BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 97
AUTHOR: Torlakson
AMENDED: August 20, 2010
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: August 26,
2010
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Academic content standards: science and
history-social science.
KEY POLICY ISSUES
Should a 21-member Academic Content Standards Commission
for Science and History-Social Science be established for
the purpose of reviewing and revising standards in science
and history-social science?
Should the State Board of Education have the authority to
modify standards prior to their adoption?
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a process for the review and revision
of content standards in the subject areas of science and
history-social science.
BACKGROUND
Current law requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to
adopt statewide academically rigorous content standards in
reading, writing and mathematics by January 1, 1998, and
standards in history-social science and science by November
1, 1998. The SBE is authorized to modify any proposed
standards prior to adoption. (Education Code 60605)
The SBE adopted standards in science and history-social
science in October 1998. The academic content standards
have not been revised since their initial adoption.
SB 1 (Steinberg, Ch. 2, 2009-10 Fifth Extraordinary
Session), among other things, established a 21-member
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Academic Content Standards Commission for the purpose of
developing academic content standards in language arts and
mathematics that are at least 85% the same as the common
core standards being developed by the Common Core State
Standards Initiative. As required by SB 1, the Commission
reported its recommendations to the SBE by July 15, 2010,
and the SBE accepted the standards on August 2, 2010. (EC
60605.8)
ANALYSIS
This bill establishes a process for the review and revision
of content standards in the subject areas of science and
history-social science. Specifically, this bill:
1) Establishes a 21-member Academic Content Standards
Commission (Commission) for Science and History-Social
Science as follows:
a) Eleven members appointed by the Governor.
b) Five members appointed by the Senate
Committee on Rules.
c) Five members appointed by the Speaker of the
Assembly.
2) Members of the Commission are to serve at the pleasure
of the appointing authority, and at least half of the
members appointed by each of the appointing
authorities must be current public school elementary
or secondary classroom teachers.
3) Requires the State Board of Education (SBE), upon
recommendation of the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI), to adopt a schedule for the
Commission to review and recommend revisions to the
science and history-social science content standards,
when funding permits.
4) Requires the Commission to develop academic content
standards that are internationally benchmarked and
build toward college and career readiness by the time
of high school graduation.
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5) Requires the SBE, within 90 days of receiving the
Commission's proposed academic content standards, to
do either of the following:
a) Adopt the academic content
standards as proposed by the Commission.
b) Reject the academic content
standards. The SBE is required to provide a
written explanation to the SPI, Governor and
Legislature if it rejects the standards.
6) Requires the SPI and SBE to present to the Governor
and appropriate policy and fiscal legislative
committees a schedule and implementation plan for
integrating the academic content standards into the
state educational system.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill . According to the author, "It has
been over 11 years since our history/social science
and science standards were established. With the
positive momentum from having updated our English and
mathematics standards this year, it is time to use
this successful process to finish making our core
curriculum standards up-to-date, relevant, and
globally competitive."
2) Prior version of this bill . Prior to the most recent
amendments, this bill required the SPI to convene
Academic Content and Performance Standards Review
panels for the purpose of reviewing and recommending
changes to the academic content standards for English
language arts and mathematics. Those provisions are
no longer necessary pursuant to the enactment of SB 1
(Steinberg, Ch.2, 2009-10 Fifth Extraordinary
Session). See Background.
3) Mirrors new process for English and math . SB 1
(Steinberg, Ch.2, 2009-10 Fifth Extraordinary Session)
established the Academic Content Standards Commission
for the purpose of developing academic content
standards in language arts and mathematics that are at
least 85% the same as the common core standards being
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developed by the Common Core State Standards
Initiative. This bill essentially mirrors that
process but is specific to standards in science and
history-social science, and does not reference common
core standards.
4) Role of SBE to modify proposed standards . Current law
relative to the adoption of content standards prior to
November 1998 authorizes the SBE to modify any
proposed standards prior to adoption (the SBE adopted
standards in science and history-social science in
1998). This bill does not extend that authority, nor
did SB 1 (see #2 above). Staff notes that, in January
2005, the Legislative Counsel issued an opinion
stating that the SBE does not have the authority to
revise the standards under current law, noting that
current law expressly granted the SBE with the
authority to modify the standards prior to their
adoption.
5) Prior legislation . SB 1 (Steinberg, Ch.2, 2009-10
Fifth Extraordinary Session), among other things,
established a 21-member Academic Content Standards
Commission for the purpose of developing academic
content standards in language arts and mathematics
that are at least 85% the same as the common core
standards being developed by the Common Core State
Standards Initiative.
There have been several unsuccessful attempts to authorize
or establish a process to review and revise academic
content standards. AB 1454 (Richardson, 2007) was
held in this Committee and AB 1100 (Mullin, 2005) was
held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Veto
messages for SB 1097 (Torlakson, 2008), AB 2744
(Goldberg, 2004), AB 642 (Mullin, 2003), and SB 1367
(Karnette, 2002) cite the Governor's concern over a
diminished role for the SBE in modifying any revised
standards prior to their adoption.
SUPPORT
None received for current version.
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OPPOSITION
None received for current version.