BILL ANALYSIS
AJR 64
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Date of Hearing: June 18, 2008
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gene Mullin, Chair
AJR 64 (Mullin) - As Introduced: June 5, 2008
SUBJECT : Pupil testing and secondary education.
SUMMARY : Recognizes the impacts of the narrowing of the
curriculum that is resulting from the state and federal
assessment and accountability systems. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes findings as to the structure of the state and federal
educational accountability systems, the impacts that these
systems have had on the mix of instructional time across
different content areas in the curriculum (i.e., the narrowing
of the curriculum to focus more time on language arts and
mathematics, and less time on other subjects), and the impacts
that this change in the mix of instructional time has had on
students.
2)Resolves that the Legislature urge the 110th Congress to
recognize the importance of curriculum and instruction
covering all subjects, including history/social science,
science, art, music, and physical education, when Congress
considers reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act.
3)Resolves that the Legislature urge school districts, county
offices of education, and charter schools to focus on teaching
the whole child in a wider curriculum.
4)Resolves that the Legislature urge the State Board of
Education and the Superintendent of Public Instruction to
consider and recommend alternatives for including all subjects
in the assessment and accountability system, without further
reducing instructional time or promoting teaching to the test.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Promotes, under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) an
increased focus on reading.
2)Establishes assessment requirements, under both federal and
AJR 64
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state statute, that tests primarily in the content areas of
English language arts and mathematics, with a lesser focus on
history/social science and science, and no testing or
accountability repercussions in other content areas.
3)Establishes, for the purpose of the federal accountability
system, an accountability measure, adequate yearly progress,
that is based entirely on pupil participation and performance
on the required tests in reading and mathematics, and to a
lesser extent in science.
4)Establishes, for the purpose of the state accountability
system, an accountability measure, the academic performance
index, that is based entirely on pupil performance on the
required tests in reading and mathematics, and to a lesser
extent in history/social science and science.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Numerous researchers have found that one impact of
the focus on English language arts and mathematics that is built
into our state and federal assessment and accountability systems
is a reduction in the amount of instructional time spent on
non-tested subjects and an increase in time spent on tested
subjects - this effect has come to be known as the narrowing of
the curriculum. This narrowing has in turn been shown to
negatively impact test scores in language arts and math, to
disproportionately occur in schools with large numbers of high
risk students, to contribute to the continuing race and poverty
based achievement gaps, and to decrease pupil motivation. This
resolution provides information on many of these research
findings, and urges education policymakers at all levels to take
steps to counter the narrowing of the curriculum effect.
Previous Legislation : AJR 23 (Hancock), Res. Chapter 125,
Statutes of 2007, makes findings as to the positive and negative
consequences on California schools resulting from NCLB, and
resolves that the Legislature urge Congress to amend NCLB to
allow more state flexibility to identify and target resources to
the schools and district most in need, to incorporate growth
models into state-developed NCLB accountability systems, and to
exclude from the participation rate calculation a pupil whose
parent chooses not to have the pupil tested - as a show of
respect for parental choice. Also urges the President and
Congress to fully fund NCLB. AB 2544 (Mullin), pending in the
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Senate, Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI)
to develop a plan and make recommendations to the Legislature
and the Governor on the development of a model civic education
staff development program. SCR 70 (Scott), Resolution Chapter
44, Statutes of 2008, proclaims October 3, 2008 as Arts Day and
recognizes the Arts Council's more than 30 years of service to
the state, including its support for integrating the arts into
the educational curriculum. SCR 82 (Maldonado), Resolution
Chapter 26, Statutes of 2008, proclaims the month of March 2008
to be Arts Education Month, and encourages all elected officials
to participate with their educational communities in celebrating
the arts. AB 2471 (Karnette), pending in the Senate
Governmental Organization Committee establishes the Digital Arts
Studio Partnership and Workforce Program (DASP) Act to create
voluntary regional public and private partnerships in digital
literacy, media arts and telecommunications technology to train
youth (ages 13-18) and their mentors.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Council for the Social Studies
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Gerald Shelton / ED. / (916) 319-2087