BILL NUMBER: SB 5 CHAPTERED 10/11/03 CHAPTER 826 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE OCTOBER 11, 2003 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR OCTOBER 10, 2003 PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 10, 2003 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 8, 2003 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 2, 2003 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 24, 2003 AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 20, 2003 INTRODUCED BY Senator Karnette (Coauthors: Senators Romero and Sher) DECEMBER 2, 2002 An act to add Section 60605.3 to the Education Code, relating to curriculum. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 5, Karnette. Curriculum: foreign languages. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to design and implement a program that includes statewide academically rigorous content and performance standards, as specified. Existing law establishes deadlines by which the State Board of Education must adopt statewide academically rigorous content standards in the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, history/social science, science, physical education, and visual and performing arts. This bill would require the State Department of Education, on or before June 1, 2009, to adopt content standards for teaching foreign languages in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, pursuant to recommendations developed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The bill would provide that these standards are intended to guide schools that offer programs of instruction in languages other than English. The bill would require these standards to support the goal of providing programs of instruction in languages other than English as early as feasible, and to include a description of the skills to be attained at each grade level and alignment of the course content with the entrance requirements of the California State University and the University of California. Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to align the teacher subject matter standards and examinations with the state content and performance standards for pupils. This bill would authorize the commission to align the teacher subject matter standards and examinations with the state content and performance standards for pupils within its scheduled subject matter standards and examination validation timeframe. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Learning a second language enhances a pupil's academic skills by increasing reading, writing, and mathematics abilities, thereby improving scores on verbal and nonverbal performance tests. (b) Requiring all pupils to learn a second language helps pupils from different backgrounds to interact with each other and build self-esteem. (c) All pupils can and should be proficient in at least one language in addition to English. (d) The University of California and the California State University both require a minimum of two years of language study as part of their admission criteria. (e) To be most effective in today's global society, a person must have a knowledge of other cultures and the ability to interact with people from different cultures in both California and throughout the world. (f) More than 70 federal agencies and numerous state agencies desire to hire persons who are fluent in languages other than English, and shortages in bilingual personnel have adversely affected national and state operations and security. (g) The court system maintains a pool of qualified interpreters and translators to carry out its legal duties, and the state and federal penal systems depend on a bilingual workforce to maintain an orderly environment. (h) Language competence is critical to the United States' defense needs as evidenced by the fact that in 2002, the army designated 15,000 positions as requiring language proficiency in at least one of 62 languages, the Department of State required 29 percent of its foreign service positions to have some level of language proficiency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation employed 1,792 special agents with language skills in more than 40 languages. (i) As California corporations continue to establish production facilities in developing world countries, there is an increasing need for linguistic competence and cultural understanding in languages other than English. (j) For all of these reasons, it is imperative that pupils begin learning a language other than English at the earliest age possible. (k) This act is intended to correlate the curriculum framework, which is scheduled for adoption by June 1, 2009, with the content standards adopted pursuant to this section. SEC. 2. Section 60605.3 is added to the Education Code, to read: 60605.3. (a) On or before June 1, 2009, the State Board of Education shall adopt content standards, pursuant to recommendations developed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, for teaching foreign languages in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. (b) The content standards shall support the goals of Section 51212 and subdivision (c) of Section 51220 by including all of the following: (1) A summary of the language goals which recognizes that instruction may begin in elementary or secondary school. (2) A description of individual language skills that should be taught and attained at each level. (3) Course content that is aligned with findings from research on second language acquisition and education. (4) Course content that is aligned with the admission requirements for the California State University and the University of California. (c) The content standards may be used by school districts to develop language programs and course assessments but are not mandatory. SEC. 3. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing, in revising subject matter standards and examinations for teachers to conform to the state content and performance standards for pupils pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259, may do so within its scheduled subject matter standards and examination validation timeframe.