BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2329
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB
2329 (Bonilla)
As Amended May 27, 2016
Majority vote
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|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, Daly, Eggman, | |
| | |Gallagher, Eduardo | |
| | |Garcia, Roger | |
| | |Hernández, Holden, | |
| | |Jones, Obernolte, | |
| | |Quirk, Santiago, | |
| | |Wagner, Weber, Wood | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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AB 2329
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SUMMARY: Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to convene a computer science strategic implementation
advisory panel to develop recommendations for a computer science
strategic implementation plan. Specifically, this bill:
1)Makes findings and declarations relative to the importance of
access to computer science education in California.
2)Requires the SPI to convene a computer science strategic
implementation advisory panel by September 1, 2017, in order
to develop recommendations for a computer science strategic
implementation plan (plan).
3)Requires the advisory panel to hold public meetings, post the
location and time of the meetings, and post agendas online.
4)Requires members of the advisory panel to possess expertise in
computer science, and specifies the panel must be made up of
the following:
a) The SPI, or his or her designee, who shall serve as
co-chair of the advisory panel
b) One representative of the Governor, who shall serve as
co-chair of the advisory panel
c) One representative designated by the Senate Committee on
Rules
d) One representative designated by the Speaker of the
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Assembly
e) Three K-12 teacher representatives, designated by the
SPI
f) One representative of the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing (CTC)
g) One representative of the Computer Science Teachers
Association
h) One representative of the private sector technology
industry, designated by the SPI
i) One representative of the University of California (UC)
j) One representative of the California State University
(CSU)
aa) One representative of the California Community Colleges
bb) One representative of a private postsecondary education
institution, designated by the SPI
cc) One representative of the Instructional Quality
Commission (IQC)
dd) One representative of a computer science/STEM education
and research program, designated by the SPI
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ee) One representative of a parent organization, designated
by the SPI
ff) One representative of school administrators and
superintendents, designated by the SPI
gg) One pupil enrolled in a public school, designated by the
SPI
hh) One representative of a county office of education,
designated by the SPI
5)Requires the advisory panel to submit to the California
Department of Education (CDE), the State Board of Education
(SBE) and the Legislature by July 1, 2018, recommendations on
all of the following:
a) Broadening the pool of teachers to teach computer
science, which may include recommendations on?
i) Providing training and professional development for
education in computer science
ii) Creating a teacher certification pathway in computer
science
iii) Expanding scholarship eligibility and loan
forgiveness programs for computer science teachers in low
income and underserved school districts and rural and
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urban school districts
b) Defining computer science education principles that meet
the needs of all K-12 students
c) Ensuring that all students have access to quality
computer science courses, which may include?
i) Scaling up computer science education coursework so
that all high schools offer at least one computer science
course
ii) Providing access to computer science in both college
and career pathways
iii) Ensuring school districts have adequate broadband
connectivity and infrastructure and access to hardware
and software, which may include the development of grant
programs that prioritize high-need school districts
iv) Removing local policy and regulatory barriers that
local education agencies face when implementing computer
science education
v) Increasing the participation of students
traditionally underrepresented in computer science
education
6)Requires the advisory panel to cease operations upon
completion of the recommendations for the plan.
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7)Requires the SPI to appoint a statewide computer science
liaison within CDE to serve the advisory panel in the
following areas:
a) Coordinating the efforts of the advisory panel by
writing up the panel recommendations and disseminating them
to all stakeholders
b) Soliciting input and public comment
c) Preparing the required Legislative reports to share the
advisory panel's recommendations
d) Ensuring that the advisory panel's recommendations are
considered in order to achieve the intentions of the plan
8)Requires the computer science liaison to ensure
recommendations from the advisory panel are considered through
the implementation of computer science content standards and
curriculum frameworks, and requires that the duration of the
liaison position be only through the implementation of the
computer science standards and frameworks.
9)Requires CDE and the SBE to consider the recommendations
submitted by the advisory panel, develop and adopt the plan,
and submit the plan to the Legislature by January 1, 2019.
10)Authorizes the advisory panel to evaluate the process and
ability to accept grants and receive donations from public or
private sources, if panel finds that state or federal funds
are not sufficient.
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11)Sunsets the requirements of the bill on January 1, 2021.
FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)General Fund administrative costs of approximately $270,000
for the CDE to staff the stakeholder group. Costs include
review of potential member applications, arranging meeting
logistics and travel for members, preparation of meeting
materials, and reports to the Legislature.
2)Proposition 98/General Fund cost pressure, in the millions of
dollars, to implement the recommendations of the advisory
board.
COMMENTS:
Need for the bill. According to the author's office, "Computer
science drives job creation and innovation throughout
California's economy. Currently, there are 86,436 computing
jobs available in the state and by 2018, 51% of all science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs in the United
States will be in computer science-related fields. However,
California only had 3,525 students graduate with a computer
science degree in 2015. We need to increase access to computer
science courses in K-12 education, especially for
underrepresented groups. For example, in 2014, only 15% of the
computer science graduates were women. Almost 9,000 students
took the [Advanced Placement] AP Computer Science exam in
California in 2015. Less than 150 were African American and
less than 400 were Hispanic. We must bridge this gap and ensure
all students have the choice and encouragement to study computer
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science. Computer science builds students' computational and
critical thinking skills which will enable them to create, not
just use, the next generation of technology innovations."
Barriers to computer science education. According to a 2015
report issued by the Level Playing Field Institute, of the more
than half a million high school students in the largest 20
districts in the state, 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.
Approximately 10% of schools nationwide offer computer science
classes, and few large, urban school districts provide
comprehensive computer science education to their students from
pre-K to 12. According to the national Computer Science
Teachers Association, a significant barrier is the shortage of
adults who can teach computer science at a rich and rigorous
level. Schools are also sometimes discouraged from scheduling
computer science courses for financial and logistical reasons.
Challenges include finding time in the school day and student
schedules, and making sure school districts have the
infrastructure needed to offer a computer science course.
Computer science standards. Current law requires the IQC to
consider developing and recommending computer science content
standards to the SBE, pursuant to recommendations developed by a
group of computer science experts. The enabling legislation (AB
1539 (Hagman), Chapter 876, Statutes of 2014) was intended to
encourage the IQC and SBE to review the standards developed by
the Computer Science Teachers Association. In 2013, the
Computer Science Teachers Association created K - 12 standards
with the intention that these standards would be adopted by
states.
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Analysis Prepared by:
Christine Aurre and Tanya Lieberman / ED. /
(916) 319-2087
FN: 0003325