BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 101 (Alejo) - Pupil instruction: ethnic studies.
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|Version: June 1, 2015 |Policy Vote: ED. 9 - 0 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
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|Hearing Date: August 17, 2015 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee |
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This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: This bill requires the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (Superintendent) to oversee, and the State Board of
Education (Board) to adopt, an ethnic studies model curriculum
framework and other support systems, as specified. This bill
also requires an Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee to advise,
assist, and make recommendations to the Board on ethnic studies
issues.
Fiscal
Impact:
The California Department of Education (CDE) anticipates costs
of about $476,000 in the first year and $313,000 in the second
year to develop the model curriculum framework and support the
Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee. This includes two
full-time and two part-time positions. See staff comments.
(General Fund)
Ongoing out-year costs to the CDE of about $258,000 and two
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positions to continue to support Ethnic Studies Advisory
Committee and its advisory role to the Board. (General Fund)
Potentially significant additional costs for the
Superintendent to oversee "other support systems" to ensure
quality ethnic studies courses, as required by this bill. See
staff comments. (General Fund)
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. The history-social science framework was last
adopted in 2005. The revision to the history-social science
framework was suspended in July 2009, and subsequently resumed
in July 2014. The draft revision was released for field review
in September 2014, is expected to be presented to the Board in
November 2015, and expected to be adopted in May 2016. The
draft history-social science framework developed by the IQC,
describes high school elective courses in ethnic studies.
Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission as
an advisory body to the Board and is responsible for
recommending curriculum frameworks, developing criteria for the
evaluation of instructional materials, evaluating and
recommending adoption of instructional materials. (Education
Code § 33530 and § 60204)
Proposed Law:
This bill requires the Superintendent to oversee the
development of, and the Board to adopt, a model curriculum
framework and other support systems to ensure quality courses of
study in ethnic studies through partnerships with universities.
This bill requires that by the 2016-17 school year, the
Superintendent establishes an Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee
to advise, assist, and make recommendations to the Board about
programs, curriculum content, and other related ethnic studies
issues.
By June 30, 2016, the Superintendent is required to submit to
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the Board a plan to fully implement, at a minimum, key actions
needed to overcome any challenges foreseen implementing the
model curriculum framework and other support systems as required
by this bill, timetables, staffing responsibilities, and budget
requirements.
Finally this bill authorizes school districts to offer an ethnic
studies course based on the model curriculum framework to
students in grades seven through 12.
Related
Legislation: AB 1750 (Alejo, 2014) would have required the
Instructional Quality Commission to evaluate existing standards,
curricula, programs, and training regarding ethnic studies at
the high school level. AB 1750 failed passage in this
Committee.
Staff
Comments: Though the CDE's cost estimate of $476,000 in the
first year and $313,000 in the second year assumes two years for
the development of a model curriculum framework for ethnic
studies, the CDE anticipates that it will take three years.
This estimate includes two full-time positions and two part-time
positions to support development of the framework and the Ethnic
Studies Advisory Committee. In addition, the CDE would contract
for a curriculum framework primary writer; outside curriculum
experts from California universities; three meetings per year
for the Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee; and other activities.
This bill also requires the Superintendent to establish an
Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee to advise, assist, and make
recommendations to the Board about programs, curriculum content,
and other related ethnic studies issues. This provision of the
bill contemplates tasks of the committee that go beyond
developing the model curriculum framework. Therefore, the CDE
indicates ongoing costs of about $258,000 and two positions to
continue to staff the committee.
Finally, the bill requires the Superintendent to oversee the
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development of a model curriculum framework and "other support
systems" to ensure quality ethnic studies courses. It is
unclear what is meant by "other support systems." This could be
interpreted to mean the development of additional tools and
guidance documents for the field such as an online professional
development learning module for teachers, principals, and school
leaders to facilitate implementation of the model curriculum
framework in ethnic studies. The CDE indicates that this would
be a one-time cost of about $185,000.
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