BILL NUMBER: AB 1539	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 27, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 22, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 2, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Hagman
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Brown, Nestande, and Waldron)
   (Coauthor: Senator Knight)

                        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   encourage 
the Instructional Quality Commission to develop and recommend to the
state board, on or before July 31,  2015,  
2016,  computer science content standards, pursuant to
recommendations developed by a group of computer science experts. The
bill would express that the Legislature encourages the commission to
consider existing computer science content standards, including, but
not  necessarily  limited to, national K-12
computer science  content  standards developed by the
Computer Science Teachers Association. The bill would encourage the
Superintendent  of Public Instruction  , in consultation
with the commission, to convene that group of experts and ensure that
the group includes individuals from specified groups.
   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 31,  2015,  
2016,  the Instructional Quality Commission is encouraged to
develop and recommend to the state  board,  
board  computer science content standards, pursuant to
recommendations developed by a group of computer science experts. The
Legislature encourages the Instructional Quality Commission to
consider existing computer science  content  standards,
which include, but are not limited to, the national K-12 computer
science  content  standards developed by the Computer
Science Teachers Association, and consider content standards that
include, but are not necessarily 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) (1) The Superintendent, in consultation with the Instructional
Quality Commission, is encouraged to convene the group of experts
referenced in subdivision (a), and is encouraged to ensure that the
members of the group include, but are not necessarily limited to, all
of the following:
   (A) Teachers who teach computer science, including mathematics and
science teachers, in grades 7 to 12, inclusive.
   (B) Schoolsite principals.
   (C) School district or county office of education administrators.
   (D) University professors.
   (E) Representatives of private sector business or industry.
   (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).
   (c) The  computer   science  content standards
may be used by school districts to develop computer science programs
and course assessments but are not mandatory.