BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó






                         SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                                Carol Liu, Chair
                           2013-2014 Regular Session
                                        

          BILL NO:       AB 1539
          AUTHOR:        Hagman
          AMENDED:       June 10, 2014
          FISCAL COMM:   Yes            HEARING DATE: June 25, 2014
          URGENCY:       No             CONSULTANT:Lynn Lorber

           SUBJECT  :  Computer science standards.  
          
           SUMMARY
          
          This bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission to  
          develop computer science content standards by July 31,  
          2016.

           BACKGROUND
           
          Academic content standards define the knowledge, concepts,  
          and skills that students should acquire at each grade  
          level.  Curricular frameworks are the blueprint for  
          implementing the standards, and include criteria by which  
          instructional materials are evaluated.

           Standards
           
          Current law:
           
           1)   Establishes the Academic Content Standards Commission  
               for the purpose of developing the common core  
               standards in English language arts and mathematics.   
               These standards were adopted by the State Board of  
               Education (SBE) on August 2, 2010.  The SBE adopted  
               revised frameworks for common core mathematics on  
               November 6, 2013, and is required to adopt revised  
               frameworks in common core English language arts by  
               July 30, 2014.  (Education Code § 60605.8 and § 60207)

          2)   Authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction  
               (SPI) to recommend modifications to the common core  









                                                               AB 1539
                                                                Page 2


               standards in mathematics by consulting with a group of  
               experts in mathematics.  The SBE adopted modified  
               mathematics standards in January 2013.  (EC §  
               60605.11)

          3)   Requires the SPI to update, revise and align the  
               English language development standards to the common  
               core standards in English language arts.  The SPI was  
               required to convene a group of experts to complete  
               this work, and the SBE adopted these standards on  
               November 7, 2012.  The SPI is required to convene a  
               group of experts to also modify the English language  
               development standards, by January 1, 2015, to link  
               with the common core standards in mathematics and  
               updated science standards.  (EC § 60811.3 and §  
               60811.4)

          4)   Requires the SPI to convene a group of science experts  
               to recommend science standards using the Next  
               Generation Science Standards.  The SBE adopted these  
               standards on September 4, 2013, and is required to  
               consider the adoption of a revised framework and  
               evaluation criteria by January 31, 2016.  (EC §  
               60605.85 and § 60200.9)

           ANALYSIS
           
           This bill  requires the Instructional Quality Commission to  
          develop computer science content standards by July 31,  
          2016.  Specifically, this bill:

          1)   Requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to  
               develop and recommend to the State Board of Education  
               (SBE), by July 31, 2016, computer science content  
               standards pursuant to recommendations developed by a  
               group of computer science experts.

          2)   Requires the IQC to consider:

                    a)             Existing computer science content  
                    standards including the national K-12 computer  










                                                               AB 1539
                                                                Page 3


                    science content standards developed by the  
                    Computer Science Teachers Association.

                    b)             Content standards that include,  
                    but are not limited to, standards for teaching  
                    coding.  This bill defines "coding" as the  
                    process of converting a program design into an  
                    accurate and detailed representation of that  
                    program in a suitable language.  

          3)   Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction  
               (SPI), in consultation with the IQC, to convene the  
               group of experts in computer science, and requires the  
               SPI to ensure that the members of the group include,  
               but are not limited to, all of the following:

                    a)             Teachers who teach computer  
                    science in grades 7-12, including mathematics and  
                    science teachers.

                    b)             Schoolsite principals.

                    c)             School district or county office  
                    of education administrators.

                    d)             University professors.

                    e)             Representatives of private sector  
                    business or industry.



               Requires the SPI, in consultation with the SBE, to  
               ensure that one-half of the members are teachers.

          4)   Authorizes the computer science content standards to  
               be used by school districts to develop computer  
               science programs and course assessments, and specifies  
               that the standards are not mandatory.

           STAFF COMMENTS










                                                               AB 1539
                                                                Page 4


           
           1)   Standards .  Content standards are currently in place  
               for the following subjects:

               a)        English language arts.

               b)        English language development.

               c)        Mathematics.

               d)        Science.

               e)        History-social science.

               f)        Career technical education.

               g)        Health.

               h)        Physical education.

               i)        Visual and performing arts.

               j)        Model school library.

               aa)       World language.

               This bill requires the development of stand-alone  
               standards in computer science, rather than  
               incorporating computer science into existing subjects  
               such as mathematics and science.  

