BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1689
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Date of Hearing: April 6, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Patrick O'Donnell, Chair
AB 1689
(Low) - As Introduced January 21, 2016
SUBJECT: School curriculum: coursework for high school
graduation: service learning
SUMMARY: Requires, beginning with the high school class of
2021-22, that at least one of the courses required to completed
by a by a student prior to graduation have a service-learning
component, and requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to develop curriculum standards for service-learning.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Makes findings and declarations relative to the importance of
service-learning as a means of improving educational
performance, developing character, values, self-esteem, civic
responsibility, and knowledge of local community issues and
concerns.
2)Requires the SPI to develop curriculum standards for courses
that incorporate a service-learning component in order to
satisfy the requirement described below.
3)Requires that, in developing the curriculum standards, the SPI
consult with specified individuals, including leaders of
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community organizations, pupils, parents, classroom teachers,
school administrators, postsecondary educators,
representatives of business and industry. Requires that this
consultation represent, as much as feasible, the diverse
regions and socioeconomic communities of this state.
4)Requires the SPI to submit the standards to the State Board of
Education (SBE) for its review on or before March 1, 2018.
5)Requires the SBE to adopt or reject the standards by July 1,
2018. Requires that, if the SBE adopts the standards, school
districts to implement the standards by the 2018-19 school
year, as specified below.
6)Requires that, if the SBE rejects the standards, the SBE
submit a written explanation of the reasons why the standards
were rejected to the SPI, the Legislature, and the Governor.
7)Requires that, commencing with the high school class of
2021-22, at least one of the courses completed by a student to
meet graduation requirements has a service-learning component.
8)Defines service-learning as method through which pupils or
participants learn and develop through active participation in
thoughtfully organized service that is conducted in, and meets
the needs of, a community, is coordinated with a secondary
school and with the community; and helps foster civic
responsibility.
9)States that service-learning is a method that is integrated
into, and enhances, the standards-based academic curriculum of
the pupils; and provides structured time for the pupils or
participants to reflect on the service experience.
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EXISTING LAW:
1)Specifies requirements for graduation from high school,
including: three courses in English; two courses in
mathematics; two courses in science; three courses in social
studies; one course in visual or performing arts, foreign
language, or career technical education; and two courses in
physical education.
2)Requires that, of the three courses in social studies, two
must be year-long courses in United States history and
geography, and in world history, culture, and geography, and
that the remaining two are a one-semester courses in American
government and civics, and a one-semester course in economics.
3)Establishes the Instructional Quality Commission (formerly the
Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission)
as an advisory body to the State Board of Education (SBE) on
matters related to curriculum, instructional materials, and
content standards.
FISCAL EFFECT: The Office of Legislative Counsel has keyed this
bill as a state-mandated local program.
COMMENTS:
Need for the bill. The author's office states,
"Service-learning is a powerful instructional strategy for
improving the educational performance of pupils, along with
contributing to the development of character, values,
self-esteem, civic responsibility, and knowledge of local
community issues and concerns. Like community service,
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service-learning requires students to serve their communities.
Service-learning, however, takes community service one step
further by incorporating the service experiences of students
directly into their school work.
While some school districts in California incorporate community
service or service-learning into the high school curriculum and
require it for graduation, there is a missed opportunity for
students in other districts that do not integrate
service-learning into their educational experience.
According to a 1998 report from the National Assessment of
Educational Progress (NAEP), senior pupils who are engaged in
volunteer work, whether through school or on their own, are
likely to have significantly higher civic assessment scale
scores than pupils who did not participate in volunteer work.
The date of the study is significant in that it was the last
time NAEP tested students' progress in civics.
Recognizing the need for civic and service-learning in our
state, Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye and Superintendent of
Public Instruction Tom Torlakson formed the California Task
Force on K-12 Civic Learning in 2013 to assess civic education
in schools. It found that too often the emphasis in the
classroom is on memorization rather than participatory skills
and experiential learning. Many classes did not assess whether
students are prepared for their roles and responsibilities as
citizens or the degree to which schools provide students with
learning opportunities that achieve civic outcomes.
Young people who recall their civic learning experiences are
more likely to vote, know general facts about the U.S. political
system, and continue to be engaged in their community. AB 1689
will revitalize quality civic and service-learning experiences
in the classroom and shape our students to become active and
informed citizens of our state."
Service-learning vs. community service/volunteering.
Service-learning is often confused with volunteering or
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community service. Service-learning is distinguished from
volunteering or community service in that it connects service
with structured opportunities to learn from the experience. The
federal Learn and Serve program of the Corporation for National
and Community Service defined service-learning as "a teaching
and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community
service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning
experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen
communities."
This bill defines service-learning based on the definition used
in the National and Community Service Act of 1990 (reauthorized
through the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act of 2009).
