BILL ANALYSIS Ó
Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
Senator Kevin de León, Chair
AB 1750 (Alejo) - High School: Ethnic Studies
Amended: May 23, 2014 Policy Vote: Education
Urgency: No Mandate: No
Hearing Date: June 30, 2014
Consultant: Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez
This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill Summary: AB 1750 requires the Instructional Quality
Commission (IQC) to evaluate existing standards, curricula,
programs and training regarding ethnic studies at the high
school level, and make recommendations for establishing a
"California Cultures" multicultural or ethnic studies course
that can be incorporated into existing high school curriculum.
Fiscal Impact:
IQC meetings: Approximately $30,000 (General Fund) to hold
additional IQC and advisory committee meetings, to consider
staff research, evaluate existing programs, and develop
recommendations for the for the report.
Report: $600,000 - $900,000 (General Fund) in personnel
costs for the California Department of Education (CDE) to
staff the additional IQC meetings and to complete the
required research and report, over a two-year period.
California Cultures course: Potentially significant cost
pressure to implement the report recommendations in high
school curricula.
Background: Academic content standards define the knowledge,
concepts and skills that pupils should learn at each grade
level. Curricular frameworks serve as a blueprint for how to
implement the standards and provide guidance to publishers,
along with evaluation criteria, for the development of
instructional materials. The processes for the revision of
curricular frameworks and adoption of instructional materials
are suspended until the 2015-16 school year. (EC § 60200.7)
The role of the IQC is to recommend curriculum frameworks to the
State Board of Education (SBE), develop criteria for evaluating
instructional materials, study, evaluate and recommend to the
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SBE instructional materials for adoption, and make
recommendations to the SBE regarding the use of frameworks and
model curriculum and alignment with the academic content
standards. (EC § 60204)
The history-social science framework was last adopted in 2005.
The processes for reviewing frameworks and adopting
instructional materials have been suspended since July 2009, due
to budget constraints. At the time of the suspension, a review
of the history-social science framework was nearly complete.
Since the suspension, the CDE has ceased work on the review and
update. The SBE is specifically prohibited from reviewing
frameworks and adopting instructional materials until the
2015-16 school year. (EC § 60200.7 and § 60200.8)
Existing law requires that instruction in social sciences
include the early history of California and a study of the role
and contributions of both men and women, Native Americans,
African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific
Islanders, European Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender Americans, people with disabilities, and members of
other ethnic and cultural groups, to the economic, political and
social development of California and the United States, with
particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in
contemporary society. (EC § 51204.5)
The adopted course of study for grades 7-12 must include, among
other subjects, social sciences. This instruction is to provide
a foundation for understanding, among other topics and events,
the history, resources, development and government of California
and the United States; the relations of people to their human
and natural environment; eastern and western cultures and
civilizations; and human rights issues. (EC § 51220)
Proposed Law: This bill requires the IQC to evaluate existing
standards, curricula, programs and training regarding ethnic
studies at the high school level, and to make recommendations
for establishing a "California Cultures" course that can be
incorporated into existing high school curriculum. Specifically,
this bill:
1) Requires the IQC to identify model programs, standards, and
curricula relating to ethnic studies at the high school
level, and factors to train teachers to work effectively
with diverse students and families and to encourage respect
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for diversity in the classroom.
2) Requires the IQC to prepare a report that, at a minimum: a)
reviews the most current research on ethnic studies for
secondary education; b) reviews and evaluates existing
standards, curricula, programs and training regarding
ethnic studies for secondary education; c) identifies the
best practices and standards for establishing and
implementing ethnic studies in public high schools; d)
assesses the adequacy of current ethnic studies courses in
California public high schools; and, e) takes
recommendations for establishing a "California Cultures"
multicultural or ethnic studies course that can be
incorporated into existing high school curriculum.
3) Authorizes the IQC to consult with experts on ethnic
studies, multiculturalism or diversity, as specified. This
bill also encourages the IQC, in choosing experts with
which to consult, to ensure that current classroom teachers
in public high schools are principally and meaningfully
consulted.
4) Requires the IQC to submit the report to the Governor and
the Legislature by January 1, 2017, and requires the report
to be posted on the CDE's website.
5) Provides that this bill is to be implemented only to the
extent that funds are available to the IQC, from any
source, and sunsets the provisions of this bill on January
1, 2019.
Staff Comments: The CDE will require additional resources to
staff the IQC in evaluating existing standards, curricula,
programs and training regarding ethnic studies at the high
school level, and making recommendations for establishing a
"California Cultures" course that can be incorporated into
existing high school curriculum, and write the actual report.
CDE staff would be responsible for coordinating this project
over the next two years, and producing the report.
The requirements for what must be included in the report are
broad, and open to interpretation. For example, the report must
"review the most current research on ethnic studies for
secondary education." The CDE will interpret how complex and
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comprehensive such a review must be. Thus, costs will be driven
by the CDE's interpretation of what it must do, and how
efficiently it completes that work.
In addition to the cost of convening the IQC for additional
meetings, the CDE estimates that it would need 1.5 Education
Programs Consultants (EPCs) for two years (at a total cost of
approximately $500,000), an Associate Governmental Programs
Analyst (AGPA) for two years (at a total cost of nearly
$300,000), and a .5 Office Technician for two years (at a total
cost of approximately $100,000) to complete the research and
write the report. According to the CDE, certain required
components of the report necessitate involved processes of
surveying schools, evaluating programs and standards, and
developing a component related to teacher training.
While the estimate provided is likely to be the amount submitted
by the CDE in a budget change proposal, it is unclear that
producing this report would necessitate the work of 3 PYs for
two full years.