BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 552
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 552 (Ron Calderon)
As Amended August 6, 2013
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :29-7
EDUCATION 7-0
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|Ayes:|Buchanan, Olsen, Chávez, | | |
| |Gonzalez, Nazarian, | | |
| |Weber, Williams | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Permits local governing boards to provide instruction
in grades 1-12, inclusive, on violence awareness. Specifically,
this bill :
1)Permits local governing boards to include grade-level
appropriate instruction on violence awareness and prevention
in the adopted courses of study for each subject area.
2)Specifies this instruction may include a component drawn from
personal testimony in the form of oral or video histories of
individuals who were involved in violence awareness efforts
that exemplify the economic and cultural effects of violence
prevention efforts within a city, the state, and the country.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Defines "course of study" to mean the planned content of a
series of classes, courses, subjects, studies, or related
activities.
2)Requires the governing board of every school district to
prepare and keep on file for public inspection the courses of
study prescribed for the schools under its jurisdiction.
SB 552
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3)Requires the governing board of every school district to
enforce in its schools the courses of study adopted by the
proper authority.
4)Specifies the areas of study that must be included in an
adopted course of study for grades 1 through 6 and grades 7
through 12.
5)Permits the governing board of any school district to initiate
and carry on any program, activity, or to otherwise act in any
manner which is not in conflict with, or inconsistent with, or
preempted by, any law and which is not in conflict with the
purposes for which school districts are established.
FISCAL EFFECT : None. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : Violence refers to a variety of acts that may be
sexual, physical, or psychological. These acts may occur in the
home, in the workplace, on school grounds, or in the greater
community. According to the National Center for Disease Control
and Prevention, "[v]iolence is a serious public health problem
in the United States. From infants to the elderly, it affects
people in all stages of life. In 2010, over 16,250 people were
victims of homicide and over 38,360 took their own life." The
broad language of this bill permits local governing boards to
include instruction throughout all areas of study as appropriate
and ensures that each governing board is able to tailor its
course of study to best meet the needs of its pupils and
community. The broad language of violence awareness and
prevention will allow the local boards to weave content
throughout the entire curriculum with instruction that is grade
and age appropriate. For some districts there may be an
emphasis on domestic violence, others on gang violence, still
others on violence within the school setting. The language of
this bill does not limit the choices a school board may make in
crafting a course of study that is best suited for its pupils.
Should a local governing board act prior to, or in response to,
this legislation and amend its course of study to include
SB 552
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instruction on violence awareness, it would be left on its own
to identify and/or develop appropriate instructional materials
for this instruction. To alleviate some of this potential
burden, there are some materials already available that speak to
numerous types of violence. The California Department of Public
Health has made resources available that attempt to combat
community violence through a systematic prevention process that
promotes healthy behaviors and environments, and reduces the
likelihood or frequency of intimate partner violence and sexual
violence. Similarly, the California Department of Education
(CDE) has numerous resources, including funding opportunities
for violence prevention activities related to safe schools.
Information about funds, training, resources, and technical
assistance concerning preventing violence, helping students to
make safe choices, and collecting data about violence in schools
are all readily available through the CDE. Additionally, the
current Health Frameworks, adopted by the State Board of
Education in 2003, addresses safe schools and violence
prevention, explores behaviors that may result in intentional
injuries (e.g., violence and suicide), and discusses drug use,
violence, and other health-risk behaviors as a concern and
responsibility of the entire community.
Analysis Prepared by : Jill Rice / ED. / (916) 319-2087
FN: 0001782