The California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015 requires school districts that serve pupils entering grade nine and that have not already done so to adopt “a fair, objective, and transparent mathematics placement policy” before the beginning of the 2016–17 school year. The mathematics placement policy must be adopted in a regularly scheduled public meeting.
This PTA supported law, SB 359 (Mitchell), addresses the math misplacement of students — especially students of color — as they enter high school. Correct math placement in ninth grade is crucial for educational success. Misplacement can result in pupils being less competitive for college admissions, including at the California State University and University of California.
Important Tip for PTA Leaders
At your next school board meeting:
- Ask how your school district is implementing this new law
- Share the sample school board policies and resources below
- Help make sure the students in your local schools benefit from the California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015.
Resources for School Districts
The Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a sponsor of the bill, has put together resources to help school boards and communities implement the law and address the issue of math misplacement.
Digging Deeper
A letter from Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson to County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators outlines the requirements of the new law:
“The mathematics placement policy for pupils entering grade nine must meet the following requirements:
- Systematically takes multiple objective academic measures of pupil performance into consideration;
- Includes at least one placement checkpoint within the first month of the school year to ensure accurate placement and to permit reevaluation of individual student progress;
- Requires an annual examination of pupil placement data to ensure that students are not held back in a disproportionate manner on the basis of their race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic background;
- Requires a report on the results of the annual examination by the local educational agency to its governing board or body;
- Offers clear and timely recourse for each pupil and his or her parent or legal guardian who questions the student’s placement; and
- For non-unified school districts, addresses the consistency of placement policies between elementary and high school districts.”
The math placement policy must be posted on the district web site.
Find out more about what your child’s assessment-score report means!
Download and share our helpful flier in English and Spanish – updated for the 2016 Student Score Reports.
We’ve got important questions for parents to ask their child, teacher, principal and superintendent about assessment-score reports!
Download and share our flier in English and Spanish.
It’s never too early – or too late – to plan for your child’s college future and to develop your college-savings road map! California State PTA and ScholarShare, California’s 529 College Savings Plan, are teaming up to raise awareness about the importance of saving for college.
Here are a few steps you can take to develop a college savings road map for your child:
- Start Small and Early — The task of saving for college can be overwhelming, but the sooner you get started, the greater the likelihood that your child will go to college and have the funds to pay for it. Various studies show that a child with a college savings account is 6 to 7 times more likely to attend college. The key is to get started.
- Review Your Finances — Saving for college can be daunting. That’s why it’s important to take a careful look at your finances and identify any available funds that you can regularly contribute to your college savings. No contribution is too small. Every little bit helps.
- Define Your Goal — Paying for 100 percent of a child’s future college expenses may not be a realistic goal for some parents. Fortunately, the share you save is only a part of a larger strategy to help pay for college. Define a goal that makes sense for your family and plan accordingly.
- Understand Your 529 Plan — A 529 plan is a state-sponsored, tax-advantaged savings plan designed to help families save for college. The State of California offers the ScholarShare College Savings Plan. In addition to the many benefits, you can open a ScholarShare account with just $25. Visit scholarshare.com to learn more.
LEARN MORE
Parents of high-school students — be sure to check out this helpful flier from California Community Colleges, California State University and University of California about the new assessments and college placement.
Download the flier.
Recommendations for making high-quality environmental education available to all students, finding a funding source to sustain and improve instruction, working with outside organizations to ensure the instruction is high quality, and providing students with a variety of learning experiences.
Download the full Blueprint.
With these new guides from the California Department of Education and California State PTA, find out more about what the new assessment scores mean for your child and use them as an opportunity to work with your child’s teacher for student success!
Grades 3, 4 & 5
Grades 6, 7 and 8
Grade 11
Spanish coming soon!
A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 2.0 builds on the groundbreaking 2011 report which helped usher in a new era in California schools that has included major increases in funding, more rigorous state academic standards, online student assessment testing, and greater support for the students and schools with the most needs.
Developed based on recommendations made by a team of 29 education leaders and experts, Blueprint 2.0 details next steps in five critical areas: California standards, teaching and leading excellence, student success, continuous improvement and accountability systems, and systems change and supports. California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said the California Department of Education will now work on carrying out the plans.
The Blueprint 2.0 Planning Team was co-chaired by Martha Infante, a teacher at the Los Angeles Academy Middle School; David Rattray, Executive Vice President, Education and Workforce Development for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and President of UNITE-LA, the school-to-career partnership of Los Angeles; and Chris Steinhauser, Superintendent of the Long Beach Unified School District.
As well as detailed recommendations, A Blueprint for Great Schools Version 2.0 includes a call to action, a revised mission, and a review of guiding principles and the emerging “California Way.”
“We have worked hard to move forward together in California in a gradual, sensible, and collaborative way,” Torlakson said. “I call this approach ‘The California Way,’ and it is paying huge dividends across the board. Blueprint 2.0 is the latest example of what The California Way can do.”
Download the Blueprint.
The new assessment report uses four achievement levels: standard not met, standard nearly met, standard met, standard exceeded. The levels will designate the degree of “progress toward mastery of the knowledge and skills needed for success in future coursework.” For 11th-graders, they measure the degree to which students are on track to be ready for college or a career after graduating from high school. Download the sample Student Score Report for 2016-2017.
Learn More:
Education in California isn’t just about preparing our children for college and careers. We must also teach our children how to be responsible citizens in a democracy. Download and share the report the California Task Force on K-12 Civic Learning.
English