Amended in Assembly March 28, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2329

Introduced by Assembly Member Bonilla

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(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Chiu)

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Dababneh and Low)

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February 18, 2016

An act begin insert to add and repeal Chapter 19 (commencing with Section 53310) of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, end insert relating to school curriculum.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2329, as amended, Bonilla. Computer science begin delete curriculum: study. end delete begin insert strategic implementation plan. end insert

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Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission, on or before July 31, 2019, to consider developing and recommending to the State Board of Education computer science content standards for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, pursuant to recommendations developed by a group of computer science experts convened by the Superintendent of Public Instruction in consultation with the state board.

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This bill would provide for the establishment of a computer science strategic implementation advisory board, composed of 20 members, as specified, to report necessary legislative changes related to computer science education to the State Department of Education and the state board on or before January 1, 2018, and to submit recommendations for a computer science strategic implementation plan to the department and the state board on or before March 1, 2018. The bill would require the department and the state board to consider the advisory board’s recommendations and the recommendations of the commission specified above, to develop and adopt a computer science strategic implementation plan, and to submit the plan to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2019. The bill’s provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2021.

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The California Council on Science and Technology is a nonprofit corporation organized pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the federal Internal Revenue Code. Existing law provides that the council was established at the request of the Legislature for the specific purpose of offering expert advice to state government on public policy issues significantly related to science and technology. Existing law authorizes school districts that require more than 2 years of mathematics courses for graduation to award mathematics credit for completion of a California State University and University of California approved “category C” computer science course. Existing law requires the California State University and requests the University of California to develop guidelines for high school computer science courses to be approved for purposes of recognition for admission to the California State University and the University of California, respectively, and would encourage the University of California to ensure that computer science courses that satisfy the mathematics subject area requirements for admission build upon fundamental mathematics content provided in courses that align with the academic content standards developed by the Academic Content Standards Commission.

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This bill would request that the council undertake and complete a study, and submit the study to the Legislature, by January 1, 2018, analyzing the status and impact of recently enacted laws, as specified. The bill would state that the goal of the study is to help the Legislature, through a data-driven review, understand the needs to advance computer science in California’s high school curriculum and to move forward with policy that increases computer science education opportunities in high school, leading to an increase in the number of computer science degree holders produced by public postsecondary educational institutions in California.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

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(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:

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(1) Computer science education is not only about access to
computers. It is about innovation and development of technology.
Computer science education builds pupils’ computational and
critical thinking skills, which enables them to create, and not simply
use, the next generation of technological tools. This fundamental
knowledge is needed to prepare pupils for the 21st century
regardless of their ultimate field of study or occupation.

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(2) Computer science drives job creation and innovation
throughout our state’s economy. Providing access to computer
science education is a critical step for ensuring that California
remains competitive in the global economy and strengthens its
cybersecurity. Last year, there were over 600,000 technology jobs
open across the United States, and by 2018, 51 percent of all
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs
are projected to be in computer science-related fields. In
California, there are currently 86,436 open computing jobs, which
is four times the average demand rate in California.

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(3) Computing occupations make up two-thirds of all projected
new jobs in STEM fields, making computer science one of the most
in-demand college degrees. However, California only had 3,525
computer science graduates in 2014 with only 15 percent female
graduates.

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(4) There are fewer advanced placement (AP) examinations
taken in computer science than in any other STEM subject area.
Of the high school pupils in California who took the AP computer
science examination in 2015, only 26 percent were female, only
973 were Latino, and only 148 were African American. Only 242
schools in California, or 16 percent of California schools with AP
programs, offered the AP computer science course in the
2013-2014 school year.

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(5) President Obama’s Computer Science for All initiative builds
on the momentum at the state and local level. The President’s
upcoming budget proposes funding for the United States
Department of Education, available over three years, for states to
increase access to computer science education in elementary and
secondary education classrooms. Under the program, states would
submit comprehensive five-year “Computer Science for All” plans
in order to be eligible for federal funding, and every state with a
well-designed strategy would receive funds. In addition to
state-level grants, the budget will also dedicate funds for
competitive grants specifically for leading districts to execute
ambitious computer science education expansion efforts for all
pupils, including traditionally underrepresented pupils, with those
efforts to serve as models for national replication.

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(6) However, access to computer science education for all pupils
is still a challenge especially for underrepresented communities.
Only one out of four K-12 schools teaches any computer science,
leaving 75 percent of pupils today without the opportunity to
develop skills that could help them thrive in the future.

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(7) Exposure to computer science at a young age has the
potential to address the diversity gap in computer science fields.
Girls who take AP computer science in high school are 10 times
more likely to major in computer science in college. African
American and Latino pupils who take this course in high school
are over seven times more likely to major in this field.

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(8) A Google-Gallup survey found that 9 out of 10 parents say
they want computer science taught in their schools, and the
majority of parents and teachers believe it should be required
learning for 21st century pupils.

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(9) Computer science has often been confused with broader
technology education in schools. California should adopt distinct
standards for computer science focused on both the creation and
use of software and computing technologies at all levels of K-12
education.

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(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that all pupils in
kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, have access to computer
science education, with a strong focus on pupils underrepresented
in computer science, including girls, low-income and underserved
school districts, and rural and urban school districts.

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begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

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begin insert Chapter 19 (commencing with Section 53310) is added
to Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

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Chapter   begin insert 19. end insert Computer Science Strategic Implementation
Plan

 

begin insert 53310. end insert   

On or before March 1, 2017, a computer science
strategic implementation advisory board shall be established by
the department to develop recommendations for a computer science
strategic implementation plan. The advisory board shall be
comprised of the following members:

(a) A representative appointed by the Governor, who shall serve
as the chair of the advisory board.

