Amended in Assembly April 21, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2016

Introduced by Assembly Members Alejo, Jones-Sawyer, Chiu, and Achadjian

(Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Bonta, Eduardo Garcia, Holden, and Nazarian)

(Principal begin delete coauthor: Senator Block end delete begin insert coauthors: Senators Block and Hall end insert )

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Ting and Williams)

February 16, 2016

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2016, 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. Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the state board.

This bill would require the begin delete Superintendent to oversee the development of, and the state board to adopt, a model curriculum to ensure quality courses in ethnic studies. The bill would require the Instructional Quality Commission to advise, assist, and make recommendations to the Superintendent regarding the development of the model curriculum. The bill would, beginning the school year following the adoption of the model curriculum, require each school district maintaining any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, that does not otherwise offer a standards-based ethnic studies curriculum, to offer, as an elective in the social sciences, a course of study in ethnic studies based on the model curriculum. end delete begin insert Instructional Quality Commission to develop, and for the state board to adopt, a model curriculum in ethnic studies, and would require each school district and charter school that maintains any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, that does not otherwise offer a standards-based ethnic studies curriculum to offer a course of study in ethnic studies based on the model curriculum. end insert By imposing new duties on school begin delete districts, end delete begin insert districts and charter schools, end insert the 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:

SECTION 1.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

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

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

(c) There is a growing body of academic research that shows
the importance of culturally meaningful and relevant curriculum.

(d) Based on the National Education Association (NEA)
publication, The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies,
the inclusion of ethnic studies in a curriculum has a positive impact
on pupils of color.

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

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

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

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

(i) The implementation of various ethnic studies courses within
California’s curriculum that are A-G approved, with the objective
of preparing pupils to be global citizens with an appreciation for
the contributions of multiple cultures, will close the achievement
gap, reduce pupil truancy, increase pupil enrollment, reduce
dropout rates, and increase graduation rates.

(j) The state should support and work with the Commission on
Teacher Credentialing, California State University teaching
credential programs, and other relevant parties in establishing a
single subject ethnic studies credential. The state should also
support efforts in begin delete recruiting end delete begin insert recruiting, training, end insert and retaining
teachers who have begin insert relevant end insert experience and educational background
in the study and teaching of ethnic studies.

SEC. 2.  

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

begin delete

51226.7.  

(a) The Superintendent shall oversee the development
of, and the state board shall adopt, a model curriculum to ensure
quality courses of study in ethnic studies through partnerships with
universities with ethnic studies programs. The model curriculum
shall meet the A-G approval requirements of the Regents of the
University of California.

(b) On or before the beginning of the 2017-18 school year, the
Instructional Quality Commission shall advise, assist, and make
recommendations to the Superintendent regarding the development
of the model curriculum pursuant to subdivision (a).

(c) Beginning the school year following the adoption of the
model curriculum pursuant to subdivision (a), each school district
maintaining any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, that does not
otherwise offer a standards-based ethnic studies curriculum, shall
offer to all otherwise qualified pupils in each of those grades, as
an elective in the social sciences, a course of study in ethnic studies
based on the model curriculum.

end delete begin insert

begin insert 51226.7. end insert   

(a) The Instructional Quality Commission shall
develop, and the state board shall adopt, a model curriculum in
ethnic studies to ensure quality courses of study in ethnic studies.
The model curriculum shall be developed with participation from
universities and colleges with ethnic studies programs and a group
of representatives of local educational agencies, of whom a
majority are kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, teachers who
have relevant experience or education background in the study
and teaching of ethnic studies.

(b) The model curriculum shall be written as a guide to allow
school districts to adapt their courses to reflect the pupil
demographics in their communities. The curriculum shall include
examples of courses offered by local educational agencies which
have been approved as meeting the A-G admissions requirements
of the University of California and the California State University,
including, to the extent possible, course outlines for those courses.

(c) On or before June 30, 2019, the Instructional Quality
Commission shall submit the model curriculum to the state board
for adoption, and the state board shall adopt the model curriculum
on or before November 30, 2019.

(d) The Instructional Quality Commission shall provide 45 days
for public comment before submitting the model curriculum to the
state board.

(e) Beginning in the school year following the adoption of the
model curriculum pursuant to subdivision (a), each school district
or charter school maintaining any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive,
that does not otherwise offer a standards-based ethnic studies
curriculum shall offer to all otherwise qualified pupils a course
of study in ethnic studies based on the model curriculum. The
course shall be offered as an elective in the social sciences or
English language arts, and shall be available in at least one year
during a pupil’s enrollment in grades 9 to 12, inclusive.

(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that local educational
agencies submit course outlines for ethnic studies for approval as
A-G courses.

end insert

SEC. 3.  

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