BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2072
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Date of Hearing: April 20, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Patrick O'Donnell, Chair
AB 2072
(Chang) - As Amended March 18, 2016
SUBJECT: High school diplomas: State Seal of STEM
SUMMARY: Establishes the State Seal of STEM, to be affixed to
high school diplomas of qualified students, which recognizes
students who have attained a high level of proficiency in the
subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM). Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires that high school students meet all of the following
criteria to be eligible for the State Seal of STEM:
a) Attained a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale for
all STEM classes taken in high school.
b) Has met one of the following criteria in the area of
science:
i) a score of 3 or higher on a science Advanced
Placement (AP) examination
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ii) a score of 600 or higher on a science Scholastic
Assessment Test (SAT) subject test
iii) a score of 4 or higher on an International
Baccalaureate (IB) examination
c) Has met one of the following criteria in the area of
mathematics:
i) a score of 3 or higher on a mathematics AP
examination
ii) a score of 600 or higher on a mathematics SAT
subject test
iii) a score of 4 or higher on a mathematics IB
examination
d) Has demonstrated proficiency in STEM through one of the
following methods:
i) participation in an extracurricular activity relating
to STEM, such as clubs or organizations, competitions,
research projects or participation in a career pathway
for at least two years
ii) a grade of B or higher in a computer, technology, or
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engineering course taken at either the high school or
college level
iii) a score of 3 or higher on the AP computer science
examination
2)Provides that school district participation in this program is
voluntary.
3)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to
prepare and deliver to participating school districts an
appropriate insignia to be affixed to the diploma or
transcript of the student indicating that he or she has been
awarded a State Seal of STEM.
4)Requires each school district that participates in the State
Seal of STEM program to maintain appropriate records in order
to identify students who have met the established criteria for
the award and to affix the appropriate State Seal of STEM to
the diploma or transcript of each qualifying student.
5)Specifies that students shall not be charged a fee to receive
the Seal.
6)States that the purposes of the State Seal of STEM are to:
a) encourage students to study science, technology,
engineering and mathematics
b) certify high achievement within the STEM fields
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c) provide students with tools to demonstrate STEM
competency to employers
d) provide universities with a method to recognize and give
academic credit to applicants seeking admission
e) prepare students for with 21st century skills
f) engage students in STEM learning at an early age
g) prepare students for a job market increasingly in need
of individuals with STEM skills
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB), which provides
recognition to high school students who have demonstrated
proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more
languages in addition to English. Requires each school
district, county office of education, or direct-funded charter
school that confers the SSB to maintain appropriate records in
order to identify students who have met the established
criteria for the award and to affix the SSB insignia to the
diploma or transcript of each qualifying student.
2)Requires high school graduates to meet all of the following
criteria to be eligible for the SSB:
a) complete all English language arts requirements for
graduation with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or
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above in those classes
b) pass the California Standards Test in English language
arts administered in grade 11 at the proficient level or
above
c) demonstrate proficiency in one or more languages in
addition to English, through one of the following methods:
i) pass a foreign language AP examination with a score
of 3 or higher, or an IB examination with a score of 4 or
higher
ii) successfully complete a four-year high school course
of study in a world language, and attain an overall grade
point average of 3.0 or above in that course of study
iii) pass a school district language examination that, at
a minimum, assesses speaking, reading, and writing in a
language other than English at the proficient level or
higher. If no AP examination or off-the-shelf language
test exists, and the school district can certify to the
SPI that the test meets the rigor of a four-year high
school course of study in that foreign language. If a
school district offers an examination in a language for
which the AP examination or off-the-shelf language does
not exist, the school district language examination must
be approved by the SPI.
iv) pass the SAT II foreign language examination with a
score of 600 or higher
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3) Establishes the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma (GSSMD),
which provides recognition to public high school graduates who
have demonstrated mastery of high school curriculum in six
designated subject areas, four of which must be mathematics,
English language arts, science, and United States history.
Eligibility requirements for the GSSMD include a combination
of course grades, results from assessments produced by private
providers or local education agencies (LEAs), and/or
qualifying Smarter Balanced Summative Assessment of California
Standards Tests scores for use by LEAs to award the GSSMD to
graduating students.
4) Declares a policy of the State of California that all
students in grades 1 - 12 must have equitable access to
educational programs designed to strengthen technological
skills, including computer education programs, and that funds
appropriated for these educational programs have the goal of
ensure equitable access to those programs for all students.
5) Requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to
consider developing and recommending to the SBE, on or before
July 31, 2019, computer science content standards for
kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, pursuant to recommendations
developed by a group of computer science experts.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown.
