BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 424
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 3, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Joan Buchanan, Chair
AB 424 (Donnelly) - As Amended: March 13, 2013
SUBJECT : Pupil Instruction: Social Science
SUMMARY : Requires instruction in the social sciences to
include the development of democracy and the history of the
development of the United States (U.S.) Constitution and
requires specified historical documents be included in the
history-social science (H/SS) framework. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Specifies that historical documents, as identified, must be
incorporated into the H/SS framework based on the subject
matter of the course.
2)Adds the Magna Carta, the Articles of Confederation, and the
California Constitution to the historical documents that are
required to be incorporated into the H/SS framework.
3)Requires the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12 in the
social sciences to include the development of democracy and
the history of the development of the U.S. Constitution.
4)Provides that this act shall not be construed to require the
Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to meet specifically
for this purpose, but shall be implemented with the regular
adoption schedule.
5)Requires reimbursement though the Commission on State Mandates
if the commission determines that this act contains costs
mandated by the state.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Specifies that the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12
shall offer courses in specified areas of study, including
English, foreign language, physical education, science,
mathematics, visual and performing arts, applied arts, career
technical education, automobile driver education, and social
sciences. (Education Code (EC) Section 51220)
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2)Requires social studies instruction to provide a foundation
for understanding the history, resources, development, and
government of California and the U.S.; instruction in our
American legal system, the operation of the juvenile and adult
criminal justice systems, and the rights and duties of
citizens under the criminal and civil law and the State and
Federal Constitutions; the development of the American
economic system, including the role of the entrepreneur and
labor; the relations of persons to their human and natural
environment; eastern and western cultures and civilizations;
and human rights issues, with particular attention to the
study of the inhumanity of genocide, slavery, and the
Holocaust, and contemporary issues. (EC Section 51220)
3)Requires the IQC to ensure that the following historical
documents are incorporated, as appropriate, into the H/SS
framework:
a) The Declaration of Independence.
b) The U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights.
c) The Federalist Papers.
d) The Emancipation Proclamation.
e) The Gettysburg Address.
f) George Washington's Farewell Address.
4)Requires instruction in social sciences for grades 7 to 12,
inclusive, to provide a foundation for understanding the
history, resources, development, and government of California
and the United States of America.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : The requirements of this bill are already being met
by existing law and practice.
First, this bill adds the Magna Carta, the Articles of
Confederation, and the California Constitution to the list of
required documents to be incorporated into the H/SS framework.
The adopted H/SS framework already includes seven references to
the Magna Carta, three references to the Articles of
Confederation, and three references to the California
Constitution.
Second, this bill mandates instruction in the social sciences to
include the development of democracy and the history of the
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development of the U.S. Constitution. The Education Code
already requires instruction in social science to include
instruction in the State and Federal Constitutions.
Additionally, one of the three main goals of the H/SS framework
is to promote democratic understanding and civic values. To
this end, the H/SS content standards and framework already
include various areas of instruction on democracy and the U.S.
Constitution. Some of these standards are found in both
elementary and secondary grade levels. Examples include:
1)A discussion of what the U.S. Constitution is and why it is
important and understanding the purpose of the California
Constitution, its key principles, and its relationship to the
U.S. Constitution. (Standard 4.5)
2)A description of people and events associated with the
development of the U.S. Constitution and analyze the
Constitution's significance as the foundation of the American
republic. (Standard 5.7)
3)A discussion on the meaning of the American creed that calls
on citizens to safeguard the liberty of individual Americans
within a unified nation, to respect the rule of law, and to
preserve the Constitution. (Standard 5.7.5)
4)An understanding of the major events preceding the founding of
the nation and relate their significance to the development of
American constitutional democracy. (Standard 8.1)
5)An analysis of the political principles underlying the U.S.
Constitution and compare the enumerated and implied powers of
the federal government. (Standard 8.2)
Additionally, the grade 12 standards revolve around the
principles of American democracy, starting with standard 12.1,
which requires students to explain the fundamental principles
and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S.
Constitution and other essential documents of American
democracy.
Content Standards and Curriculum Frameworks . California
curriculum is based on content standards. The curriculum
frameworks are guidelines for implementing the standards that
are developed by the IQC and approved by the State Board of
Education (SBE). The IQC is an 18-member commission consisting
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of one member of the Assembly, one member of the Senate, and 16
public members. At least seven of the public members must have
taught, written, or lectured on the subject areas required for
graduation. The H/SS standards were developed in 1998 and the
H/SS framework was last revised in 2005. A review and update of
this framework was underway and nearly complete when the state
suspended the process on July 28, 2009 due to fiscal
constraints. The SBE is specifically prohibited from reviewing
frameworks and adopting instructional materials until the
2015-16 school year. SB 1540 (Hancock), Chapter 288, Statutes
of 2012, authorizes the SBE to consider the adoption of a
revised curriculum framework and evaluation criteria for
instructional materials in H/SS, but prohibits the California
Department of Education (CDE) from conducting any work until
after CDE has completed work related to the development of
curriculum frameworks for the common core content standards.
A number of bills have been introduced this year proposing to
require the instruction of a specific topic. The Committee
should consider the extent to which content should be developed
through statutory incorporation versus through the IQC process.
The IQC members have subject matter expertise and can balance
competing demands for limited instructional time.
Related legislation . AB 123 (Bonta), passed out of this
committee on March 20, 2013, requires that instruction on the
contributions of Filipino Americans to the farm labor movement
in California.
AB 137 (Buchanan), pending in this Committee, requires the IQC
to receive input from specified experts on civic learning the
next time the history-social science frameworks are revised and
specifies civic learning content to be taught.
AB 166 (Hern�ndez), also passed out of this committee on March
20, 2013 on today's agenda, requires instruction in economics
provided in grades 7 through 12 to include instruction related
to personal finances.
AB 700 (Gomez), pending in this Committee, requires instruction
in the social sciences in grade 8 and in any grades 9 to 12,
inclusive, and the one-semester course in American government
and civics that is required for high school graduation, to
include a voter education component providing instruction in how
to register and cast votes in local, state, and federal
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elections, and how to use the voter information pamphlet and
other materials to become an informed voter.
SB 552 (Calderon), pending in the Senate Education Committee,
provides that instruction in the area of social sciences may
include instruction on violence awareness, which may include a
component drawn from personal testimony in the form of oral or
video histories of individuals who were involved with violence
awareness efforts.
Prior related legislation . SB 993 (De Le�n), Chapter 211,
Statutes of 2012, authorizes instruction in social science for
grades 7-12 to include information about the Bracero program.
AB 1967 (Perez), Chapter 582, Statutes of 2012, requires the IQC
and the SBE to ensure the health and science frameworks, adopted
in the course of the next submission cycle, include the subject
of organ procurement and tissue donation.
AB 199 (Ma & Cook), Chapter 607, Statutes of 2011, encourages
social studies instruction to include instruction on the role
and contributions of Filipino Americans in the U.S. army in
World War II.
SB 48 (Leno), Chapter 81, Statutes of 2011, requires instruction
in social science to include the role and contributions of
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Jill Rice / ED. / (916) 319-2087