California Education Code Section 52055.656

(a) Each school district with schools participating in the High Priority Schools Grant Program established pursuant to Section 52055.600 shall submit to the Superintendent of Public Instruction an evaluation of the impact, costs, and benefits of the program as it relates to the school district and the schools under its jurisdiction that are participating in the program and whether or not the schools met their growth targets, with an analysis of the reasons why the schools have or have not met those growth targets. Costs to develop and submit the evaluation shall be funded with resources provided pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 52053). The evaluation shall be submitted by November 30, subsequent to the first full year of action plan implementation by participating schools, and on November 30, of each year thereafter. (b) By January 15, 2003, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop, and the State Board of Education shall approve, the guidelines for a request for proposal for an independent evaluator as described in this subdivision. By June 30, 2003, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall contract with an independent evaluator to prepare a multiyear comprehensive evaluation of the implementation, impact, costs, and benefits of the High Priority Schools Grant Program. The preliminary results of the multiyear evaluation shall be disseminated to the Legislature, the Governor and interested parties no later than June 30, 2004. An interim report shall be disseminated to the Legislature, the Governor, and interested parties no later than June 30, 2005. The final comprehensive evaluation shall be disseminated to the Legislature, the Governor, and interested parties no later than June 30, 2006. The final report shall include recommendations for necessary or desirable modifications to the programs established pursuant to this chapter. (c) The evaluations shall consider all of the following: (1) Pupil performance data, including, but not limited to, results of assessments used to determine whether or not schools have made significant progress towards meeting their growth targets. (2) Program implementation data, including, but not limited to, a review of startup activities, community support, parental participation, staff development activities associated with implementation of the program, percentage of fully credentialed teachers, percentage of teachers who hold emergency credentials, percentage of teachers assigned outside their subject area of competence, the accreditation status of the school if appropriate, average size per grade level, and the number of pupils in a multitrack year-round educational program. (3) (A) Pupil performance data, and its impact on the API, for each of the following subgroups: (i) English language learners. (ii) Pupils with exceptional needs. (iii) Pupils that qualify for free or reduced price meals and are enrolled in schools that receive funds under Chapter 1 of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Augustus F. Hawkins-Robert T. Stafford Elementary and Secondary School Improvement Amendments of 1988 (P.L. 100-290). (B) Information concerning individual pupils may not be disclosed in the process of preparing pupil performance data pursuant to this subdivision.