COMMENTS:
Need for the bill. The author's office states, "With jobs in
the STEM field poised to increase by 19% over the next decade,
we as a state could fall short of providing the workforce with
the number of individuals skilled in STEM necessary to fill
those roles. In 2011, the state created the State Seal of
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Biliteracy. This served as both a reward for students able to
demonstrate proficiency in more than one language but also as a
tool-a tool in which that student could market themselves to a
college or to an employer. Biliteracy is a skill highly
desirable to employers in a diverse area like California, but so
is STEM. The State Seal of STEM will serve as both a reward and
marketing tool to a different pool of California students. The
requirements necessary to earn the State Seal of STEM go beyond
that of standard curriculum and instead require the students to
not only thrive in their STEM course but also demonstrate
proficiency through additional learning opportunities in and out
of the classroom."
Poor access to high-quality STEM education. STEM education
includes four specific disciplines-science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics-in an interdisciplinary and applied
approach. STEM teaches and trains students to engage in critical
thinking, inquiry, problem solving, collaboration, and what is
often referred to in engineering as design thinking. In recent
years the state has undertaken a number of policy reforms to
address STEM teaching and assessment practices, curriculum, and
policies that expand STEM opportunities for all students.
There is wide acknowledgement that many California students have
insufficient access to high quality STEM education. The SPI's
STEM Education Task Force, in a 2014 report on STEM education
titled INNOVATE: A Blueprint for Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics in California Public Education,
found:
Many of California's students lack consistent access to
high-quality STEM education. Although the importance of STEM
learning has been widely acknowledged, several factors have
limited access to STEM education: the focus on English
language arts and skill-based mathematics required by No Child
Left Behind; insufficient focus on science as well as on STEM
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education in the classroom; lack of access to high-quality
STEM materials and instruction; insufficient opportunities for
students to engage in hands-on, inquiry based learning; and
insufficient professional preparation by teachers at all
levels.
In recognition of this problem of access, the SPI's STEM
Education Task Force recommends that the state "Make access to
high-quality STEM experiences and programs universal to all K-12
students through a variety of opportunities in school, expanded
learning, and community partnerships through informal, formal,
and digital pathways."
As noted below, the state's science education systems are still
very much under construction. The standards-aligned science
curriculum framework has been delayed until January of 2017,
further delaying the local adoption of standards-aligned
instructional materials. The standards-aligned science
assessment will not be available until the 2018-19 school year.
This Committee recently supported two measures to address access
to STEM education: AB 2237 (Olsen), which would establish 100
STEM Partnership Academies, and AB 2329 (Bonilla), which would
establish a process to develop a K-12 computer science strategic
implementation plan. In light of these access problems and the
additional considerations below, the Committee may wish to
consider if this measure is premature.
Limited and unequal opportunity to earn the Seal. To earn the
State Seal of STEM proposed by this bill, students would need
access to a number of opportunities to engage in STEM education:
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AP courses in science, mathematics, and computer science
IB courses in science and mathematics
SAT Subject Tests in science and mathematics
College-level courses in science, mathematics, computer
science, technology, or engineering taken through
concurrent enrollment at a California Community College
Participation in STEM-related extracurricular
activities, such as:
o STEM clubs or organizations that organize events
o STEM-based competitions (such as robotics, coding,
or engineering)
o STEM internships with organizations or employers
o STEM research activities, independent or in
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coordination with a STEM professional
o STEM-related career pathways of at least a two year
duration
Evidence from multiple sources suggests that many California
students would lack access to many of the opportunities
necessary to earn a State Seal of STEM, and that very few of
those who do have access to these opportunities would be able to
meet the thresholds established by the bill:
Access to AP Courses: According to the 10th Annual AP
Report to the Nation, out of nearly 500,000 California high
school seniors, in 2013:
7.9% took the Calculus AB exam
2.9% took the Calculus BC exam
4.7% took the Statistics exam
0.7% took the Computer Science exam
1.5% took the Physics C-Electricity and
Magnetism exam
2.4% took the Physics B exam
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3.3% took the Chemistry exam
5.7% took the Biology exam
3.5% took the Environmental Science exam
Of students graduating in 2013:
9.8% had received a score of 3 or higher on an
AP exam in mathematics or computer science.
8.2% had received a score of 3 or higher on an
AP exam in science.
According to this report, students of color and low-income
students are far less likely to have access to STEM AP
classes. The College Board states, "in many cases, schools
serving large numbers of traditionally underrepresented
minority students do not yet provide AP course work in STEM
disciplines."
A 2013 report by the Education Trust found that,
nationally, low-income students (15%) were almost twice as
likely as other students (8%) to attend a school without a
full complement of AP courses (defined as least one course
each in English, mathematics, science, and social science)
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and that Native American (18%) and African American (15%)
students were far more likely than white (9%) students to
have more limited course options.
