. 34).

• Defines “local educational agency” as a school district, county office of education, or charter school (Sec. 34).

• Requires the minimum school day for a local educational agency to proceed as follows for the 2020-2021 school year (Sec. 34):

• 180 instructional minutes in kindergarten; 

• 230 instructional minutes in grades 1 through 3; 

• 240 instructional minutes in grades 4 through 12;

• 180 instructional minutes for pupils in grades 11 and 12 that are also enrolled part-time in classes of the California State University or the University of California for which academic credit will be provided upon satisfactory completion of enrolled courses; 

• 180 instructional minutes for any pupil who is also a special part-time student enrolled in a community college and who will receive academic credit upon completion of enrolled courses; and

• 180 instructional minutes for pupils enrolled in a continuation high school.

• Requires a local educational institution that offers distance learning to comply with the following requirements (Sec. 34):

• Distance learning can be offered under either of the following circumstances:

• On a local educational agency or school wide level as a result of an order or guidance from a state public health officer or a local public health officer; and

• For pupils who are medically fragile or would be at risk by in-person instruction, or who are self-quarantining because of exposure to COVID-19; and

• Distance learning must include all of the following:

• Confirmation or provision of access for all pupils to connectivity and devices adequate to participate in the educational program and to complete assigned work;

• Content aligned to grade-level standards that are provided at a level of quality and intellectual challenge substantially equivalent to in-person instruction; 

• Academic and other supports designed to address the needs of pupils who are not performing at grade level, or need support in other areas, such as English learners, pupils with exceptional needs, pupils in foster care or experiencing homelessness, and pupils requiring mental health support;

• Special education, related services, and other services required by a pupil’s individualized education program with accommodations necessary to ensure that individualized education programs can be executed in a distance learning environment;

• Designated and integrated instruction in English language development, including assessment of English language proficiency, support to access such curriculum, the ability to reclassify as fully English proficient, and support for dual language learning; and

• Daily live interaction with certified employees and peers for purposes of instruction, progress monitoring, and maintaining school connectedness.

• Authorizes the above-mentioned daily interaction to take the form of internet or telephonic communication, or by other means under public health orders (Sec. 34).

• Defines “distance learning” as instruction in which the pupil and instructor are in different locations and pupils are under the general supervision of a certified employee of the local educational agency, and may include (Sec. 34):

• Interaction, instruction, and check-ins between teachers and pupils through the use of a computer or communications technology;

• Video or audio instruction in which the primary mode of communication between the pupil and certified employee is online interaction, instructional television, video, telecourse, or other instruction that relies on computer or communications technology; and

• The use of print materials incorporating assignments that are the subject of written or oral feedback.

• Requires the superintendent to multiply $6.92 billion by the ratio of the revenue limit or charter school general purposes funding for each office of education, school districts, or charter school, to the statewide total of revenue limit and charter school general purpose funding (Sec. 9).

Full Bill Text