BILL ANALYSIS
AJR 39
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AJR 39 (Torlakson)
As Amended June 22, 2010
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |70-1 |(May 10, 2010) |SENATE: |31-0 |(June 28, |
| | | | | |2010) |
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Original Committee Reference: ED.
SUMMARY : Calls upon the National Governors Association (NGA) and
the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to develop
common core state standards in the core academic disciplines of
English-language arts, mathematics, history-social science, and
science, and to replicate the process used to develop
English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics common core state
standards to develop common core state standards for social
studies and science.
The Senate amendments replace "the arts" with "visual and
performing arts."
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), the
State Board of Education (SBE), and any other entity designated
by the Governor to participate in the Common Core State
Standards Initiative Consortium (CCSSIC) sponsored by the NGA
and the CCSSO, or any associated or related interstate
collaboration to develop common high-quality standards or
assessments.
2)Establishes the Academic Content Standards Commission, as
specified, to develop academic content standards in language
arts and mathematics and present recommended academic content
standards to the SBE by July 15, 2010, requires that at least
85% of the new standards include the common core academic
standards developed by the CCSSIC or any associated or related
interstate collaboration to jointly develop common high-quality
standards or assessments aligned with the common set of
standards, and requires the SBE to adopt or reject the
recommended standards by August 2, 2010.
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AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar to
the version passed by the Senate.
FISCAL EFFECT : This resolution is keyed non-fiscal.
COMMENTS : California has adopted content standards in the areas
of reading/language arts, math, history/social science, science,
visual and performing arts, career technical education, physical
education, health education, and most recently world languages.
The CCSSI is an effort to establish a single set of content
standards for English-language arts (ELA) and math that states can
share and voluntarily adopt. The CCSSO and the NGA Center for
Best Practices have coordinated the effort and the process of
developing common core standards in consultation with teachers,
parents, experts and administrators. 48 states, two territories
and the District of Columbia joined the CCSSI and committed to
developing a common core of state standards in ELA and math for
kindergarten and grades 1-12, inclusive (K-12).
Legislation enacted for purposes of satisfying some of the
criteria for the Race to the Top (RTTT) program, namely, SB 1 X5
(Steinberg), Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009-10, Fifth Extraordinary
Session, establishes the Academic Content Standards Commission to
develop academic content standards in ELA and math and to present
recommended academic content standards to the SBE by July 15,
2010. SB 1 X5 (Steinberg) requires that at least 85% of these
standards be comprised of the common core academic standards
developed by the CCSSIC or any associated or related interstate
collaboration to jointly develop common high-quality standards or
assessments aligned with the common set of standards. In March of
this year, the draft common core state standards in ELA and math
for K-12 were released for public comment. The draft ELA
standards set requirements for ELA but also for reading, writing,
speaking, listening and language in history, social studies and
science. However, supporters of history-social science and
science would argue that important literature is left out of the
history-social studies and science exemplars in the draft ELA
standards and that it is important to have common core state
standards in social studies and science in preparing all students
for college and careers.
According to the NGA and the CCSSO, "These English language arts
and mathematics standards represent a set of expectations for
student knowledge and skills that will result in high school
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graduates who are prepared for success in college and careers."
Furthermore, the NGA and the CCSSO note that the standards are
research and evidence based, aligned with college and work
expectations, rigorous, and internationally benchmarked.
According to the NGA and the CCSSO, the final common core state
standards are expected to be finalized in late spring of this
year.
This resolution calls on the NGA and the CCSSO to replicate the
process used to develop ELA and math standards to also develop
common core state standards for social studies and science. The
existing work of the CCSSIC, similar to our assessment and
accountability system, has focused solely on reading and math.
This heavy emphasis on these two subjects has often led to a
reduced focus on equally important subjects such as science,
foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts,
history, and geography, which the federal No Child Left Behind Act
(NCLB) considers "core academic subjects." This resolution seeks
to ensure that efforts to create common core state standards take
into account subjects other than ELA and math and calls on the NGO
and the CCSSO to develop common core state standards in social
science and science and it further calls on these organizations to
examine the viability of developing common core state standards in
foreign language, visual and performing arts, physical education
and CTE. This resolution emphasizes the importance of each of
these subjects in ensuring pupils have access to a comprehensive
and well-rounded curriculum.
Information on the CCSSIC Internet Web site stipulates that,
"English-language arts and math were the first subjects chosen for
the common core state standards because these two subjects are
skills, upon which students build skill sets in other subject
areas. They are also the subjects most frequently assessed for
accountability purposes." Information on the CCSSIC Web site
further points out, "Of course, other subject areas are critical
to young people's education and their success in college and
careers. Once the English-language arts and math standards are
developed, CCSSO and NGA Center, on behalf of the states, plan to
develop a common core of standards in science and potentially
additional subject areas." No further information is available
regarding a specific plan for the development of common core state
standards in science or social studies as part of the CCSSIC.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avina / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN:
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