BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 220 (Holden) - Pupil instruction: mathematics: algebra. ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: April 7, 2015 |Policy Vote: ED. 8 - 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: Yes | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: June 22, 2015 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill does not meet the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: This bill amends the existing high school mathematics graduation requirement by authorizing the completion of a course in Algebra I or integrated mathematics that is aligned to the most recently adopted academic content standards by the State Board of Education (Board). Fiscal Impact: No fiscal impact is expected to result from this bill. To the extent local educational agencies modify algebra course offerings as a result of this bill costs would likely not be reimbursable as a state mandate. Background: Existing law requires students to take two courses in mathematics before graduating from high school. AB 220 (Holden) Page 1 of ? Current law also 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 adopted by the Board in 1997. Content standards describe what students should know and be able to do in each subject in each grade. Current law established the Academic Content Standards Commission for the purpose of developing the California common core standards in English language arts and mathematics. In August 2010, the Board adopted the standards as proposed, which include the common core standards as well as additional standards that the commission deemed necessary. These new standards, and the modifications made in 2013, supersede the standards adopted by the Board in 1997. Since 2010, a number of states have adopted the same standards for English and mathematics. The California common core standards for higher mathematics are organized in two ways: as model courses and in conceptual categories. The model courses provide guidance for developing curriculum and instruction. Model courses for higher mathematics have two pathways: traditional and integrated. The traditional pathway consists of the higher mathematics standards organized along more traditional lines into Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II courses. The integrated pathway consists of the courses Mathematics I, II, and III. This pathway presents higher mathematics as a connected subject, in that each course contains standards from all six of the conceptual categories. The six conceptual categories include: number and quantity, algebra, functions, modeling, geometry, and statistics and probability. Proposed Law: This bill amends the existing high school mathematics graduation requirement. Specifically this bill: (1) Authorizes students to fulfill the mathematics graduation requirement by completing at least one course, or a combination of the two mathematics courses required for graduation, that meets or exceeds the rigor of Algebra I or Mathematics I aligned to the common core standards. AB 220 (Holden) Page 2 of ? (2) Requires that students who complete a course or courses that meet or exceed the previous content standards adopted by the Board are deemed to have satisfied the revised graduation requirement (above). This provision is consistent with existing law. (3) Provides that a student who, before entering ninth grade, completed a course in Algebra I or Mathematics I, or mathematics courses of equal rigor, is exempt from the requirement to take an algebra course prior to graduating from high school. This does not exempt the student from taking two mathematics courses while enrolled in grades 9 to 12. Related Legislation:1. AB 1599 (Education Committee, Ch. 327, Statutes of 2014), until July 2, 2014 amendments, included a provision that was very similar to this bill. Staff Comments: Currently, the algebra graduation requirement in existing law is inconsistent with the state's adoption and implementation of the common core standards. According to guidance provided by the State Department of Education, local educational agencies determine what course or courses satisfy the requirement that algebra courses meet or exceed the rigor of the previous standards. This bill modifies the Algebra I high school graduation requirement to be consistent with the common core standards for mathematics while also allowing algebra courses that meet or exceed the previous content standards to satisfy the graduation requirement. Therefore, this bill does not require local educational agencies to change the courses currently being offered. Instead, it provides clarification that courses that meet or exceed Algebra I or Mathematics I aligned to the current content standards meet the mathematics graduation requirement. To the extent local educational agencies modify algebra course offerings as a result of this bill costs would likely not be reimbursable as a state mandate. AB 220 (Holden) Page 3 of ? -- END --