Service-learning supports academic achievement, narrows
achievement gap. A 2011 meta-analysis of 62 studies involving
11,837 students found that, compared to controls, students who
participated in service-learning programs demonstrate
significant gains in five outcome areas: attitudes toward self,
attitudes toward school and learning, civic engagement, social
skills, and academic performance. The analysis also found that
following certain recommended practices-linking to curriculum,
community involvement, and reflection-were associated with
better outcomes. A 2005 analysis of 217,000 student surveys
found that "service [service-learning was not measured] of only
one hour per week among lower-income students was related to
significant reduction of the gap in achievement-related assets
between higher and lower-income students."
Nationally, community service increasing but service-learning
declining. A 2008 national study published by the Corporation
for National and Community Service found that "while
school-based community service remains robust, the substantial
growth in service-learning documented by federally funded
studies conducted in 1979 and 1999 has not continued. In fact,
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the 2008 survey reveals a reversal of that trend, with the
percentage of schools with service-learning declining from 32
percent in 1999 to 24 percent in 2008." The study attributed
that trend, in part, to the higher value placed on service as a
means to promote civic behaviors than academic engagement. The
study concluded, "When faced with budget constraints and state
curriculum requirements, many schools are likely to place
service activities outside of the curriculum and use methods
other than service-learning in the classroom."
CalServe program eliminated. From 1990 to 2012, the CDE
operated the CalServe program, using federal funds from the
Learn and Serve program of the Corporation for National and
Community Service. CalServe provided funding to California's
county offices of education, districts, and schools to support
the statewide implementation of service-learning. Federal
funding for Learn and Serve America was eliminated from the
2011-12 budget, which eliminated CalServe's partnerships. Some
participating school districts have continued to use
service-learning as an instructional method.
Some districts have a volunteer or service-learning graduation
requirement. While the state does not collect data on
service-learning courses or community service graduation
requirements, many school districts have local service-learning
or volunteer graduation requirements. These vary in terms of
time requirements and integration with coursework. As of 2015,
some districts with such requirements included:
Los Angeles Unified School District requires a
service-learning experience of all high school students,
measured by an approved project, not a number of hours
served.
Culver City Unified School District requires 60 hours of
service-learning in high school for graduation.
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Paramount Unified School District requires 30 hours of
community service for graduation, starting with this year's
graduating class.
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District requires
40 hours of community service for graduation.
San Jose Unified School District requires certification
of a minimum of 40 hours of community service for
graduation.
Service-learning in other states. According to the Education
Commission of the States, Maryland is the only state with a
service-learning graduation requirement. The District of
Columbia also has such a requirement. Maryland's
service-learning requirement was instituted in 1992, and
requires students to either complete seventy-five hours of
student service that includes preparation, action, and
reflection components, or a locally-designed program in student
service that has been approved by the State Superintendent of
Schools.
Twenty-two other states offer credit toward graduation for
service-learning or community service. Some states have created
service-learning elective courses, and others offer a half or
full credits for service that meets certain criteria. A few
states encourage or explicitly permit districts to offer
service-learning as part of required coursework or as a
graduation requirement.
Every Student Succeeds Act and civic education. The federal
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Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), enacted in 2015, provides
several potential funding sources for civic education programs.
According to the Education Commission of the States, ESSA
provides (subject to appropriation) 1) two competitive grant
programs for non-profit organizations to run academies in civics
and to disseminate innovative approaches to civics education, 2)
a requirement that LEAs use a certain percentage of their
federal allocations to support a well-rounded education,
including civic education, and 3) a new research and innovation
fund that allows LEAs, in partnership with non-profit
organizations, to create and replicate innovations in different
subject areas, including civics.
Is service-learning on this scale feasible now? In order to
create meaningful opportunities for students to serve and learn
from the experience, teachers must engage in thoughtful
curriculum and service placement design. Doing this for the
400,000 annual graduates of California schools is a significant
task, especially at a time when schools are managing many
complex changes to curriculum, instruction, and school finance.
The Committee may wish to consider if school districts can
reasonably meet the requirements of this bill in the current
policy environment.
Previous legislation. AB 524 (Low) of this Session, which was
approved by this Committee on a 5-2 vote, would have required,
beginning with the high school class of 2020-21, that at least
one of the courses required for graduation include a
service-learning component. The bill would have defined
service-learning and also required the SPI to develop curriculum
standards for courses that incorporate a service-learning
component. This bill was held in the Assembly Appropriations
Committee.
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AB 1911 (Wesson and Hertzberg) of the 1999-2000 Session, as
heard by this Committee, would have required school districts
offering grades 9 - 12 to offer students the opportunity to
enroll in courses that include service-learning activities for
credit toward graduation. This bill died in the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
California Association of Private School Organizations
California State PTA
Opposition
None received
Analysis Prepared by:Tanya Lieberman / ED. / (916) 319-2087
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