BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2694|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2694
Author: Blumenfield (D)
Amended: 6/30/10 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 6-0, 6/23/10
AYES: Romero, Huff, Alquist, Emmerson, Liu, Price
NO VOTE RECORDED: Hancock, Simitian, Wyland
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 72-0, 5/20/10 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Instructional materials
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill expands the definition of
"supplementary instructional materials" to include current,
relevant technology, and authorizes schools to include
relevant technology-based materials when adopting
instructional materials.
ANALYSIS :
Existing Law
1.Defines "supplementary instructional materials" as
instructional materials designed to serve, but not be
limited to, one or more of the following purposes, for a
given subject, at a given grade level:
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A. To provide more complete coverage of a subject or
subjects included in a given course.
B. To provide for meeting the various learning
ability levels of pupils in a given age group or
grade level.
C. To provide for meeting the diverse educational
needs of pupils with a language disability in a given
age group or grade level.
D. To provide for meeting the diverse educational
needs of pupils reflective of a condition of cultural
pluralism.
2.Defines "technology-based materials" as basic or
supplemental instructional materials that are designed
for use by pupils and teachers as learning resources and
that require the availability of electronic equipment in
order to be used as a learning resource and specifies
that technology-based materials include, but are not
limited to, software programs, video disks, compact
disks, optical disks, video and audio tapes, lesson
plans, and databases.
Provides that technology-based materials do not include
electronic equipment required to make use of those
materials, unless that equipment is used by pupils and
teachers as a learning resource.
3.Authorizes a local governing board of a school district
to use funds from the Instructional Materials Funding
Realignment Program to purchase State Board of
Education-adopted instructional materials for
kindergarten and grades 1-8, and state standards-aligned
materials for grades 9-12, in an electronic or hardbound
format if it can ensure that each pupil will be provided
with a copy of the instructional materials to use at
school and at home, and specifies that providing access
to the materials at school and at home does not require
the local educational agency to purchase two sets of
materials.
4.Authorizes a governing board, following certification
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that each pupil has been provided with a
standards-aligned textbook or basic instructional
materials in the core curriculum areas, to use remaining
funds from the Instructional Materials Funding
Realignment Program for other related purposes including
purchasing supplementary instructional materials and
technology-based materials.
This bill expands the definition of "supplementary
instructional materials" to include current, relevant
technology, and authorizes schools to include relevant
technology-based materials when adopting instructional
materials. Specifically, this bill:
1.Adds to the definition of "supplementary instructional
materials" current, relevant technology that further
engages interactive learning in the classroom and beyond.
2.Authorizes the governing board of a school district to
include relevant technology-based materials, when
adopting instructional materials, if the materials are
both available and comparable to other, equivalent
instructional materials.
Comments
Permissive Education Code . This bill authorizes the school
districts to include relevant technology-based materials
when adopting instructional materials. The Education Code
is permissive, and as such, school districts do not need
statutory authority to include technology-based materials
when adopting instructional materials.
Connecting the Dots . Existing law defines "instructional
materials" to include technology-based materials, and
defines "technology-based materials" to include basic or
supplemental instructional materials. However, the
definition of "supplementary instructional materials" does
not reference the use of technology.
Related/Prior Legislation
AB 1742 (Coto), 2009-10 Session, clarifies that
instructional materials include technology-based materials,
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with respect to the provision of instructional materials to
pupils enrolled in non-public schools. (On Senate Third
Reading File)
AB 314 (Brownley), 2009-10 Session, among other things,
requires publishers to provide any equipment or technology
associated with the use of instructional materials free of
charge to the same extent as they are provided to other
states or districts in the United States. AB 314 further
requires publishers to furnish instructional materials in
an electronic format that contains at least the same
content as the printed version at a price that is less than
the price charged for the printed version and allows the
electronic version to be copy-protected. (In Senate
Appropriations Committee)
SB 247 (Alquist), Chapter 209, Statutes of 2009, authorized
a local governing board to use funding from the
Instructional Materials Funding Realignment Program to
purchase state-adopted instructional materials for K-8,
inclusive, and state standards-aligned materials for grades
9 to 12, inclusive, in an electronic or hardbound format if
it can ensure that each pupil will be provided with a copy
of the instructional materials to use at school and at
home.
AB 1398 (Blumenfield), Chapter 293, Statutes of 2009,
modified the definition of technology-based materials to
include the electronic equipment required to make use of
such materials if that equipment is to be used by pupils
and teachers as a learning resource.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/30/10)
California Federation of Teachers
California School Boards Association
San Francisco Unified School District
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
"this bill was introduced to encourage schools to make a
conscientious effort at engaging all students in their
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day-to-day instruction through the use of current, relevant
technology as supplemental instructional materials when and
where it is appropriate. AB 2694 aims to remind schools
that technology can be a life-line for engaging an
otherwise struggling student. It is not our intent to
burden schools with mandates, requirements, or costly
upgrades; it is our intent to ensure that our schools make
an effort to incorporate current, relevant technology when
considering supplemental instructional materials; not only
for the purposes of engaging all students but for preparing
them for the technology employed in today's world."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,
Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles
Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De
Leon, DeVore, Emmerson, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes,
Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gilmore,
Hagman, Hall, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman,
Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal,
Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen,
Norby, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Salas,
Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra
Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran,
Yamada
NO VOTE RECORDED: De La Torre, Evans, Fletcher, Harkey,
Nava, Villines, John A. Perez, Vacancy
CPM:cm 8/22/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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