Access to International Baccalaureate programs: While
there are 1,337 public high schools in California, it
appears that there are only 94 public, diploma IB schools
in the state. Nationally, according to the 2015 report,
International Baccalaureate National Trends for Low-Income
Students, only 20% of low-income students scored well
enough on at least one IB high-level exam to earn college
credit from most U.S. colleges and universities.
Access to SAT Subject Tests: This bill requires
students to receive a 600 or higher on either a mathematics
or science SAT Subject Test in order to be eligible for the
Seal. The SAT Subject Tests measure student knowledge in
particular subject areas closely linked to the high school
curriculum and their ability to apply that knowledge. There
are over 20 different SAT Subject Tests that cover
Literature, Math, Sciences, and Foreign Languages. These
tests are a voluntary supplement to the general SAT test
many students take for college admissions purposes.
According to the 2014 College Board report on SAT data,
College-Bound Seniors State Profile Report - California,
SAT Subject Tests are taken by a much smaller and more
select population of students compared to those who take
the SAT. In 2014, 53,772 California students took a single
Subject Test, compared to the 236,923 students who took the
SAT. In 2014, of the 500,000 high school seniors who had
taken subject tests at any point in high school:
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1.2% of seniors took the Mathematics I
examination
7% of seniors took the Mathematics II
examination
1.6% of seniors took the Biology E examination
1.8% of seniors took the Biology M examination
2.6% of seniors took the Chemistry examination
1.4% of seniors took the Physics examination
In 2009 the University of California eliminated the use of
the SAT II as an admissions requirement, responding to
concerns that the exams did not provide useful information
to applications about applicants, and that the tests were
barriers for otherwise qualified students in urban and
rural schools who might not be advised by counselors to
take them. Research also indicates that while such test
scores are highly correlated with parental income, high
school GPA, which is only weakly correlated with parental
income, is a better predictor of success in college.
Access to computer science courses: According to a May
2015 report issued by the Level Playing Field Institute
titled Path Not Found: Disparities in Access to Computer
Science Courses in California High Schools, access to
computer science courses varies considerably. The report
found that in California public high schools:
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Of the more than half a million high school students
in the largest 20 districts, just 1% are enrolled in any
computer science course.
Nearly 75% of schools with the highest percentage of
underrepresented students of color offer no computer
sciences courses.
African-American and Latino students make up 59% of
California high school public school students but were
just 11% of the 2014 AP Computer Science test takers.
Only 4% of schools with the highest percentage of
low-income students offer AP Computer Science.
Only 8% of schools with the highest percentage of
English Learners offered AP Computer Science.
Access to out-of-school STEM learning opportunities:
Research has shown that after school and summer learning,
known as out-of-school (OST) learning, can increase
interest in STEM-related careers. According to a 2014 study
commissioned by the Association of Children's Museums
Committee on Successful Out-of-School STEM Learning, titled
Broadening Access to STEM Learning through Out-of-School
Learning Environments, "there are still significant
challenges to ensuring youth in low socioeconomic
communities have equitable access to OST STEM learning
opportunities, most of which revolve around issues of
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finances and funding."
The report notes that most OST programs - including
STEM-focused programs - are fee-based in some form, and
even when the fees are nominal or nonexistent,
"participation still requires a significant amount of
resource investment from families in terms of time and
resources." The report notes that transportation is a
particularly troublesome issue when programs are based at
sites beyond the neighborhood, and that while many OST
programs work to ensure affordability, "there is growth in
high-profile and high-visibility robotics programs, which
require a buy-in cost in the thousands of dollars, and also
require the recruitment of multiple STEM professional
volunteers, multiple adult coordinators, etc. - all
structural requirements that are well outside the reach of
most youth, but especially those in low socio-economic
status communities."
As noted above, robotics teams are a popular OST high
school STEM activity. A review of the fundraising plans
for three high school robotics teams indicates that the
cost for robot parts and other materials, trailers for
transporting robots, competition fees, and travel, requires
between $20,000 and $40,000 most of which are recurring
annual costs. This estimate does not include staff and
parent time and facility costs, and assumes that skilled
staff and parents are available to coach the team. High
school robotics teams typically fundraise by seeking
community and corporate sponsorship.
Access to dual enrollment opportunities: According to a
June 2014 study by the Education Commission of the States
titled Dual enrollment: Challenges in Rural Areas, rural
areas face unique challenges in providing high-quality dual
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enrollment programs. Students also face access issues based
on their geography or ability to get to and from a college
campus. Other issues include covering program costs, a lack
of available technology or equipment necessary for the
coursework, and access to qualified teachers.
While some urban and suburban high school offer dual
enrollment courses led by postsecondary faculty who travel
to the high school campus, the report notes that longer
travel distances in rural areas can render these
arrangements unfeasible.
