BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó






                         SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                                Carol Liu, Chair
                           2013-2014 Regular Session
                                        

          BILL NO:       AB 137
          AUTHOR:        Buchanan
          AMENDED:       May 6, 2013
          FISCAL COMM:   Yes            HEARING DATE:  June 12, 2013
          URGENCY:       No             CONSULTANT:    Lynn Lorber

           SUBJECT  :  History-social science framework: civics.
          
           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission,  
          when revising the history-social science framework, to  
          receive input from civics learning experts and consider how  
          civics and history instruction includes the application of  
          that content.

           BACKGROUND  

          Academic content standards define the knowledge, concepts,  
          and skills that pupils should acquire at each grade level  
          (the "what").  Curricular frameworks are the blueprint for  
          implementing the standards, and include criteria by which  
          instructional materials are evaluated (the "how").

          The processes for reviewing frameworks and adopting  
          instructional materials have been suspended since July 28,  
          2009.  The State Board of Education (SBE) is specifically  
          prohibited from reviewing frameworks and adopting  
          instructional materials until the 2015-16 school year,  
          except as provided below.  
          (Education Code § 60200.7)

          Notwithstanding the suspension, current law:

          1)   Requires the SBE to adopt revised frameworks that are  
               aligned to the common core standards in:

               a)        Mathematics by November 30, 2013. 

               b)        English language arts by May 30, 2014.  (EC  
                    § 60207)




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          2)   Authorizes the SBE to adopt a revised framework for  
               history social science, but only after the California  
               Department of Education has completed work related to  
               the frameworks for the common core standards.  (EC §  
               60200.8)

          Civics is generally included in the history-social science  
          standards and framework, with several references to the  
          United States and California Constitutions and democracy.  

          Current law requires the SBE and the California Department  
          of Education (CDE) to request that the Instructional  
          Quality Commission (IQC) review and revise, as necessary,  
          the course requirements in the history-social science  
          framework to ensure that minimum standards for courses in  
          American government and civics include sufficient attention  
          to teaching students how to interact, in a practical  
          manner, with state and local governmental agencies and  
          representatives to solve problems and to petition for  
          changes in laws and procedures.  When the history-social  
          science framework is revised, the IQC must ensure that the  
          following historical documents are incorporated into the  
          framework, as appropriate:

                 The Declaration of Independence.

                 The United States Constitution, including the Bill  
 
               of Rights.

                 The Federalist Papers.

                 The Emancipation Proclamation.

                 The Gettysburg Address.

                 George Washington's Farewell Address.  (EC § 33540)

           ANALYSIS
           
           This bill  requires the Instructional Quality Commission,  
          when revising the history-social science framework, to  
          receive input from civics learning experts and consider how  
          civics and history instruction includes the application of  
          that content.  Specifically, this bill:




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          1)   Requires the Instructional Quality Commission,  
               whenever the history-social science framework is  
               revised, to do all of the following:

                    a)             Receive input from civics learning  
                    experts for the purpose of integrating civics  
                    learning content, concepts and skills, at all  
                    appropriate grade levels, with the standards in  
                    core curriculum areas.

                    b)             Consider how civics and history  
                    instruction, at all appropriate grade levels,  
                    includes, in addition to the acquisition of  
                    content knowledge, the application of that  
                    content to develop the competence and skills  
                    needed for civic engagement.  

          2)   Specifies that civics learning experts include civics  
               education program providers, associations of civics  
               educators, and organizations dedicated to research on  
               civics learning.

          3)   Requires the State Board of Education and California  
               Department of Education to request the Instructional  
               Quality Commission to ensure that course requirements  
               for American government and civics are included in all  
               history and social science courses and grade levels,  
               as appropriate. 

          4)   States legislative intent that the requirements  
               imposed by this bill be satisfied through the existing  
               process to revise and update the history-social  
               science framework. 

           STAFF COMMENTS  

           1)   Need for the bill  .  According to the author, "While  
               the intent of any civic education is to provide  
               students with an understanding of our national and  
               state governments, civic education goes far beyond an  
               academic understanding of democracy.  The ultimate  
               goal of any civic education program must be to  
               encourage individuals to actively engage in the  
               practice of democracy in the United States and other  
               countries.  Civic education in our K-12 schools is a  




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               critical first step to ensure that the principles of  
               democracy continue."

           2)   History-social science framework  .  The most recent  
               version of the history-social science framework was  
               adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE) in 2005.  
                A review of this framework was underway and nearly  
               complete when the state suspended the process due to  
               budget constraints in July 2009.  

          Current law prohibits the State Board of Education (SBE)  
               from revising curricular frameworks or criteria by  
               which instructional materials are evaluated until the  
               2015-16 school year, other than for the common core  
               standards in English language arts and mathematics and  
               the history-social science framework. 

