BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ķ



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          SENATE THIRD READING
          SB 1540 (Hancock)
          As Amended  August 20, 2012
          Majority vote 

           SENATE VOTE  :38-0  
           
           EDUCATION           8-0         APPROPRIATIONS      16-0        
           
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |Ayes:|Brownley, Ammiano,        |Ayes:|Gatto, Harkey,            |
          |     |Buchanan, Butler, Carter, |     |Blumenfield, Bradford,    |
          |     |Eng, Wagner, Williams     |     |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
          |     |                          |     |Davis, Fuentes, Hall,     |
          |     |                          |     |Hill, Cedillo, Mitchell,  |
          |     |                          |     |Nielsen, Norby, Solorio,  |
          |     |                          |     |Wagner                    |
          |-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
          |     |                          |     |                          |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
           SUMMARY  :  Authorizes the State Board of Education (SBE) to 
          consider the adoption of a revised curriculum framework and 
          evaluation criteria for instructional materials in 
          history-social science (H/SS).  Prohibits the California 
          Department of Education (CDE) from conducting work necessary to 
          revise the curriculum framework and evaluation criteria for 
          instructional materials in H/SS until after CDE has completed 
          work related to the development of curriculum frameworks for the 
          common core academic content standards.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Assembly Appropriations 
          Committee, one-time General Fund administrative costs to the CDE 
          likely between $100,000 and $150,000, to complete the H/SS 
          curriculum framework and evaluation criteria, as specified.  
          Further, it estimates potential General Fund/Proposition 98 cost 
          pressure, likely in the low millions, to provide local education 
          agencies (LEAs) with funding to purchase H/SS instructional 
          materials.

           COMMENTS  :  According to the author, "In 2009, the K-12 History 
          Social Science Framework recommendations were near completion 
          when the work of the Commission was suspended because the 
          process and procedures for adopting instructional materials, 
          including framework revisions, were included in the flexibility 








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          provisions of the Budget. The flexibility provisions were 
          extended again in the 2011 Budget to the year 2015-16. As a 
          result, the K-12 History Social Science Framework in place today 
          is the Framework adopted in 2003 based upon Standards adopted in 
          1998."

          This bill authorizes the SBE to consider the adoption of a 
          revised curriculum framework and evaluation criteria for 
          instructional materials in H/SS, but only authorizes the CDE to 
          do so after CDE has completed work related to the development of 
          curriculum frameworks for the common core academic standards. 

          Current restrictions:  Consistent with the categorical 
          flexibility provisions extended to the year 2015-16 in the 2011 
          Budget, current law prohibits the SBE from adopting 
          instructional materials or curriculum frameworks for all 
          subjects with the exception of mathematics and English language 
          arts.  Mathematics and English language arts were exempted from 
          this restriction as a result of AB 250 (Brownley), Chapter 608, 
          Statutes of 2011, which sought to implement the common core 
          standards adopted through SB 1 X5 (Steinberg), Chapter 2, 
          Statutes of 2009-2010, Fifth Extraordinary Session. 
           
           H/SS content changes frequently:  As highlighted in the author's 
          statement, California's H/SS frameworks have not been updated 
          since 2003, which are based upon standards from 1998. Supporters 
          of this bill argue that these standards are outdated and do not 
          appropriately include information about important topics and 
          occurrences such as the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, 
          the following wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the impact of these 
          events on different groups and populations and other critical 
          topics.  Proponents seem to argue that due to the frequent 
          changes in history, delays in the adoption of H/SS curriculum 
          frameworks have a more immediate impact because the delay may 
          limit student access to this information.  There will, even when 
          the regular six year adoption cycle resumes, however, likely 
          always be at least a short lag in curricular information as 
          compared to current trends and events. 

          Much of the support for this measure seems to center on the need 
          for curriculum frameworks in California to reflect new 
          information that is prevalent in recent history.  The updated 
          curriculum frameworks that would be adopted by this bill would 
          still reflect the 1998 H/SS standards.  An updated curriculum 








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          framework may to be able to include more contemporary events and 
          trends, but would be limited to the content in the standards, 
          thus raising the question about whether a full review and update 
          of the H/SS standards would be a more comprehensive approach. 

          Much of the H/SS curriculum framework is already completed:  On 
          July 17, 2009, the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC), 
          formerly the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials 
          Commission, approved the draft update of the H/SS framework for 
          field review.  Shortly thereafter, due to budget action, the 
          field review was suspended.  The CDE also suspended work related 
          to the revision of frameworks for science, health, and 
          mathematics. Numerous groups and individuals raised concern 
          about the suspension of the framework revision and adoption 
          process, particularly in regard to the H/SS framework that was 
          close to completion. Many argued that the work on the H/SS 
          framework should be completed even without an immediate 
          instructional materials adoption because such a framework would 
          provide updated content and pedagogical strategies for teachers 
          to help their students acquire updated and relevant knowledge 
          and skills.  This bill follows that logic and requires the 
          adoption of a H/SS framework even while the instructional 
          materials adoption process remains suspended. 
           
           Authorizing CDE only after completion of common core work:  
          Current law requires the SBE to adopt new common core standards 
          and aligned mathematics and English language arts frameworks by 
          May 30, 2013, and May 30, 2014, respectively. If this bill is 
          enacted, work by the CDE on a revised H/SS framework would only 
          be authorized to begin after May 2014. 

          Prior legislation:  SB 1278 (Wyland) of 2010, requires the SBE 
          to adopt a revised framework and evaluation criteria for H/SS in 
          2011.  SB 1278 was held in the Assembly Appropriations 
          Committee.

          AB 2069 (Carter) of 2010, requires the SBE to adopt a revised 
          framework and evaluation criteria for H/SS by July 1, 2011.  AB 
          2069 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.  
           

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Mark Murphy and Marisol Aviņa / ED. / 
          (916) 319-2087 









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