BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                             Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
                            2015 - 2016  Regular  Session

          AB 2329 (Bonilla) - Computer science strategic implementation  
          plan
          
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |                                                                 |
          |                                                                 |
          |                                                                 |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 
          |--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
          |                                |                                |
          |Version: June 29, 2016          |Policy Vote: ED. 9 - 0          |
          |                                |                                |
          |--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
          |                                |                                |
          |Urgency: No                     |Mandate: No                     |
          |                                |                                |
          |--------------------------------+--------------------------------|
          |                                |                                |
          |Hearing Date: August 1, 2016    |Consultant: Jillian Kissee      |
          |                                |                                |
           ----------------------------------------------------------------- 


          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  







          AB 2329 (Bonilla)                                      Page 1 of  
          ?
          
          
            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  
          ?
          
          
            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.








          AB 2329 (Bonilla)                                      Page 3 of  
          ?
          
          




          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.










          AB 2329 (Bonilla)                                      Page 4 of  
          ?
          
          


                                      -- END --