BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 700 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 1, 2013 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION Joan Buchanan, Chair AB 700 (Gomez) - As Introduced: February 21, 2013 SUBJECT : Pupil Instruction: Social Science: Voter Education SUMMARY : Requires the social studies courses specified in statute to include a voter education component and requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to develop a model curriculum framework for this process. Specifically, this bill : 1)Requires the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12 in the social sciences be amended to include a voter education component in grade 8 and in any of the grades 9-12, inclusive, that provides instruction on how to register and cast votes in local, state, and federal elections and how to use the voter information pamphlet and other materials to become an informed voter. 2)Requires that, beginning in the 2014-15 school year, the one-semester course in American government and civics identified as a high school graduation requirement, include a voter education component that provides instruction on how to register and cast votes in local, state, and federal elections and how to use the voter information pamphlet and other materials to become an informed voter. 3)Requires the CDE to develop and adopt a model curriculum framework for a voter education component in social studies classes to be implemented commencing with the 2014-15 school year. 4)Makes technical non-substantive amendments to these sections. 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 AB 700 Page 2 social sciences. 2)Requires that a pupil shall complete courses in specified course areas including social science which shall include the subjects of United States history and geography; world history, culture, and geography; a one-semester course in American government and civics; and a one-semester course in economics in order to receive a high school diploma. 3)Permits the State Board of Education (SBE) to consider the adoption of revised framework and evaluation criteria for instructional materials in history-social science but prevents the CDE from engaging in this work until after it has completed work related to the development of curriculum frameworks for the common core academic standards. FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown COMMENTS : This bill amends Education Code section 51225.3 which currently exists in two forms. AB 1330 (Furutani), Chapter 621, Statutes of 2011, expanded the high school graduation requirements, beginning with the 2012-13 school year (class of 2013). The provisions of AB 1330 will be repealed as of the beginning of the 2017-18 school year (July 1, 2017), unless these provisions are extended by legislative action. This amendment has resulted in two code sections in print simultaneously, though only one is operative. Voter Education Historically, voter turnout among those under age 30 is lower than among other age groups. In an article published February 21, 2013, Project Vote, a national nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that promotes voting in historically underrepresented communities, concluded that establishing partnerships, actively involving students and teachers, including a civic education component, and enacting innovative voter registration programs are strategies that can increase voter turnout and engagement among young people under the age of 30. Similarly, the League of Women Voters found that 91 percent of the young people who registered to vote in 2008 actually turned out to cast a ballot; unfortunately, less than half of all 18-year-olds were registered to vote. The League of Women Voters reported "it is lack of information, not lack of interest, that keeps [young people] on the sidelines at election time." AB 700 Page 3 Currently, California has a program available to students titled My Vote in which the Secretary of State and the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) encourage students to become active and informed voters once they are old enough to cast a ballot. In this program, high school and middle school students, teachers, and principals participate in a mock election, which takes place in late October, about a week before each regularly scheduled statewide general election. Students gain firsthand knowledge of how citizens make their voice heard in our democracy, and experience the power of their votes when thousands of California's high school and middle school students have their say on the candidates and issues on Student Mock Election Day. Curriculum and Instruction This bill requires local governing boards to modify their adopted course of study for the existing course in American Government that encompasses the prescribed voter education component. This bill also requires the CDE to develop a model curriculum framework that could serve as a resource for the local educational agencies as they implement these new course requirements. It is not clear whether this framework may be added to the history/ social science framework or whether this would require the CDE to develop a standalone framework that includes only the voter education content. A number of bills have been introduced this year proposing to require the instruction of a specific topic. The committee may wish to consider the extent to which content should be developed through statutory incorporation versus through the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) and local school boards when adopting a local course of study. Specifically, the committee recommends, removing the requirements that the local courses of study and course requirements for graduation be modified to include a voter education component. The committee also recommends deleting the requirement that the CDE develop and adopt a model curriculum framework for the voter education component. Finally, the committee recommends amending this bill to require the IQC, when the history-social science frameworks are next revised, to encourage a voter education component to be included in the American Government and Civics course that would include instruction on how to register and cast votes in local, state, and federal elections, and how to use the voter information pamphlet and other materials for the purpose of becoming an AB 700 Page 4 informed voter. Related legislation . AB 123 (Bonta), passed out of this committee on March 20, 2013, requires instruction on the contributions of Filipino Americans to the farm labor movement in California. AB 137 (Buchanan), passed out of this committee on April 17, 2013, requires the IQC to receive input from specified experts on civic learning the next time the history-social science frameworks are developed and encourages civic learning content to be integrated throughout the history-social science framework. AB 166 (Hernández), passed out of this committee on March 20, 2013, requires instruction in economics provided in grades 7 through 12 to include instruction related to personal finances. AB 391 (Wieckowski), passed out of this committee on April 17, 2013, specifies the next time the history-social science frameworks are developed that they encourage financial literacy and requires the SPI to update the exiting consumer economics course to include instruction in personal financial literacy. AB 424 (Donnelly) failed to pass out of this committee, encourages the addition of the Magna Carta, the Articles of Confederation, and the California Constitution to be added to the historical documents that are required to be incorporated into history-social science curriculum framework and encouraged instruction in the social sciences to include the development of democracy and the history of the development of the United States Constitution. The author has requested a re-hearing by this committee to consider an amended version of this bill. SB 113 (Jackson), currently being held in the Senate Appropriations Committee's suspense file, amends existing law which currently authorizes a person who is at least 17 years of age and otherwise meets all voter eligibility requirements to submit his or her affidavit of registration, to lower the minimum age for purposes of submitting an affidavit of registration to 15 years of age. SB 552 (Calderon), pending in the Senate Education Committee, provides that instruction in the area of social sciences may include instruction on violence awareness. AB 700 Page 5 Previous legislation : SB 993 (De León), Chapter 211, Statutes of 2012, authorizes instruction in social science for grades 7-12 to include information about the Bracero program. This measure was passed by the Assembly Education Committee by a vote of 7-2. 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 United States army in World War II. This measure was passed by the Assembly Education Committee by a vote of 7-0. 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. This measure was passed by the Assembly Education Committee by a vote of 7-4. REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION : Support American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) California Federation of Teachers California State Council of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) School for Integrated Academies and Technologies (SIATech) Opposition California Council for the Social Studies Analysis Prepared by : Jill Rice / ED. / (916) 319-2087