AB 1530, as amended, Chau. Model curricula: computer science.
Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to includebegin insert instructionend insert in various areas of study, including, but not limited to, English, mathematics, and social sciences. Existing law requires the State Department of Education to adopt model curricula in certain areas of instruction, including, among others, driver education and training, gang violence suppression, and substance abuse prevention.
This bill wouldbegin delete encourageend deletebegin insert requireend insert the Superintendent of Public Instruction tobegin delete identify, develop, or, as needed, reviseend deletebegin insert
consider identifying, developing, or, as needed, revisingend insert
new or existing model curricula on computer science, and to submit, on or before July 1, 2017, the model curricula to the State Board of Education for adoption. The bill, in addition to funds that may be appropriated by the Legislature for purposes of implementing the provisions of the bill, would authorize the Superintendent to seek out alternative nonstate funding sources to defray the cost of identifying, developing, or revising the model curricula. The bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2018, and would repeal them on January 1, 2019.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Article 7 (commencing with Section 51300) is
2added to Chapter 2 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the 3Education Code, to read:
4
It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the
8establishment of programs of instruction in computer science, with
9instruction beginning as early as feasible for each school district.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
11(a) Computer science is an established discipline at the collegiate
12and postgraduate levels, but the integration of computer science
13concepts into kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive,begin delete curriculumend delete
14begin insert curriculaend insert has not kept pace in the United States.
15(b) Computer science education is not just about access to
16computers or about preparing pupils to be passive users of
17technology, it is about preparing
pupils to be innovative creators
18of new technologies.
19(c) Our educational system should prepare our pupils in
20kindergarten and grades 1 to 6, inclusive, with the fundamental
21computer science knowledge, skills, insights, and perspectives
22they need for future success and for a world in which computing
23is everywhere. While computer usage in classrooms is increasing,
24knowledge and familiarity about computing is not keeping pace.
25(d) The goal of computer science curricula in kindergarten and
26grades 1 to 6, inclusive, should be to introduce the fundamental
27concepts of computer science, including instruction on
28computational thinking, algorithmic processes and principles,
29hardware and software design, computer applications, and the
30impact of computers on society, and to increase the knowledge
of
31computer science for all pupils, especially those pupils who are
32members of underrepresented groups.
P3 1(e) The National Science Foundation and nonprofit organizations
2publish and maintain comprehensive computer science curricula
3for use in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that are free
4of charge to all persons. These curricula promote an introduction
5to, and an understanding of, the fundamental concepts of computer
6programming and coding.
The Superintendentbegin delete is encouraged to identify, develop, begin insert shall consider identifying, developing, or, as
8or, as needed, reviseend delete
9needed, revisingend insert new or existing model curricula on computer
10science, and to submit, on or before July 1, 2017, the model
11curricula to the state board for adoption. Upon adoption, the
12Superintendent shall make the model curricula available on the
13department’s Internet Web site.
In addition to any funds that may be appropriated by
15the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for
16purposes of implementing this article, the Superintendent may
17seek out, apply for, and accept nonstate funding sources to defray
18the cost of identifying, developing, or revising the model curricula
19pursuant to this article, including, but not limited to, federal funds,
20grant programs, and private funds.
This article shall become inoperative on July 1, 2018,
22and as of January 1, 2019, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
23that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.
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