CCSA Answers: SB 359: California Mathematics Placement Act and Charter Schools
June 3, 2016 Question: Does SB 359: California Mathematics Placement Act of 2015 apply to charter schools?
Answer: Yes. SB 359 applies to the boards of all local educational agencies, including charter schools, that serve students entering 9th grade. Before the start of the 2016-17 school year, these school boards must "develop and adopt, in a regularly scheduled public meeting, a fair, objective, and transparent mathematics placement policy for pupils entering grade 9." The policy must include the following five elements:
- Multiple objective academic measures (interim assessments, statewide assessments, placement tests, grades, report cards)
- Checkpoint within the first month of school to ensure accurate placement
- Annual review of aggregate student performance regarding demographics
- Clear recourse for parents who question a student's placement
- Requirement for the consistency of placements between elementary and high school