BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular Session
AB 2329 (Bonilla) - Computer science strategic implementation
plan
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|Version: June 29, 2016 |Policy Vote: ED. 9 - 0 |
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|Urgency: No |Mandate: No |
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|Hearing Date: August 1, 2016 |Consultant: Jillian Kissee |
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This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
Bill
Summary: This bill requires the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (Superintendent) to convene a computer science
strategic implementation advisory panel (panel) to develop
recommendations for a computer science strategic implementation
plan.
Fiscal
Impact:
One-time cost of $237,000 to support the 23 member panel and
to appoint a statewide computer science liaison to serve the
panel. These costs include travel, materials, and recording
contracts for the panel public meetings as well as costs to
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support the liaison. Ongoing costs to the California
Department of Education (CDE) are unknown, but funding of
about $150,000 is likely needed to continue to support the
liaison for a period of time after the adoption of the
computer science content standards and the associated
curriculum framework. See staff comments. (General Fund)
Unknown cost pressure, likely in the millions to implement
suggested recommendations included in this bill. Costs will
depend on the actual recommendations of the panel. See staff
comments. (Proposition 98)
Background: Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission to
consider developing and recommending to the State Board of
Education (Board), by July 31, 2019, computer science content
standards based on recommendations developed by a group of
computer science experts. (Education Code § 60605.4)
Existing law authorizes a school district to award a student up
to one mathematics course credit for successfully completing an
approved computer science course for University of California
(UC) and California State University (CSU) admittance, if the
district requires more than two courses in mathematics for
graduation from high school. (EC § 51225.3 and § 51225.35)
Existing law also requires the CSU, and requests the UC, to
develop guidelines for high school computer science courses to
be approved for admission. (EC § 66205.5)
Proposed Law:
This bill requires the Superintendent to convene a computer
science strategic implementation advisory panel to develop
recommendations for a computer science strategic implementation
plan. The requirements of this bill are scheduled to sunset
July 31, 2020.
Specifically, this bill requires:
By September 1, 2017, the Superintendent to convene a panel to
develop recommendations for a computer science strategic
AB 2329 (Bonilla) Page 2 of
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implementation plan.
The panel to consist of, but not be limited to, 23 members
which include representatives of the Governor, Legislature,
Superintendent, K-12 teachers, the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing, the Computer Science Teachers Association,
private sector technology industry, public and private
postsecondary education, the Instructional Quality Commission,
various organizations, a student, and a county office of
education.
By July 1, 2018, the panel to submit recommendations for a
computer science strategic implementation plan to the CDE, the
State Board of Education, and the Legislature.
Recommendations to include: (1) broadening the pool of
teachers to teach computer science; (2) defining computer
science education principles that meet the needs of students
in kindergarten and grades one through 12; and (3) ensuring
that all students have access to quality computer science
courses.
The Superintendent to appoint a statewide computer science
liaison to serve the panel, in such activities as:
coordinating the efforts of the panel, soliciting public
comment, preparing reports, and ensuring that the panel's
recommendations are implemented.
That the duration of the liaison's role is to be for a limited
period of time after the adoption of academic content
standards in computer science and the curriculum framework is
to provide technical assistance to local educational agencies
in implementing the standards and curriculum.
This bill also provides that if state or federal funds are not
sufficient, the panel is authorized to evaluate the ability to
accept financial support from public or private sources to
implement this bill.
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Staff
Comments: This bill requires that the duration of the liaison's
role only be for a limited time subsequent to the adoption of
the computer science standards and associated curriculum
framework by the Board, to provide technical assistance and
support to local educational agencies. The Instructional
Quality Commission is required to consider developing and
recommending to the Board content standards by July 31, 2019.
Existing law provides that this activity is permissive and is
contingent upon an appropriation for this purpose in the annual
budget act. Assuming an appropriation is provided, developing
the content standards and associated curriculum framework
(contingent upon another appropriation and authorizing
legislation), support for the liaison would likely continue for
a period of time to enable him or her to support the local
standards and curriculum framework implementation.
This bill also creates significant cost pressures to implement
the recommendations of the panel. The suggested recommendations
included in this bill would require substantial resources to
implement. For example, scaling up computer science education
coursework so that all high schools teach at least one computer
science course would result in costs in the hundreds of
millions. This assumes an average teacher salary and benefit
package of $100,000. According to the CDE's DataQuest, over
1,600 schools are offering computer education courses but only
several hundred of the schools offer computer science,
specifically. There are about 2,500 high schools (including
charter schools) in the state. If 2,000 high schools need to
hire a computer science teacher, costs would be $200 million.
To ensure that all roughly 10,000 schools have access to
computer science courses, costs would increase substantially.
Other suggested recommendations in the bill include providing
training and professional development, creating a teacher
certification pathway in computer science, expanding scholarship
eligibility and loan forgiveness programs for computer science
teachers, and ensuring school districts have adequate broadband
connectivity and access to hardware and software.
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