BILL ANALYSIS
ACR 88
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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
ACR 88 (Torlakson)
As Amended September 1, 2009
Majority vote
EDUCATION 9-0
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|Ayes:|Ammiano, Arambula, | | |
| |Brownley, Carter, Eng, | | |
| |Garrick, Miller, Solorio, | | |
| |Torlakson | | |
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| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Resolves that the California Task Force on Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education (Task
Force) be established to promote the improvement of STEM
education across the state. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes findings as to the link between California's
competitiveness in the global economy and its ability to
better educate pupils in STEM to attract more of our best and
brightest students into those fields; the projections of very
high growth in occupations that require significant
mathematics or science preparation; the lack of proficiency in
those subject areas among California and U.S. pupils; and, the
need to engage pupils in these subject areas at a young age
and to keep them engaged throughout their education and
career.
2)Declares that a legislative Task Force is necessary to provide
a framework for statewide policy and support to California's
schools in order to promote statewide STEM education.
3)Resolves that the Task Force is established to promote the
improvement of STEM education across the state, to increase
legislative awareness about mathematics, science, engineering,
and technology education issues, to inform legislators
regarding trends in STEM education, and to raise awareness
among the public regarding the distressing shortage of
Californians prepared to contribute to the state's future
technology workforce.
4)Resolves that the Task Force:
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a) Be nonpartisan in nature, and consist of 11 voting
members with additional advisory members and alternates as
requested or required;
b) Have the following members appointed by the Speaker of
the Assembly:
i) The chair and an additional member from the
Assembly, each serving for a term of two years and only
to the extent that their service is consistent with their
duties as Members of the Legislature, with one member
appointed from the majority party and the other member
from the minority party;
ii) One K-12 teacher with current public classroom
experience in science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, or industrial arts education and with a
membership in a state or national professional
association on science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, or industrial arts education;
iii) One post-secondary educator from the science,
technology, engineering, mathematics, or industrial arts
education subject areas with current classroom or
administrative experience for the purpose of advising the
task force on articulation of K-12 and postsecondary
curriculum to prepare pupils for higher education; and,
iv) Two representatives of a business or association
committed to supporting science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics education in California.
c) Have the following members appointed by the Chair of the
Senate Rules Committee:
i) Two members of the Senate, each serving for a term
of two years and only to the extent that their service is
consistent with their duties as Members of the
Legislature, with one member appointed from the majority
party and the other member from the minority party;
ii) Two K-12 teachers with current public classroom
experience in science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, or industrial arts education and with a
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membership in a state or national professional
association on science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, or industrial arts education;, and,
iii) One representative of a business or association
committed to supporting science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics education in California.
d) Hold at least one annual meeting that is open to the
public, annually submit a report on its work to the
Legislature, and develop and support an Internet Web site
to publicize the mission of the task force and to provide
resources to California citizens, educators and industry
employers;
e) Not accept state funding, but has the authority to
accept private funds and in-kind donations to pay expenses;
and,
f) Ceases to exist on January 1, 2014, unless a resolution
is enacted before to delete or extend that date.
5)Resolves that non-legislative members of the Task Force:
a) Be at-will appointees serving at the pleasure of their
appointing authority for a term of up to two years; and,
b) Conduct the business of the Task Force on a volunteer
basis, not receive a salary for services, and not be
reimbursed for travel or any other expenses incurred as
task force members.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires school districts to adopt a course of study for
grades 1 to 6 that includes instruction in English,
mathematics, social sciences, science, visual and performing
arts, health, physical education, and other areas that may be
prescribed by the governing board; also requires school
districts to adopt a course of study for grades 7 to 12 that
includes instruction in these same areas, as well as in
foreign language, applied arts, career technical education,
automobile driver education.
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2)Requires the State Board of Education to adopt statewide
content standards in the curriculum areas of reading, writing,
mathematics, history/social science, and science.
FISCAL EFFECT : This bill is keyed non-fiscal.
COMMENTS : According to the National Center for Education
Statistics, over 30% of U.S. grade 4 students and 20% of grade 8
students cannot perform basic mathematical computations.
Results from California's statewide assessments show results
that are at least as poor. In the Third International Math and
Science Survey conducted in 1995, U.S. grade 4 students ranked
12th against other nations when it came to mathematics
competency, 6th in science competency. By grade 8 their ranking
dropped to 19th in mathematics - below not only students in
countries such as Korea, Japan and Taiwan, but also below
students in many Eastern European nations such as Bulgaria, the
Czech Republic and Slovenia - and to 18th in science. More
recent rankings of U.S. students relative to their counterparts
around the globe have been no more encouraging with respect to
America's future ability to compete.
Student interest in science and technology has also eroded over
time in higher education. In 1960, 17% of the bachelor or
graduate degrees in the U.S. was awarded in engineering,
mathematics or the physical sciences; however, by 2001 that
proportion had dropped to just 8%, a decline of more than 50%
from 1960. That 8% in 2001 translated to only 148,000 degrees
granted, the smallest number in two decades. In addition, fewer
than 10% of U.S. graduate degrees granted are conferred in
engineering, mathematics and computer science, placing the U.S.
20th internationally in terms of the share of graduate degrees
granted in these critical areas. Furthermore, more than 40% of
U.S. doctoral students in engineering, mathematics and computer
science are foreign nationals. Numerous U.S. workforce studies
in recent years have projected a continuing and growing shortage
relative to the demand for professionals trained in these
technical fields.
According to the author, "the state of California's
competitiveness in the world economy is highly dependant on its
ability to better educate young people in the science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics subject areas.
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Nationally the idea of promoting STEM education has developed a
prominent status among those tasked with identifying and
projecting economic growth. Recognizing a need for improvements
in the education of these subjects, the STEM Education Caucus
was created in the U.S. House of Representatives and currently
at the forefront on education issues related to science,
technology, engineering, and math in America." The intent of
this bill is to have the Legislature resolve to establish the
Task Force in order to provide a forum for discussions on state
policy, and to create a focus on hiring qualified teachers,
providing career direction for students, improving student
interest in STEM subjects, and increasing education funding for
the sciences.
Analysis Prepared by : Gerald Shelton / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0002700