           2)   Fidelity to the process  .  This bill requires the  
               Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to develop  
               standards in computer science, and requires the  
               Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to convene  
               a group of experts to develop the standards.  To keep  
               with the tradition of the Legislature in not reversing  
               the amendments of another committee, staff recommends  
               amendments to require the IQC to consider developing  
               standards in computer science and require the SPI to  
               consider convening the panel of experts.   










                                                               AB 1539
                                                                Page 5


           
           3)   Timing  .  The State Board of Education (SBE) adopted  
               common core standards in English language arts and  
               mathematics in August 2010, standards in English  
               language development that are aligned to the common  
               core in November 2012, and the Next Generation Science  
               Standards in September 2013.  There is no statutory  
               authorization or requirement for standards to be  
               developed, revised or adopted in any other subject  
               area.  Current legislation requires the Superintendent  
               of Public Instruction to present recommended  
               history-social science standards by March 31, 2018,  
               and SBE to adopt, modify or reject the standards by  
               July 30, 2018.  Staff recommends an amendment 

          to change the timeline, from July 31, 2016, to July 31,  
               2019, to first allow for the expected adoption of  
               history-social science standards.  

           4)   Group of experts  .  This bill requires the SPI, in  
               consultation with the IQC, to convene the group of  
               experts in computer science.  The existing process is  
               to have SPI consult with the SBE.  Staff recommends an  
               amendment to correct this error.

           5)   K-12  ?  This bill requires the group of experts to  
               include teachers who teach computer science in grades  
               7-12.  This bill also references national K-12  
               computer science standards.  It is unclear if the  
               standards proposed by this bill are to be limited to  
               grades 7-12.  Staff recommends an amendment to clarify  
               the grade spans.

           6)   Fiscal impact  .  According to the Assembly  
               Appropriations Committee, a prior version of this bill  
               would impose:

               a)        General Fund administrative costs to the IQC  
                    of $300,000 to develop computer science  
                    standards.  Computer science standards currently  
                    embedded in the Career Technical Education Model  










                                                               AB 1539
                                                                Page 6


                    Curriculum standards and Model School Library  
                    standards may meet the needs of what is intended  
                    by this legislation, in which case the above  
                    costs would be substantially reduced.

               b)        Ongoing costs in the range of $20,000 to  
                    $100,000 to CDE to publish and edit updated  
                    standards, costs could be offset through sales of  
                    materials.

               c)        General Fund (Proposition 98) cost pressure,  
                    likely in the millions of dollars, to hire  
                    credentialed teachers to teach computer science,  
                    provide equipment and materials, and provide  
                    professional development.

           7)   Related legislation  .  AB 2110 (Ting) requires the IQC  
               to consider incorporating computer science curriculum  
               content into the mathematics, science, history-social  
               science, and language arts frameworks.  AB 2110 is  
               scheduled to be heard in this Committee on June 25.  


               AB 1530 (Chau) requires the SPI to consider  
               identifying, developing or revising model curriculum  
               on computer science.  AB 1530 is scheduled to be heard  
               in this Committee on June 25.

               AB 1764 (Olsen) authorizes school districts that  
               require more than two years of mathematics for high  
               school graduation to award credit for a "category C"  
               approved computer science course.  AB 1764 is pending  
               on the Senate Floor.

               SB 1057 (Corbett) requires the SPI to recommended  
               history-social science content standards to the SBE on  
               or before March 30, 2018, and requires the SBE to  
               adopt, reject, or modify the history-social science  
               content standards by July 30, 2018.

               AB 455 (Medina) requires the Superintendent of Public  










                                                               AB 1539
                                                                Page 7


               Instruction to develop standards in Braille and  
               American Sign Language that are aligned to the common  
               core standards.  AB 455 is scheduled to be heard in  
               this Committee on June 25.

               AB 2016 (Campos) requires the SBE to consider  
               adopting, by March 1, 2017, content standards in  
               sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and  
               prevention upon the recommendations of the SPI.  AB  
               2016 is scheduled to be heard in this Committee on  
               June 25.

           SUPPORT
           
          Alliance for California Computing Education for Students  
          and Schools
          California Chamber of Commerce
          California Educational Technology Professionals Association
          California School Boards Association
          California Teachers Association
          Children Now
          Code.org
          Computer Science Teachers Association
          Computing in the Core
          Microsoft
          TechNet

           OPPOSITION

           None on file.