Assembly Bill 714 – Amends High School Coursework And Graduation Requirements For Newcomer Pupils, And Provides Guidance And Data

Existing law allocates funds to school districts and offices of education to provide services to newcomer pupils, English learners, and immigrant families.  Existing law requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to exempt a pupil participating in a newcomer program and who is in their 3rd or 4th year of high school from all coursework and other graduation requirements adopted by the governing body.  The exemption only applies to non- statewide coursework requirements necessary to receive a diploma of graduation from high school, unless the LEA makes a finding that the pupil is reasonably able to complete its graduation requirements in time to graduate by the end of the pupil’s fourth year of high school.  Existing law also requires LEAs comply with other procedures in relation to pupils participating in newcomer programs, including, consultation and notice provisions.  Existing law requires LEA to issue, and new LEA to accept, full or partial credit for all full or partial coursework satisfactorily completed by a pupil participating in a newcomer program while attending a public school, a juvenile court school, a charter school, a school in a country other than the United States, or a nonpublic, nonsectarian school.

Assembly Bill 714 changes existing law to require the following:

• The State Department of Education must curate and maintain on its website information regarding requirements, best practices, and available state and federal funded programs for newcomers pupils and to annually report the number of enrolled newcomer pupils on its website.
• The Instructional Quality Commission to review the curriculum framework at its next regular scheduled revision to consider inclusion of content designed to provide teachers with resources to meet the unique academic and English language development needs of newcomer pupils at all grade levels.
• LEAs must comply with the course-work exemptions provided, pupil consultations and notice requirements, acceptance of coursework completed at the schools, and other requirements for newcomer pupils, instead of for pupils participating in a newcomer program.
• Authorizes an LEA to deny a middle or high school pupil who is classified as an English learner and who is a newcomer pupil, or is participating in a program designed to meet the transitional needs of newcomer pupils that has a primary objective of developing English proficiency to be denied access to enrollment in courses that are part of the standard instructional program.

 (AB 714 amends Sections 51225.1, 51225.2, and 60811.8 of the Education Code, and adds Section 33547, and Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 54450) to Chapter 4 of Part 29 of Division 4 of Title 2 of, the Education Code.)