Amended in Assembly April 2, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1539

Introduced by Assembly Member Hagman

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Brown, Nestande, and Waldron)

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(Coauthor: Senator Knight)

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January 22, 2014

An act to add Section 60605.4 to the Education Code, relating to content standards.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1539, as amended, Hagman. Content standards: computer science.

Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt statewide academically rigorous content standards, pursuant to recommendations of the Commission for the Establishment of Academic Content and Performance Standards, in core curriculum areas.

This bill would require the begin insert state end insert board to adopt begin insert , on or before July 31, 2015, end insert computer science content standards, pursuant to recommendations developed by a group of computer science experts begin delete , end delete begin insert and in consideration of national computer science content standards, end insert that provide begin delete a framework end delete begin insert guidance end insert for teaching computer science education in grades 7 to 12, inclusive. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, to convene that group of experts and ensure that the group includes individuals from begin insert specified end insert groups begin delete specified in this bill end delete .

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 60605.4 is added to the Education Code,
to read:

60605.4.  

(a) On or before July begin delete 1, end delete begin insert 31, end insert 2015, the begin delete State Board of
Education end delete begin insert state board end insert shall adopt computer science begin insert content end insert
standards, pursuant to recommendations developed by a group of
computer science experts begin delete , end delete begin insert and in consideration of national
computer science content standards, end insert that provide begin delete a framework end delete
begin insert guidance end insert for teaching computer science education in grades 7 to
12, inclusive. The content standards shall include, but not
necessarily be limited to, standards for teaching coding. For
purposes of this section, “coding” is the process of converting a
program design into an accurate and detailed representation of that
program in a suitable language.

(b)  begin insert (1) end insert begin insert   end insert The Superintendent, in consultation with the state board,
shall convene the group of experts required in subdivision (a), and
shall ensure that the members of the group include, but are not
necessarily limited to, begin delete individuals who are, science teachers in
grades 7 to 12, inclusive, schoolsite principals, school district or
county office of education administrators, university professors,
and representatives of private sector business or industry. end delete begin insert all of
the following: end insert

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(A) Teachers who teach computer science, including
mathematics and science teachers, in grades 7 to 12, inclusive.

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(B) Schoolsite principals.

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(C) School district or county office of education administrators.

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(D) University professors.

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(E) Representatives of private sector business or industry.

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(2) The Superintendent, in consultation with the state board,
shall ensure that one-half of the members of the group are teachers
as described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1).

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(c) The content standards may be used by school districts to
develop computer science programs and course assessments but
are not mandatory.