BILL NUMBER: AB 1539	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 10, 2014
	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  encourage   require 
the Instructional Quality Commission to develop and recommend to the
state board, on or before July 31, 2016, computer science content
standards, pursuant to recommendations developed by a group of
computer science experts. The bill would  express that the
Legislature encourages   require  the commission to
consider existing computer science content standards, including, but
not limited to, national K-12 computer science content standards
developed by the Computer Science Teachers Association. The bill
would  encourage   require  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, 2016, the Instructional
Quality Commission  is encouraged to   shall
 develop and recommend to the state board computer science
content standards, pursuant to recommendations developed by a group
of computer science experts. The  Legislature encourages the
 Instructional Quality Commission  to  
shall  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   shall
 convene the group of experts referenced in subdivision (a), and
 is encouraged to  shall  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.