(b) A representative appointed by the Senate Committee on
Rules.

(c) A representative appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly.

(d) A representative representing the Superintendent.

(e) A representative representing the state board.

(f) A representative representing the department.

(g) A representative representing a K-12 teacher or faculty
association, appointed by the Governor.

(h) A representative representing the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing.

(i) A representative representing the Computer Science Teachers
Association.

(j) A representative representing a large urban school district,
appointed by the Governor.

(k) A representative representing a rural school district,
appointed by the Governor.

(l) A representative of the private sector technology industry,
appointed by the Governor.

(m) A representative from the University of California.

(n) A representative from the California State University.

(o) A representative from the California Community Colleges.

(p) A representative from the Instructional Quality Commission.

(q) A representative from a computer science/STEM education
and research program, appointed by the Governor.

(r) A representative from a nonprofit student/school advocacy
organization, appointed by the Governor.

(s) A representative from a parent organization, appointed by
the Governor.

(t) A representative representing school administrators and
superintendents, appointed by the Governor.

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On or before March 1, 2018, the advisory board shall
submit recommendations for a computer science strategic
implementation plan to the department and the state board that
includes, at a minimum, recommendations on all of the following:

(a) Broadening the pool of teachers to teach computer science.
These recommendations may provide, among other things, for the
following:

(1) Providing training and professional development for
education in computer science.

(2) Creating a teacher certification pathway in computer
science.

(3) Expanding scholarship eligibility and loan forgiveness
programs for computer science teachers in low-income and
underserved school districts and rural and urban school districts.

(b) Developing computer science content standards. These
recommendations may provide, among other things, for the
following:

(1) Defining computer science education principles that meet
the needs of pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.

(2) Building on the successful integration of computer science
into the California science standards.

(3) Adapting computer science education standards being
developed in other states to address the needs of California pupils.

(4) Building on computer science frameworks for kindergarten
and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, developed by nationally recognized
computer science organizations and experts.

(5) Ensuring that all pupils have access to quality computer
science courses, which may include scaling up computer science
education coursework so that all high schools teach at least one
computer science course.

(6) Procuring a pathway for computer science to count toward
high school graduation and college admission requirements.

(7) Providing access to computer science in both college and
career pathways.

(8) Ensuring school districts have adequate broadband
connectivity and infrastructure and access to hardware and
software.

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The Governor shall appoint a statewide computer
science liaison to serve the advisory board, including, but not
limited to, by coordinating the efforts of the advisory board and
ensuring that the advisory board’s recommendations are
implemented to achieve the intentions of the computer science
strategic implementation plan.

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(a) The advisory board shall report any necessary
legislative changes related to computer science education to the
state board and to the department on or before January 1, 2018.

(b) The department and state board shall consider the
recommendations submitted by the advisory board pursuant to
Section 53311 and the recommendations submitted to the state
board by the Instructional Quality Commission pursuant to Section
60605.4, shall develop and adopt a computer science strategic
implementation plan, and shall submit the plan to the Legislature
on or before January 1, 2019.

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This chapter shall become inoperative on July 31, 2020,
and, as of January 1, 2021, is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2021,
deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and
is repealed.

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SECTION 1.  

(a) The Legislature finds and declares both of
the following:

(1) The California Council on Science and Technology was
established by California academic research institutions, including
the University of California, the University of Southern California,
the California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and
the California State University, and was organized as a nonprofit
corporation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code, in response to Assembly Concurrent Resolution 162
(Resolution Chapter 148 of the Statutes of 1988).

(2) The council was uniquely established at the request of the
Legislature for the specific purpose of offering expert advice to
state government on public policy issues significantly related to
science and technology.

(b) The California Council on Science and Technology is hereby
requested to undertake and complete a study, and to submit the
study to the Legislature, by January 1, 2018, analyzing the status
and impact of recently enacted laws that do both of the following:

(1) Authorizes school districts that require more than two years
of mathematics courses for graduation to award mathematics credit
for completion of a California State University and University of
California approved “category C” computer science course.

(2) Requires the California State University and requests the
University of California to develop guidelines for high school
computer science courses to be approved for purposes of
recognition for admission to the California State University and
the University of California, respectively, and would encourage
the University of California to ensure that computer science courses
that satisfy the mathematics subject area requirements for
admission build upon fundamental mathematics content provided
in courses that align with the academic content standards developed
by the Academic Content Standards Commission.

(c) The goal of the study is to help the Legislature, through a
data-driven review, understand the needs to advance computer
science in California’s high school curriculum and to move forward
with policy that increases computer science education opportunities
in high school, leading to an increase in the number of computer
science degree holders produced by public postsecondary
educational institutions in California.

(d) The study is requested to focus on, but not be limited to, the
implementation of Assembly Bill 1764 (Chapter 888 of the Statutes
of 2014) and Senate Bill 1200 (Chapter 518 of the Statutes of
2014), and is requested to include all of the following:

(1) The number of schools that require three years of
mathematics for graduation requirements.

(2) The associated number of schools that have a qualifying
computer science course that can satisfy the third year of the
mathematics requirement.

(3) The number of pupils taking a computer science course
identified in paragraph (2).

(4) The diversity by gender and ethnicity of those pupils
identified in paragraph (3).

(5) The number of pupils who took a computer science course
identified in paragraph (2), graduated, and went to a postsecondary
educational institution.

(6) The number of pupils studying or continuing computer
science course study at the postsecondary level.

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