Amended in Assembly April 13, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 28, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2329

Introduced by Assembly Member Bonilla

(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Chiu)

(Coauthors: Assembly Members begin delete Dababneh and Low end delete begin insert Chang, Dababneh, Low, and Olsen end insert )

February 18, 2016

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

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2329, as amended, Bonilla. Computer science strategic implementation plan.

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.

This bill would begin delete provide for the establishment of end delete begin insert require the State Department of Education to establish, on or before July 1, 2017, end insert 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 begin delete State Department of Education end delete begin insert department end insert 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 The bill’s provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2021.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

SECTION 1.  

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

(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.

(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, begin delete and end delete begin insert and, end insert 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.

(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.

(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
begin delete 2013-2014 end delete begin insert 2013-14 end insert school year.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

(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.

SEC. 2.  

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

 

Chapter  19. Computer Science Strategic Implementation
Plan

 

53310.  

On or before begin delete March 1, 2017, end delete begin insert July 1, 2017, end insert 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.

begin delete

(f) A representative representing the department.

end delete begin delete

(g)

end delete

begin insert (f) end insert  A representative representing a K-12 teacher or faculty
association, appointed by the Governor.

begin delete

(h)

end delete

begin insert (g) end insert  A representative representing the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing.

begin delete

(i)

end delete

begin insert (h) end insert  A representative representing the Computer Science Teachers
Association.

begin delete

(j)

end delete

begin insert (i) end insert  A representative representing a large urban school district,
appointed by the Governor.

begin delete

(k)

end delete

begin insert (j) end insert  A representative representing a rural school district, appointed
by the Governor.

begin delete

(l)

end delete

begin insert (k) end insert  A representative of the private sector technology industry,
appointed by the Governor.

begin delete

(m)

end delete

begin insert (l) end insert  A representative from the University of California.

begin delete

(n)

end delete

begin insert (m) end insert  A representative from the California State University.

begin delete

(o)

end delete

begin insert (n) end insert  A representative from the California Community Colleges.

begin delete

(p)

end delete

begin insert (o) end insert  A representative from the Instructional Quality Commission.

begin delete

(q)

end delete

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

begin delete

(r)

end delete

begin insert (q) end insert  A representative from a nonprofit student/school advocacy
organization, appointed by the Governor.

begin delete

(s)

end delete

begin insert (r) end insert  A representative from a parent organization, appointed by
the Governor.

begin delete

(t)

end delete

begin insert (s) end insert  A representative representing school administrators and
superintendents, appointed by the Governor.

begin insert

(t) A pupil enrolled in a public school, appointed by the
Superintendent.

end insert

53311.  

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.

begin delete

(5) Ensuring

end delete

begin insert (c) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert Ensuring end insert that all pupils have access to quality computer
science begin delete courses, which may include scaling end delete begin insert courses. These
recommendations may provide, among other things, for the
following: end insert

begin insert (1) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert Scaling end insert up computer science education coursework so that
all high schools teach at least one computer science course.

begin delete

(6)

end delete

begin insert (2) end insert  Procuring a pathway for computer science to count toward
high school graduation and college admission requirements.

begin delete

(7)

end delete

begin insert (3) end insert  Providing access to computer science in both college and
career pathways.

begin delete

(8)

end delete

begin insert (4) end insert  Ensuring school districts have adequate broadband
connectivity and infrastructure and access to hardware and
software.

begin insert

(5) Removing local barriers that local educational agencies
face when implementing computer science education.

end insert begin insert

(6) Increasing the participation of pupils traditionally
underrepresented in computer science education.

end insert

53312.  

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.

53313.  

(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.

53314.  

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.