BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Senator Carol Liu, Chair
2015 - 2016 Regular
Bill No: SB 652
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|Author: |Allen |
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|Version: |April 6, 2015 Hearing |
| |Date: April 29, 2015 |
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|Urgency: |No |Fiscal: |Yes |
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|Consultant:|Lynn Lorber |
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Subject: Instructional materials: revised curriculum
frameworks: science
SUMMARY
This bill delays by one year the date by which the State Board
of Education is required to consider the adoption of a revised
framework for science.
BACKGROUND
Academic content standards define the knowledge, concepts, and
skills that students should acquire at each grade level.
Curricular frameworks are the blueprint for implementing the
standards, and include criteria by which instructional materials
are evaluated.
A schedule once existed for the review and update of frameworks
and instructional materials in many subject areas, but those
processes were suspended due to budget constraints. The State
Board of Education (SBE) is specifically prohibited from
adopting instructional materials and the Instructional Quality
Commission (formerly the Curriculum Commission) is prohibited
from reviewing or updating curricular frameworks until the
2015-16 school year. The Curriculum Commission was in the
process of updating the frameworks in health and history-social
science when the prohibition was imposed; all work halted on
July 28, 2009. (Education Code § 60200.7) Statutes have since
been amended to require or authorize frameworks to be updated in
certain subjects:
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1. Requires the SBE to consider, by January 31, 2016, the
adoption of a revised framework for science based on the
Next Generation Science Standards that were adopted by the
SBE on September 4, 2013. (EC § 60200.9)
2. Requires the SBE to adopt a revised framework in English
language arts that is aligned to the common core standards
by July 30, 2014, and a framework for mathematics that is
aligned to the common core standards by November 30, 2013.
(EC § 60207)
3. Requires the SBE to ensure that the revised framework in
English language arts include the English language
development standards. (EC § 60207)
4. Authorizes the SBE to consider the adoption of a revised
framework in history-social science. (EC § 60200.8)
ANALYSIS
This bill delays by one year the date by which the State Board
of Education is required to consider the adoption of a revised
framework for science. Specifically, this bill:
1. Delays by one year, from January 31, 2016 to January 31,
2017, the date by which the State Board of Education (SBE)
is required to consider the adoption of a revised framework
for science that is based on the Next Generation Science
Standards that were adopted by the SBE on September 4,
2013.
2. Updates the cross-reference to the provision that required
the SBE to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards.
That section of the Education Code has since been repealed,
and therefore is properly referenced as the former Section
60605.85, as that section read on June 30, 2014.
STAFF COMMENTS
1. Need for the bill. According to the author, "The revision
of the science framework is underway, but development of
the draft has required more time than originally projected.
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The Science Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria
Committee (committee) began its work in September 2014,
followed by meetings in October and November. Meetings
originally scheduled for December 2014 and February 2015
were rescheduled. As the committee got deeper into the
work of developing what is essentially a brand-new
framework, based on entirely new content standards, it
became clear that there would be difficulties in meeting
the original timeline approved by the SBE. The contracted
writers for the project had to complete extensive revisions
of early drafts based on the guidance of the committee
resulting from its public meetings. This resulted in
significant improvements to the draft document, but meant
that the work could not be completed according to the
original timeline."
2. Status of the revised framework in science. According to
the California Department of Education's website, the
Science Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria
Committee is currently drafting the revised science
framework, and is expected to present the draft to the
Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) in September 2015.
The IQC then must make the draft available for field review
for 60 days, and make and subsequent edits as deemed
appropriate. The California Department of Education (CDE)
anticipates full development of the revised framework and
adoption by the SBE by January 2017.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/sc/cf/index.asp
3. Capacity. The California Department of Education (CDE),
Instructional Quality Commission, or State Board of
Education (SBE) are currently tasked, by statute, with the
following activities related to standards and frameworks,
in addition to revision of the science framework:
A. The SBE is authorized to consider the adoption of
a revised framework in history-social science, which
was suspended in July 2009. The 2014-15 Budget Act
appropriated funds for the revision of the
history-social science framework to resume. According
to the CDE's website, the Instructional Quality
Commission approved the draft revised framework for
field review on September 18, 2014. The SBE is
expected to adopt the revised framework in May 2015.
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The California Department of Education has encountered
difficulty in finalizing this framework and has
requested funding in the 2015-16 Budget Act for an
independent review of their work.
B. The Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) is
required to recommend English language development
standards that are aligned with the common core
standards in mathematics and science for adoption by
the State Board of Education (SBE). Adoption of these
standards is expected in or after July 2015.
C. The SPI is required to recommend to the SBE
modifications to the English language development
standards that are aligned with the common core
standards in mathematics and the Next Generation
Science Standards. Current law requires the SPI to
submit recommendations to the SBE by January 2015, and
requires the SBE to adopt updated standards by August
1, 2015. However, according to the California
Department of Education's website, the panel of
experts has just recently been convened, and it is
anticipated that the SPI will provide recommendations
to the SBE in July 2015; it is unclear if adoption by
the SBE is expected later than the statutory deadline
of August 1, 2015. There is no statutory authority or
requirement for the adoption of a revised English
language development framework for mathematics or
science. (EC § 60811.4)
D. Requires the Instructional Quality Commission to
consider, by July 31, 2019, developing and
recommending the adoption of standards in computer
science.
4. Fiscal impact. Funds for the revision of the science
framework were appropriated in the 2014-15 Budget Act. It
is not anticipated that this bill will result in costs to
the State.
5. Related and prior legislation (specific to frameworks).
RELATED LEGISLATION
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SB 695 (De Leon, 2015) requires school districts that require
completion of a course in health education as a condition
of high school graduation to include instruction in sexual
assault and violence, and requires the Instructional
Quality Commission, during the next revision of the Health
framework, to consider including a distinct category for
grades 9-12 on sexual harassment and violence. SB 695 is
scheduled to be heard by the Senate Appropriations
Committee on May 4.
AB 101 (Alejo, 2015) requires the SPI to oversee the development
of, and requires the SBE to adopt, a model curriculum
framework and other support systems to ensure quality
courses in ethnic studies, requires the model curriculum
framework to meet the A-G requirements, and requires each
school district serving any of grades 7 to 12 to offer a
course of study in ethnic studies
based on the model curriculum framework. AB 101 is pending on
the Assembly Appropriations Committee's suspense file.
AB 146 (Cristina Garcia, 2015) requires the State Board of
Education, when revising and adopting the history-social
science framework after January 1, 2016, to consider
including instruction on the unconstitutional deportation
to Mexico during the Great Depression of citizens and
lawful permanent residents of the United States. AB 146 is
pending on the Assembly Appropriations Committee's suspense
file.
SUPPORT
California Science Teachers Association
State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson
OPPOSITION
None received.
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