Amended in Assembly March 18, 2015

Amended in Assembly January 26, 2015

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly BillNo. 101


Introduced by Assemblybegin delete Member Alejoend deletebegin insert Members Alejo, Jones-Sawyer, and Bontaend insert

begin insert

(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Holden)

end insert
begin insert

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Santiago, and Ting)

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January 8, 2015


An act to add Section 51226.7 to the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 101, as amended, Alejo. Pupil instruction: ethnic studies.

Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to include, among other subjects, the social sciences. Existing law requires the State Board of Education, with the assistance of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to establish a list of textbooks and other instructional materials that highlight the contributions of minorities in the development of California and the United States.

This bill would require the Superintendent to oversee the development of, and thebegin insert stateend insert board to adopt, a model curriculumbegin delete framework, professional development standards,end deletebegin insert frameworkend insert and other support systems to ensure quality courses in ethnic studies. The bill would require the Superintendent to establish an Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee and would require the committee to advise, assist, and make recommendations to thebegin insert stateend insert board about programs,begin delete professional development,end delete curriculum content, and other issues related to ethnic studies. The bill would require the Superintendent, on or before June 30, 2016, to submit to thebegin insert stateend insert board a plan to fully implement these requirements. The bill would, beginning the school year following the adoption of the model curriculum, require each school district maintaining any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer, as an elective course in the social sciences, a course of study in ethnic studies based on the model curriculum framework. Because school districts would be required to offer ethnic studies courses, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:

3(a) The State of California is committed to providing excellent
4educational opportunities to all of its pupils.

5(b) There are 92 languages other than English spoken throughout
6the state, with the primary languages being Arabic, Armenian,
7Cantonese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

8(c) There is a growingbegin delete libraryend deletebegin insert bodyend insert of academic research that
9shows the importance of culturally meaningful and relevant
10curriculum.

11(d) Based on the National Education Association (NEA)
12publication, The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies,
13the inclusion of ethnic studies in a curriculum has a positive impact
14onbegin delete studentsend deletebegin insert pupilsend insert of color.

15(e) Ethnic studies benefit pupils in observable ways, such as
16pupils becoming more academically engaged, increasing their
17performance on academic tests, improving their graduation rates,
18and developing a sense of self-efficacy and personal empowerment.

P3    1(f) The state’s educational standards should be guided by core
2values of equity, inclusiveness, and universally high expectations.

3(g) The state is committed to its efforts to provide all pupils
4with excellent educational opportunities, without regard to race,
5gender, ethnicity, nationality, income, sexual orientation, or
6disability.

7(h) The state is committed to its obligation to ensure its youth
8are college prepared and career ready, while graduating 100 percent
9of its pupils.

10(i) The implementation of various ethnic studies courses within
11California’s curriculum that are A-G approved, with the objective
12of preparing pupils to be global citizens with an appreciation for
13the contributions of multiple cultures, will close the achievement
14gap, reducebegin delete studentend deletebegin insert pupilend insert truancy, increasebegin delete studentend deletebegin insert pupilend insert
15 enrollment, reduce dropout rates, and increase graduation rates.

16(j) The state should support efforts in recruiting and retaining
17teachers who have relevant experience and educational background
18in the study or teaching of ethnic studies.

19

SEC. 2.  

Section 51226.7 is added to the Education Code, to
20read:

21

51226.7.  

(a) The Superintendentbegin delete of Public Instructionend delete shall
22oversee the development of, and thebegin delete State Board of Educationend deletebegin insert state
23boardend insert
shall adopt, a model curriculumbegin delete framework, professional
24development standards,end delete
begin insert frameworkend insert and other support systems to
25ensure quality courses of study in ethnic studies through
26partnerships with universities with ethnic studies programs. The
27model curriculum framework shall meet the A-G approval
28requirements of the Regents of the University of California.

29(b) (1) On or before the beginning of the 2016-17 school year,
30the Superintendent shall establish an Ethnic Studies Advisory
31Committee begin delete consisting of relevant stakeholders, including, but not
32limited to, students, parents, state personnel, ethnic studies scholars,
33 university professors, and teachers with ethnic studies experience.end delete

34begin insert comprising of a majority of educators with experience in teaching
35ethnic studies from public high schools and institutions of higher
36education.end insert

37(2) The Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee shall advise, assist,
38and make recommendations to thebegin insert stateend insert board about programs,
39begin delete professional development,end delete curriculum content, and other issues
40related to ethnic studies.

P4    1(c) On or before June 30, 2016, the Superintendent shall submit
2to thebegin insert stateend insert board a plan to fully implement this section that
3includes, at a minimum, key actions needed to overcome any
4challenges foreseen to implementing this section,begin delete time tables,end delete
5begin insert timetables,end insert staffing responsibilities, and budget requirements.

6(d) Beginning the school year following the adoption of the
7model curriculum framework pursuant to subdivision (a), each
8school district maintaining any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, shall
9offer to all otherwise qualified pupils in those grades, as an elective
10in the social sciences, a course of study in ethnic studies based on
11the model curriculum framework.

12

SEC. 3.  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
13this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
14local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
15pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
164 of Title 2 of the Government Code.



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