BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 232|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 232
Author: Ducheny (D)
Amended: 6/4/07
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 6-1, 4/26/07
AYES: Scott, Alquist, Denham, Padilla, Simitian, Torlakson
NOES: Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado, Romero
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 9-6, 5/31/07
AYES: Torlakson, Cedillo, Corbett, Florez, Kuehl, Oropeza,
Ridley-Thomas, Steinberg, Yee
NOES: Cox, Aanestad, Ashburn, Dutton, Runner, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Battin, Simitian
SUBJECT : Teacher development: subject matter projects
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill extends the sunset on the California
Subject Matter Projects from June 30, 2007 to June 30,
2014.
ANALYSIS : Existing law provides for the establishment
and maintenance of Subject Matter Projects for the purpose
of developing and enhancing teachers' subject matter
knowledge in the following six specified areas: writing,
reading and literature, mathematics, science,
history-social science, and world history and international
CONTINUED
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studies.
Existing law requires the Regents of the University of
California (UC) with the approval of an intersegmental
Concurrence Committee to establish and maintain the
projects with funds appropriated in the Budget Act.
Existing law authorizes the UC to establish other subject
matter projects and prohibits funds allocated in the Budget
Act from being used for subject matter projects not
specified in law.
Existing law makes the CSMP inoperative on June 30, 2007,
and is repealed on January 1, 2008.
This bill extends the inoperative date of the projects to
June 30, 2014, and extends the sunset date to January 1,
2015.
Comments
What are the California Subject Matter Projects (CSMP) ?
The CSMPs are an alliance of statewide networks that
deliver intensive, discipline-based professional
development in the six core content areas authorized by law
to teachers and administrators. The programs support K-12
standards-aligned practice and infuse literacy strategies
for improving the academic skills of English Learners as
well as providing instructional techniques to meet the
needs of students with low skills in reading, writing,
math, and science.
In addition to the six projects authorized by law, the UC
maintains three additional subject matter projects in art,
foreign language, and physical education-health. Together,
the CSMP serves over 800 School districts in close to 100
sites statewide on campuses of the UC, California State
University, and independent colleges and universities.
According to the UC, the projects annually provide training
to over 40,000 teachers, administrators, and university
faculty.
Prior to 1988, the arts, foreign language, and physical
education/health projects were authorized in statute and
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funding was provided for them and the six other CSMPs in
the annual Budget Act.
AB 1734 (Mazzoni), Chapter 33, Statutes of 1998, made
significant governance and programmatic changes and
eliminated three projects (arts, foreign language, and
physical education/health). AB 1734 also authorized the UC
to establish other CSMPs, with the condition that the new
projects would not receive funding in the annual Budget
Act.
SB 611 (Ducheny), Chapter 857, Statutes of 2003, expressed
legislative intent that maintenance-level funding be
provided for projects in academic fields for which there
are State Board of Education (SBE) adopted content
standards or in fields that are seeking standards approval
from the SBE. Accordingly, the UC continued to operate
subject matter projects in the arts, foreign language, and
physical education/health projects.
The SBE has adopted K-12 Academic Content standards in
English language arts (1997), mathematics (1997), science
(1998), history/social science (1998), visual and
performing arts (2001), and physical education (2005). The
SBE is expected to adopt foreign language standards in
2007.
Prior legislation
SB 1073 (Simitian), 2005-06, authorized three additional
CSMPs: arts, foreign language, and physical
education/health. This bill was held in Assembly
Appropriations. AB 108 (Mazzoni, 2000) would have also
authorized these three additional CSMPs. Governor Davis
vetoed this bill with the following message:
The UC currently provides support for the arts,
foreign language, and physical education projects. I
believe that highest priority for the use of state
funds should be to support the existing subject matter
projects aimed at improving student academic
performance in English, mathematics, science, and the
social sciences.
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Need for the bill
The UC argues that extending the sunset date will help
ensure that teachers have access to professional
development activities in the subject areas established by
the state adopted content standards for pupils.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
The 2006 Budget Act allocates $9.35 million in state and
federal funding to support the six existing CSMPs. Of this
amount, $4.35 million is federal No Child Left Behind Act,
Title II funding for Repairing, Training, Recruiting High
Quality Teachers and $5 million in state General Funds.
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/4/07)
California Alliance for Arts Education
California Association for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and
Dance
California Association of Teachers of English
California Language Teachers Association
California State PTA
University of California
NC:nl 6/5/07 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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