BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2072
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
2072 (Chang)
As Amended April 27, 2016
Majority vote
------------------------------------------------------------------
|Committee |Votes|Ayes |Noes |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Education |7-0 |O'Donnell, Olsen, | |
| | |Kim, McCarty, | |
| | |Santiago, Thurmond, | |
| | |Weber | |
| | | | |
|----------------+-----+----------------------+--------------------|
|Appropriations |20-0 |Gonzalez, Bigelow, | |
| | |Bloom, Bonilla, | |
| | |Bonta, Calderon, | |
| | |Chang, McCarty, | |
| | |Eggman, Gallagher, | |
| | |Eduardo Garcia, Chau, | |
| | |Holden, Jones, | |
| | |Obernolte, Quirk, | |
| | |Santiago, Wagner, | |
| | |Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
------------------------------------------------------------------
AB 2072
Page 2
SUMMARY: Establishes the State Seal of STEM, to be affixed to
high school diplomas of qualified students, which recognizes
students who have attained proficiency in the subjects of
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Specifically, this bill:
1)Establishes the State Seal of STEM, to be awarded by the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), to recognize high
school graduates who have attained proficiency in fields of
study within the subjects of STEM.
2)States that school district participation in this program is
voluntary.
3)States that the purposes of the State Seal of STEM are to:
a) Encourage students to study STEM subjects
b) Certify achievement within the STEM fields
c) Provide students with a tool 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 with 21st century skills
f) Engage students in STEM learning at an early age
AB 2072
Page 3
g) Prepare students for a job market increasingly in need
of individuals with STEM skills
4)States that the State Seal of STEM certifies that a graduating
high school student has attained proficiency in STEM and meets
all of the following criteria:
a) Attained a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale for
STEM courses taken in high school
b) Successfully completed four year-long courses, or the
equivalent, in mathematics, and four year-long courses, or
the equivalent, in science while enrolled in high school.
States that the requirement for completion of up to one of
the year-long courses in mathematics may be satisfied by
completion of a course or courses in computer science
c) Has one of the following:
i) A score of three or higher on an advanced placement
examination in science
ii) A score of 600 or higher on an SAT subject test in
science
iii) A score of four or higher on an International
Baccalaureate examination in science
iv) A grade of B or higher in a college-level science
course taken through concurrent enrollment
AB 2072
Page 4
v) A score indicating that the pupil has met or
exceeded standards on a state-standards-aligned
assessment in mathematics
d) Additionally, has one of the following:
i) A score of three or higher on an advanced placement
examination in mathematics
ii)A score of 600 or higher on an SAT subject test in
mathematics
iii. A score of four or higher on an International
Baccalaureate examination in mathematics
iv) A grade of B or higher in a college level
mathematics course taken through concurrent enrollment
v) A score indicating that the pupil has met or
exceeded standards on a state-standards-aligned assessment
in mathematics
5) Requires the SPI to:
a) 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
a) Provide other information it deems necessary for school
AB 2072
Page 5
districts to successfully participate in the program
6) Requires school districts that participate in the program to
do both of the following:
b) Maintain appropriate records in order to identify
students who have earned a State Seal of STEM
c) Affix the appropriate insignia to the diploma or
transcript of each pupil who earns a State Seal of STEM
7) States that no fee shall be charged to a pupil to receive a
State Seal of STEM.
8)Makes the program operative only when data from the statewide
administration of state science assessments aligned to the
California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are
available. States that data from a field test of a state
science assessment does not satisfy this requirement.
9)Sunsets the program on July 31, 2024.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Administrative costs to the California Department of Education
of approximately $98,000 General Fund (GF) annually to
administer the program through January 1, 2025.
AB 2072
Page 6
2)Any expenses incurred by school districts would likely be
minor, and would be incurred only to the extent they choose to
participate.
COMMENTS:
State's STEM education infrastructure under construction.
Though California adopted NGSS-aligned science standards in
2013, the state's science curriculum remains under development.
The California Department of Education (CDE) is currently
revising the state's science curriculum framework to align with
the state's standards, and its completion has been delayed until
January of 2017. This in turn has delayed the state and local
adoption of standards-aligned instructional materials for use in
classrooms.
CDE is also 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.
Access to STEM education remains uneven. The Superintendent of
Public Instruction's STEM Education Task Force concluded, in a
2014 report, "many of California's students lack consistent
access to high-quality STEM education?[due to] 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," among other factors.
This uneven access is reflected in many measures of student
AB 2072
Page 7
course-taking and achievement, including Advanced Placement,
International Baccalaureate, SAT II subject tests, and
out-of-school STEM educational opportunities. Advanced
Placement data published by the College Board, for example,
indicate that a very small percentage of California high schools
students took AP examinations. The College Board also notes
that "in many cases, schools serving large numbers of
traditionally underrepresented minority students do not yet
provide AP course work in STEM disciplines."
Uneven access is also demonstrated by data on computer science
education. According to a 2015 report issued by the Level
Playing Field Institute, access to computer science courses
varies considerably. The report found that of the more than
half a million high school students in the largest 20 districts,
just 1% are enrolled in any computer science course, and that
nearly 75% of schools with the highest percentage of
underrepresented students of color offer no computer sciences
courses.
Where should the bar be set, given the uneven access to STEM
education? Given the uneven access to STEM education described
above, it is difficult to establish thresholds of performance
for earning a State Seal which balance opportunity and rigor.
If the bar is set high enough to denote a high level of
proficiency, only those students who have access to high quality
STEM opportunities will be able to earn the award. If the bar
is set low enough to provide a fair opportunity for all students
to earn the award, the Seal may not denote a high level of
proficiency.
What would be the value of a State Seal of STEM? The State Seal
of Biliteracy, which indicates proficiency in a language other
AB 2072
Page 8
than English, is evidence of a specific, highly marketable skill
which students may use in seeking employment. It is not clear
if the Seal proposed by this bill would confer any advantage in
postsecondary admissions or employment.
Another diploma 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. Staff is unaware of evidence to
suggest that the GSSMD gives students a competitive advantage
when applying to college or seeking employment.
Analysis Prepared by: Tanya Lieberman / ED. / (916)
319-2087 FN: 0003042
Christine
Aurre