BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  SB 300
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          Date of Hearing:   June 26, 2013

                           ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                                Joan Buchanan, Chair
                 SB 300 (Hancock) - As Introduced:  February 15, 2013

           SENATE VOTE  :   37-1
           
          SUBJECT  :   Curriculum framework: Next Generation Science  
          Standards.

           SUMMARY  :   Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to  
          consider curriculum frameworks and evaluation criteria for  
          instructional materials aligned to the Next Generation Science  
          Standards.  Specifically,  this bill  :   


          1)Makes findings and declarations of the Legislature related to  
            the Next Generation Science Standards, the necessity of  
            curriculum frameworks, and the intent that the adoption of a  
            new curriculum framework is not a mandate for the purchase of  
            new instructional materials.


          2)Requires the SBE, on or before November 30, 2015, to consider  
            the adoption of a revised curriculum framework and evaluation  
            criteria for instructional materials in science based upon the  
            Next Generation Science Standards. 


           EXISTING LAW  :  
          1)Requires the SBE, by November 30, 2013, to adopt science  
            content standards as recommended by the Superintendent of  
            Public Instruction (SPI) and a group of experts and requires  
            the SPI and this group of experts to use the Next Generation  
            Science Standards as the basis for their recommendations.


          2)Defines "curriculum framework" as an outline of the components  
            of a given course of study designed to provide state direction  
            to school districts in providing instructional programs.


          3)Prohibits the SBE from adopting, and the California Department  
            of Education (CDE) from preparing, curriculum frameworks or  








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            evaluation criteria for instructional materials until July 1,  
            2015.


           FISCAL EFFECT  :   According to the Senate Appropriations  
          Committee, this bill has the following fiscal effects:


          1)Develop science frameworks and evaluation criteria: Potential  
            costs of up to $1.1 million to the CDE, including workload  
            costs of up to $880,000 incurred over the 2.5 year process.


          2)Cost pressure: Significant cost pressure for the SBE to adopt  
            instructional materials in science, and for school districts  
            to purchase new instructional materials.


           COMMENTS  :   Educational standards describe what students should  
          know and be able to do in each subject in each grade. In  
          California, the SBE adopts standards that may be used by local  
          educational agencies (LEAs) for students, from Kindergarten  
          through high school.  26 states, including California, have  
          participated in the national development process of the Next  
          Generation Science Standards facilitated by Achieve, Inc.  Under  
          current law, the SBE must adopt, modify, or reject the Next  
          Generation Science Standards as presented by the SPI no later  
          than November 30, 2013.  These standards identify the particular  
          science content that the state recommends students should know  
          and be able to do within a course of study in science.  While  
          the academic content standards provide state direction on what  
          should be taught, the frameworks provide direction as to how  
          these standards should be taught 

          It is within the discretion of each local education agency (LEA)  
          to adopt a course of study that meets the unique needs of its  
          community, but must meet the minimum requirements established by  
          the state for grades 1-6, or 7-12, as appropriate.  In adopting  
          a course of study, LEAs look to the state-adopted academic  
          content standards and the curriculum frameworks for guidance.   
          When providing instruction in accordance with this course of  
          study, teachers similarly refer to the academic content  
          standards, the curriculum frameworks, and the instructional  
          materials that are aligned to the content standards. Thus, in  
          order to meaningfully implement the Next Generation Science  








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          Standards if adopted by the SBE in November, 2013, the SBE must  
          be permitted to adopt frameworks and evaluation criteria for  
          instructional materials aligned to these new standards. 

          In the absence of  this bill  , the CDE could not begin work on  
          preparing frameworks aligned to the Next Generation Science  
          Standards or evaluation criteria for instructional materials  
          aligned to these standards until July 1, 2015 which would likely  
          result in a delay of adoption until at least 2017.  

          The committee may wish to consider the fact that LEAs will face  
          enormous pressure to adopt new instructional materials aligned  
          to the Next Generation Science Standards when they become  
          available.  This will be on the heels of the adoption of  
          mathematics instructional materials in March, 2014 and  
          potentially the adoption of ELA instructional materials in 2015  
          or 2016 (SB 201, Liu).  Such a quick timeline for adoption of  
          three major subject areas will require a significant amount of  
          funds, which could be compounded by the Fiscal Year 2013-14  
          budget for Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF).  LEAs currently  
          receive about $2.5 billion for categorical programs that serve  
          the general pupil population, instructional materials being an  
          example of such a program.  The LCFF eliminates these programs  
          and their funding by excluding them from the base grant and  
          using the funding for the supplemental grant.  Districts with  
          relatively few targeted pupils will lose much of this funding  
          altogether.  Districts with relatively large number of targeted  
          pupils will receive the funds formerly associated with these  
          programs in their supplemental grants.  The fiscal impact of  
          such a rapid adoption cycle is the concern raised by the  
          Association of California School Administrators in their request  
          for an amendment that articulates the intent of the Legislature  
          that future adoptions be staggered. 

           Related Legislation  : SB 201 (Liu), pending in this committee,  
          authorizes the SBE to adopt, by November 30, 2015, K-8  
          instructional materials that are aligned to the Common Core  
          English Language Arts Standards and the Common Core-aligned  
          English Language Development Standards.  

           Previous Legislation  : AB 1246 (Brownley), Chapter 668, Statutes  
          of 2012, requires the SBE to adopt curriculum frameworks and  
          evaluation criteria for instructional materials that are aligned  
          to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. 









                                                                  SB 300
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          SB 1200 (Hancock), Chapter 654, Statutes of 2012, extended the  
          dates by which the SPI must present his/her recommendation to  
          the SBE and the date by with the SBE must adopt, modify, or  
          reject the recommendation.

          AB 250 (Brownley), Chapter 608, Statutes of 2011, requires the  
          SBE to adopt curriculum frameworks and evaluation criteria for  
          instructional materials that are aligned to the Common Core  
          State Standards for English Language Arts.

          SB 300 (Hancock), Chapter 624, Statutes of 2011, requires the  
          SPI and a group of science experts to recommend to the SBE, and  
          the SBE to reject, modify, or adopt, science content standards  
          using the Next Generation Science Standards as the basis for  
          their deliberations.

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :

           Support 
           
          Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson (Sponsor)
          Association of California School Administrators (Support if  
          Amended)
          California Federation of Teachers
          California Science Teachers Association
          Los Angeles Area of Chamber of Commerce
          Public Advocates
          Regional Economic Association Leaders (R.E.A.L.)
           
            Opposition 
           
          None on file

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jill Rice / ED. / (916) 319-2087