BILL ANALYSIS ------------------------------------------------------------ |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2064| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ------------------------------------------------------------ THIRD READING Bill No: AB 2064 Author: Arambula (D) Amended: 7/10/08 in Senate Vote: 21 SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-1, 6/18/08 AYES: Scott, Alquist, Denham, Maldonado, Padilla, Romero, Simitian, Torlakson NOES: Wyland SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8 ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 60-16, 5/27/08 - See last page for vote SUBJECT : Instructional materials: Vietnam War SOURCE : Author DIGEST : This bill requires the State Board of Education and the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission to ensure that the history-social science framework include instruction on the Vietnam War, as specified. ANALYSIS : Existing Law 1.Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt statewide academic content standards in core curriculum CONTINUED AB 2064 Page 2 areas, pursuant to the recommendations of the Commission for the Establishment of Academic Content and Performance Standards. The academic content standards have not been revised since their initial adoption in 1998. 2.Curriculum frameworks are blueprints for implementing the content standards. The update of the history-social science framework has begun, with the final publication of this update scheduled for winter 2010. Frameworks serve as a basis for the development of instructional materials. 3.Includes legislative findings and declarations that the current academic content standards include instruction on the Korean War and Vietnam War in the appropriate grade level consistent with those standards (grade 11 for Vietnam War). The Legislature encourages that this instruction include a component drawn from personal testimony, as specified, of American soldiers who are involved in those wars. 4.AB 78 (Reyes), Chapter 44, Statutes of 2003 encourages instruction in the area of social sciences for grades 7-12 to include instruction on the Vietnam War including the "Secret War" in Laos and the role of Southeast Asians in that war. The Legislature encourages this instruction to include a component drawn from personal testimony, as specified. These provisions are prohibited from resulting in any new duties or program being imposed on school districts. This bill requires the SBE and Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission (Curriculum Commission) to ensure that the history-social science framework, evaluation criteria, and instructional materials, adopted in the course of the next submission cycle after January 1, 2009, include the Vietnam War, including: 1.The "Secret War" in Laos. 2.The role of Southeast Asians in that war. 3.The refugee/immigrant/new American experience. CONTINUED AB 2064 Page 3 Comments Purpose of Bill . According to information provided by the author's office, "Southeast Asians should be recognized for their valuable contributions to the cultural, civic, and economic well-being of California. Students need to be taught about the sacrifices groups have made to ensure the security and prosperity of the U.S. Current law classifies instruction in social sciences to include the role and contributions of men, women and ethnic groups to the development of California and the United States. Instruction also emphasizes on portraying the role of these groups in current society. AB 78 (Reyes), Chapter 44, Statutes of 2003, encouraged instruction on the "Secret War" in Laos and the role Southeast Asians in that war. AB 2064 would go further and require the State Board of Education to adopt textbooks and instructional materials to comply with AB 78. California has benefited immensely from the cultural richness and patriotism of the Southeast Asian community, including contributions from a growing group of economic, political, and civic leaders." Related Current Year Legislation SB 1214 (Cedillo) requires the SBE to include, in the 2009 revision and adoption of the history-social science framework, instruction on the unconstitutional deportation of citizens and lawful permanent residents to Mexico during the Great Depression. SB 1254 (Wyland) authorizes the roots of American democracy and the study of American historical figures to be considered in the next cycle in which the history-social science curriculum and its accompanying instructional materials are adopted. AB 531 (Salas) requires that the history-social science framework and instructional materials adopted in the course of the next submission cycle include the case of Mendez v. Westminster School District and the role it played in the civil rights movement and desegregation of public schools in California and the nation. AB 1502 (Lieu) requires the SBE and the Curriculum CONTINUED AB 2064 Page 4 Commission to ensure that the history-social science framework, evaluation criteria, and instructional materials include instruction on financial literacy. AB 1863 (Portantino) encourages schools to include the role and contribution of Italian Americans to the economic, political, and social development of California and the United States in the instruction of social sciences, and encourages the SBE to include the role and contribution of Italian Americans to the economic, political, and social development of California and the U.S. in the social sciences curriculum frameworks at the next revision of those frameworks. AB 2034 (Nu?ez) requires the SBE and the Curriculum Commission to ensure that the history-social science framework and instructional materials include information about American Indians, emphasizing California Native Americans. FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes Local: No SUPPORT : (Verified 7/9/08) Calgary Vietnamese School Association Calgary Vietnamese Youth Group Calgary Vietnamese Veterans Immigrant Aids Association California State University, Sacramento, Division of Social Work Center for Language Minority Education and Research, CSU Long Beach Central California Forum on Refugee Affairs County of Fresno Supervisor Henry Perea Fresno Center for New Americans Fresno Unified School District Hmong International New Year, Inc. Hmong National Development, Inc. Kings Canyon Unified School District Lao Iu Mien Culture Association, Inc. Lao Veterans of America Institute Law Offices of Paul C. Lo Merced City Councilmember Noah Lor National Association for the Education and Advancement of CONTINUED AB 2064 Page 5 Cambodian, Laotian and Vietnamese Americans Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance Stone Soup Fresno Southeast Asian Assistance Center Southeast Asian Resource Action Center ASSEMBLY FLOOR : AYES: Aghazarian, Arambula, Beall, Berg, Brownley, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeSaulnier, DeVore, Dymally, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fuentes, Furutani, Galgiani, Garcia, Hancock, Hayashi, Hernandez, Horton, Huffman, Jones, Karnette, Keene, Krekorian, Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber, Lieu, Ma, Mendoza, Mullin, Nava, Nunez, Parra, Plescia, Portantino, Price, Sharon Runner, Ruskin, Salas, Saldana, Smyth, Solorio, Spitzer, Swanson, Torrico, Tran, Villines, Wolk, Bass NOES: Adams, Anderson, Benoit, Blakeslee, Duvall, Fuller, Gaines, Huff, Jeffries, La Malfa, Maze, Nakanishi, Niello, Silva, Strickland, Walters NO VOTE RECORDED: Berryhill, Garrick, Houston, Soto NC:cm 8/5/08 Senate Floor Analyses SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE **** END **** CONTINUED