          The Instructional Quality Commission is expected to  
               complete the process of updating the history-social  
               science framework in the Fall of 2017.  This bill  
               states intent that the current history-social science  
               framework process satisfies the requirements of this  
               bill, ensuring that the review process would not be  
               restarted from the beginning (the review of this  
               framework was suspended prior to the 60-day comment  
               period and, once resumed, will include input from  
               civics learning experts as required by this bill).  

           3)   Fiscal impact  .  According to the Assembly  
               Appropriations Committee analysis, to the extent the  
               requirements of this bill can be met through the  
               scheduled history-social science curriculum framework  
               review process, there will be minor, absorbable  
               General Fund costs to the California Department of  
               Education (CDE) to implement this measure.  If these  
               requirements cannot be achieved within the existing  
               review process, there will likely be one-time General  
               Fund administrative costs to CDE between $75,000 and  
               $100,000.    

           4)   Technical amendment needed  .  This bill requires the  
               Instructional Quality Commission to receive input from  
               civics learning experts for the purpose of integrating  
               civics instruction with the standards in core  
               curriculum areas, with a cross-reference to the  
               standards adopted by the SBE.  Staff recommends an  




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               amendment to also reference the common core standards  
               that have been adopted by the SBE, which include  
               literacy standards in history-social science, science  
               and technical subjects.  (On page 2, line 22, after  
               "60605" insert "and 60605.8.")  
           
           5)   Related legislation  .  AB 123 (Bonta) requires the SBE  
               to ensure the state curriculum, frameworks and  
               evaluation criteria include instruction on the  
               contributions of immigrants, including Filipino  
               Americans, to the farm labor movement in the United  
               States.  AB 123 is pending in the Senate.

          AB 166 (Hernandez) requires the next revision of the  
               curricular frameworks for history-social science,  
               mathematics, and health to include financial literacy,  
               as specified.  AB 166 is scheduled to be heard by this  
               Committee on June 12. 

          AB 391 (Wieckowski) requires the history-social science  
               curriculum framework, when it is revised, to ensure it  
               encourages instruction related to the understanding of  
               personal finances, including budgeting, savings,  
               credit and loans, identity theft, and paying for  
               postsecondary education.  AB 391 also requires  
               information on budgeting, savings, loans, identity  
               theft/security, and planning for postsecondary  
               education to be included in a one semester  
               instructional program entitled consumer economics for  
               use in grades 7-12.  AB 391 was held on the Assembly  
               Appropriations Committee's suspense file.

          AB 424 (Donnelly) requires the Instructional Quality  
               Commission, when revising the history-social science  
               framework, to consider incorporating into the  
               framework the Magna Carta. Articles of Confederation,  
               and California Constitution.  AB 424 also requires the  
               Commission to encourage instruction that promotes an  
               understanding of the governments of California and the  
               United States.  AB 424 is pending in the Senate.

          AB 700 (Gomez) requires the Instructional Quality  
               Commission, when revising the history-social science  
               framework, to include voter education information in  
               the high school American Government and civics  
               courses, including information on the importance of  




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               registering to vote in local, state, and federal  
               elections, and where how to access the voter  
               information pamphlet and other materials to become an  
               informed voter, to be included.  AB 700 is pending in  
               the Senate.

          SB 521 (Wyland) requires the SBE and CDE to request the  
               Instructional Quality Commission, when revising the  
               history-social science framework, to update the  
               courses in American Government and civics to include  
               the 


               comparative differences between the rights of the  
               citizens in American and those in other countries, and  
               the connection of civics and American government to  
               western civilizations.  SB 521 is pending in this  
               Committee.

               SB 552 (Calderon) authorizes social science  
               instruction in grades 7-12 to include instruction on  
               violence awareness.  SB 552 is pending in the Assembly  
               Education Committee.

               SB 696 (Block) requires the Superintendent of Public  
               Instruction to report to the Legislature and recommend  
               to the SBE for adoption a project-based assessment to  
               measure the civics learning objectives contained in  
               the history-social science framework for grades 6-12.   
               SB 696 was held on the Senate Appropriations  
               Committee's suspense file.

               SB 619 (Yee) requires the CDE, if private funds are  
               secured for this purpose, to develop and make  
               available online a state employee civics orientation  
               on federal and state government by January 1, 2015.   
               SB 619 was held on the Senate Appropriations  
               Committee's suspense file.

           SUPPORT  

          Association of California School Administrators
          California Chamber of Commerce
          California Federation of Teachers
          California Teachers Association
          Sonoma County Bar Association




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           OPPOSITION

           None on file.