Finally, it's important to note that this bill requires that
recipient of the Seal earn an overall GPA of 3.0 or above in all
STEM courses. While no state data on GPA appear to be available,
national data from 2009 (U.S. Department of Education) indicate
that students earn the lowest GPA in math and science courses of
any discipline, averaging 2.65 and 2.70 in math and science,
respectively.
Underrepresentation in STEM education. According to a 2009
report from the Institute for Higher Education Leadership and
Policy at California State University, Sacramento titled
Technical Difficulties: Meeting California's Workforce Needs in
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Fields, the
supply of STEM-educated workers is not keeping pace with the
employment demand in STEM fields. To ensure that there are
enough STEM workers, the report concluded that increasing STEM
achievement by underrepresented groups is essential. The report
noted that only three percent of STEM majors in the state are
African-American, and 18% are Latino. Women are also far less
likely to earn STEM degrees, particularly in engineering.
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State math and science assessments not listed as criteria.
Notably absent from the list of criteria for award of the State
Seal of STEM is a state assessment in math or science. While it
is unclear why the state mathematics assessment is not proposed
for use, the science assessments are likely not included because
they are undergoing significant transition.
California is currently revising the state's Science Curriculum
Framework to align with the state's science standards. These
standards reflect the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS),
which were designed to more effectively prepare students with
the knowledge and skills the need to succeed in the
ever-increasing technology-driven world. The CDE is currently
developing NGSS-aligned assessments, which are expected to be
fully administered in the 2018-2019 school year. Until then,
the state is requiring use of the science assessments used prior
to the adoption of the NGSS.
What is the value of the Seal? The Golden State Seal Merit
Diploma (GGSMD) was established in 1997 to provide recognition
to public high school graduates who have demonstrated mastery of
the high school curriculum in English, history, mathematics and
science.
When the GSSMD was originally established, proponents hoped it
would serve as an ambitious goal that would both shape teaching
and inspire students. It was envisioned as California version
of the New York's Regent's Diploma, conferring advantages in UC
and CSU admission, or financial aid benefits. However, staff is
unaware of evidence to suggest that the GSSMD gives students a
competitive advantage when applying to college or seeking
employment. In contrast, the State Seal of Biliteracy is
evidence of a specific, highly marketable skill which students
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may use in seeking employment. The committee may wish to
consider whether the State Seal of STEM will actually achieve
the author's intended goal of providing students with something
of value.
Proliferation of diploma seals. The State Seal of Biliteracy
(SSB) was established in 2011 with the goal of encouraging
students to acquire other languages, which in turn would grant
students a competitive edge in postsecondary education and
employment. In its first year, more than 10,000 graduating high
school students across California earned recognition for
achieving proficiency in multiple languages. According to the
CDE, since 2012 nearly 60,000 SSB s have been awarded to
graduating seniors.
If this legislation is enacted (and perhaps even if it isn't),
it is likely that this Committee will see similar measures to
establish Seals in other subject areas, such as visual and
performing arts or career technical education. The committee
may wish to consider the policy implications of numerous options
for students to earn Seals.
Related legislation. AB 2237 (Olsen) of this Session
establishes the Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics Partnership Academies program, for the purposes of
providing grants to school districts to establish up to 100
partnership academies dedicated to training students in STEM
occupations. This bill is currently pending in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee.
AB 2275 (Dababneh) of this Session would authorize a person who
holds a single subject credential in business, industrial and
technology education, mathematics or science to teach courses in
computer science. This bill is currently pending in the Assembly
Education Committee.
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AB 2329 (Bonilla) of this Session would establish a computer
science strategic implementation advisory board to develop a
K-12 computer science strategic implementation plan. This bill
is currently pending in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 1258 (Chau) of this Session would have established a Computer
Science Start-Up Courses Grant Pilot Program and a Computer
Science Educator Training Grant Pilot program, for the purposes
of providing grants to school districts to establish and
maintain computer science courses and provide professional
development for educators to teach computer science. This bill
was held in Senate Appropriations Committee.
AB 252 (Holden) of this Session would have established a grant
program to award funds to cover the costs associated with a high
school establishing or expanding its advanced placement STEM
curriculum. This bill was held in Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Prior legislation. AB 815 (Brownley), Chapter 618, Statutes of
2011, establishes the State Seal of Biliteracy to recognize high
school graduates who what attained a high level of proficiency
in speaking, reading, and writing in one or more languages in
addition to English.
SB 253 (Wyland) of the 2009-10 Session would have authorized
school districts and county offices of education to offer pupils
a CTE certificate upon meeting specified requirements. This bill
was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
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Support
Association of California School Administrators
Children Now
Opposition
None received
Analysis Prepared by:Christine Aurre and Tanya Lieberman / ED. /
(916) 319-2087