BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: AB 220
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|Author: |Holden |
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|Version: |April 7, 2015 Hearing |
| |Date June 10, 2015 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Lynn Lorber |
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Subject: Pupil instruction: mathematics: Algebra
SUMMARY
This bill modifies high school graduation requirements to
authorize the completion of a course in integrated mathematics
that includes Algebra I, rather than requiring completion of a
traditional stand-alone Algebra I course.
BACKGROUND
Existing law:
1)Requires completion of two courses in mathematics as a
condition of graduation from high school. (Education Code §
51225.3)
2)Requires that at least one course, or a combination of the two
courses, in mathematics required for graduation meet or exceed
the rigor of the content standards for Algebra I that was
adopted by the State Board of Education in 1997. (EC §
51224.5)
3)Established the Academic Content Standards Commission for the
purpose of developing the California Common Core Standards in
English language arts and mathematics, and required the State
Board of Education to reject or adopt those standards by
August 2, 2010. (EC § 60605.8)
4)Authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction to
AB 220 (Holden) Page 2
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recommend modifications to the common core standards in
mathematics, and authorizes the State Board of Education to
adopt modifications to the standards. (EC § 60605.11)
ANALYSIS
This bill modifies high school graduation requirements to
authorize the completion of a course in integrated mathematics
that includes Algebra I, rather than requiring completion of a
traditional stand-alone Algebra I course. Specifically, this
bill:
1)Allows students to meet the graduation requirement by
completing at least one course, or a combination of the two
courses required for graduation that meets or exceeds the
rigor of Algebra I or Mathematics I that is aligned to the
California common core standards.
2)Provides that a student who completes a course in Algebra I or
Mathematics I, or mathematics courses of equal rigor, before
9th grade is exempt from the Algebra requirement but not from
the requirement to take two math courses in grades 9-12.
3)Deems a student who has completed a course or courses that
meet or exceed the prior standards for Algebra I (adopted by
the State Board of Education (SBE) in 1997) as having met the
revised requirement (above) for one course in mathematics.
STAFF COMMENTS
1)Need for the bill. According to the author, "current law
requires students to complete at least one course, or a
combination of two courses, in Algebra I prior to receiving a
high school diploma. As part of California's efforts to
better prepare our students for college and careers after high
school graduation, bills were enacted in the last four years
to revise and adopt new academic content standards. In August
of 2010, the SBE adopted new academic content standards for
mathematics. The new standards supersede the 1997 mathematics
content standards and as a result, make current law
inconsistent with the current SBE-adopted mathematics content
standards."
2)Course sequencing. The California common core standards organize
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standards for higher math in two ways: as model courses and
in conceptual categories. The model courses include three
courses in the traditional pathway (Algebra I, Geometry, and
Algebra II), three courses in the integrated pathway
(Mathematics I, II, and III), and two advanced courses
(Advanced Placement Probability and Statistics and Calculus).
There are six conceptual categories, which include number and
quantity, Algebra, functions, modeling, geometry, and
statistics and probability. Conceptual categories cross
traditional course boundaries, thereby allowing an integrated
pathway that provides a series of courses with each course
containing standards from the six conceptual categories.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/ccssmathstandardaug201
3.pdf
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| Discipline | Grade 7 | Grade 8 | Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12 |
|--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------|
|Algebra I |Possible |Possible |Possible |Possible |Possible |Possible |
|Mathematics I | | | | | | |
|--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------|
|Geometry | |Possible |Possible |Possible |Possible |Possible |
|Mathematics | | | | | | |
|II | | | | | | |
|--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------|
|Algebra II | | |Possible |Possible |Possible |Possible |
|Mathematics | | | | | | |
|II | | | | | | |
|--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------|
|Advance | | | |Possible |Possible |Possible |
|Placement | | | | | | |
|Probability | | | | | | |
|and | | | | | | |
|Statistics | | | | | | |
|--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------+--------------|
|Calculus | | | |Possible |Possible |Possible |
| | | | | | | |
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3)Prior academic content standards in mathematics. This bill deems
a student who has completed a course or courses that meet or
exceed the prior standards for Algebra I (adopted by the SBE
in 1997) as having met the revised requirement (above) for one
course in mathematics. This provision is necessary to ensure
AB 220 (Holden) Page 4
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that any student who completed Algebra I pursuant to the prior
SBE-adopted standards (prior to the implementation of the
California common core standards).
4)Fiscal impact. According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee analysis, this bill would impose "minor, absorbable,
Proposition 98 costs to school districts to modify procedures
to comply with the revised graduation requirement. The State
has already begun implementation of the California Common Core
Standards for mathematics and provided funds to school
districts for this purpose. Any costs associated with this
bill should be absorbed within existing resources."
5)Related and prior legislation. AB 1599 (Education Committee, Ch.
327, Statutes of 2014), until the July 2, 2014 amendments,
included a provision that was very similar to this bill.
SUPPORT
Association of California School Administrators
California Catholic Conference
California School Boards Association
California State PTA
California Teachers Association
EdVoice
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson (source)
OPPOSITION
None received.
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