BILL NUMBER: AB 675	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Eng

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2007

   An act to add and repeal Article 2.5 (commencing with Section
60620) of Chapter 5 of Part 33 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the
Education Code, relating to public school curriculum.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 675, as introduced, Eng. Public school curriculum: tolerance
and intergroup relations instruction.
   Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt
statewide academically rigorous content standards in core curriculum
areas, including, but not limited to, history/social science and
requires the board to review and modify existing curriculum
frameworks where appropriate to bring them into alignment with these
content standards.
   This bill would establish the Tolerance Education Pilot Program,
to be administered by the State Department of Education, to promote
instruction in public schools on tolerance, as defined, and
intergroup relations as part of the instruction in the history/social
science content standards, as specified. The bill would require the
department to select 10 schools to participate in the program and
receive one-time grants of $25,000 each for one of 2 specified
purposes. The bill would require each participating school to submit
a report to the department on the effectiveness of the program and
the use of program funds and to develop a plan to implement a
tolerance and intergroup relations curriculum. The bill would repeal
those provisions on January 1, 2012.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 60620) is added to
Chapter 5 of Part 33 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code,
to read:

      Article 2.5.  Tolerance Education Pilot Program


   60620.  This article shall be known, and may be cited as, the
Tolerance Education Pilot Program.
   60621.  (a) The Tolerance Education Pilot Program is hereby
established and shall be administered by the department.
   (b) The purpose of the program is to promote instruction on
tolerance and intergroup relations as part of the instruction
provided pursuant to the history/social science content standards, as
adopted by the State Board pursuant to Section 60605.
   (c) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article
that funding provided to schools pursuant to the program be used to
supplement instruction that is aligned with the history/social
science content standards, as adopted by the State Board pursuant to
Section 60605.
   (d) For purposes of this article, the term "school" means a public
school that provides instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1
to 12, inclusive.
   (e) For purposes of this article, "tolerance" means attitudes and
behaviors that convey respect toward individuals and groups,
especially those individuals and groups that have been, and continue
to be, systematically and historically marginalized. Tolerance does
not mean a passive allowance or indulgence of the beliefs or
practices of another individual.
   60622.  (a) A school may apply to the department to receive funds
pursuant to the program. The department shall select 10 schools to
participate in the program and to receive one-time grants of
twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) each.
   (b) Funding provided pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be used by
schools for either of the following purposes:
   (1) Purchasing supplemental instructional materials that promote
tolerance and intergroup relations.
   (2) Providing professional development for teachers on tolerance
and intergroup relations.
   (c) In developing professional development training on tolerance
and intergroup relations pursuant to the program, schools are
encouraged, prior to providing instructional materials to pupils and
in order to integrate instruction on tolerance and intergroup
relations, to consult and partner with human relations commissions
and civil rights organizations that are involved in addressing
discrimination based on actual or perceived gender, ethnic group
identification, race, national origin, religion, mental or physical
disability, sexual orientation, immigrant status, familial status, or
association with a person or group with one or more of these actual
or perceived characteristics.
   (d) Each school that is selected to participate in the program and
that receives funding pursuant to this article three years after its
initial receipt of funding, shall submit a report to the department
on the effectiveness of the program and the use of program funds by
the school.
   (e) Each school that is selected to participate in the program
shall develop a plan to implement a tolerance and intergroup
relations curriculum.
   (f) Implementation of the program is contingent upon funding made
available for this purpose in the annual Budget Act.
   60623.  This article shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2012, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2012, deletes or extends
that date.