Below is a sample support letter for AB 2268.
Instructions: To submit your letter of support, please follow the instructions outlined here. All letters must be signed to be officially recognized; electronic signatures are accepted.
Date
The Honorable Al Muratsuchi
Chair, Assembly Committee on Education
1020 N Street, Room 159
Sacramento, CA 95814
AB 2268 (Muratsuchi) – SUPPORT
Dear Assembly Member Muratsuchi:
[Name of Your Organization] supports Assembly Bill (AB) 2268 (Muratsuchi), which would exempt transitional kindergarten (TK) students from the administration of the English Language Proficiency Assessment of California (ELPAC).
California law requires the ELPAC to be administered to students in grades kindergarten through 12. Further, California law defines TK as the first year of a two-year kindergarten program, thereby subjecting TK students to the initial and summative ELPAC. Specifically, AB 2268 excludes TK from the definition of kindergarten for purposes of the ELPAC, which is not a developmentally appropriate measure of English language proficiency for the increasing younger population of four-year-olds who are being served through the expansion of TK. As the state moves towards universal TK by the 2025-26 school year, it becomes imperative for California to reassess the appropriateness of administering the ELPAC to this age group.
When the ELPAC was developed and field tested, it was not developed nor tested with the younger TK population enrolled in California public schools. Therefore, administering it to current TK students could lead to potential misidentification of English learners, negatively impacting their educational experience. Moreover, it may necessitate local educational agencies to provide services and supports that are inappropriate and unnecessary for these students.
AB 2268 would protect the state’s youngest emerging bilingual students by ensuring they are not negatively impacted by the administration of an assessment ill-suited for their developmental stage. For these reasons, we SUPPORT AB 2268 and request your AYE vote when the bill comes before you. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Title
Organization