BILL ANALYSIS
AB 756
Page 1
REPLACE - 5/23/2005
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 756 (Goldberg)
As Amended April 7, 2005
Majority vote
EDUCATION 8-1
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|Ayes:|Goldberg, Arambula, Coto, | | |
| |Hancock, Huff, Mullin, | | |
| |Pavley, Umberg | | |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+---------+---------------------|
|Nays:|Wyland | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Prohibits the State Board of Education (SBE) and the
governing board of any local education agency (LEA) from adopting
any instructional material that exceeds 200 pages in length.
Encourages the use of technology and multimedia materials to create
higher interest and more up-to-date information from varied
sources.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires SBE to adopt instructional materials for grades K-8 in
the core curriculum areas of language arts, mathematics,
history/social science, science, bilingual and bicultural
subjects, and any other subject, discipline, or interdisciplinary
subject for which SBE determines the adoption of instructional
materials to be desirable or necessary.
2)Requires the governing boards of LEAs to adopt textbooks for use
in grade 9-12 and authorizes adoption only for textbooks which
comply with certain social compliance regulations.
FISCAL EFFECT : None, according to Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : Textbooks are too laden with print supplemental
materials, and too uninteresting in style. In the 21st century,
the information age, information changes more rapidly than books
can be printed. Educated, informed citizens of the 21st century
will have to rely on technology and media for information.
AB 756
Page 2
Textbooks should provide an overview of the critical questions and
issues of a subject, and then become a roadmap to guide students to
other means and sources of information. Students need to begin
learning to use these means and sources in school so they can
consider the advantages and hazards of information acquired from
these sources and use them wisely.
Through the Digital High School program, all high schools have been
equipped with computers. The K-12 high-speed Internet has provided
high-speed Internet connectivity to every county office.
California needs to make every classroom in California a
state-of-the-art technology/media classroom, and prepare students
to live and work in the 21st century environment.
The American Association of Publishers opposes this bill on the
grounds that the page limitation is arbitrary, will force
publishers to produce multiple volumes of texts which would cost
more, and that the page limitation would require a change in the
curriculum standards.
Analysis Prepared by : Dee Brennick / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN:
0010154