BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                   SB 247|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  SB 247
          Author:   Alquist (D), et al
          Amended:  5/6/09
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE  :  9-0, 4/29/09
          AYES:  Romero, Huff, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Maldonado,  
            Padilla, Simitian, Wyland


           SUBJECT  :    Instructional materials

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill allows school districts to use  
          instructional materials categorical funding to purchase  
          those materials for grades 9-12, inclusive, in an  
          electronic format.  If the local governing board only  
          purchases instructional materials in an electronic format,  
          the instructional materials shall be made available for use  
          in class and at home and shall be accessible, in their  
          entirety, as needed to complete assignments in class and at  
          home.  

           ANALYSIS  :    Pursuant to SB 4XXX (Ducheny), Chapter 12,  
          Statues of 2009, Third Extraordinary Session, from 2008-09  
          through 2012-13, school districts may use funds allocated  
          for instructional materials for any educational purpose.   
          Any instructional materials for K-8 that are purchased by a  
          local district must continue to be adopted by the state  
          board, materials for grades 9-12 must be aligned with state  
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          standards.  Materials purchased must also meet sufficiency  
          requirements, so that each pupil has sufficient textbooks  
          and instructional materials in the core curricular areas of  
          math, science, history/social science and English language  
          arts, and so that all pupils who are enrolled in the same  
          course have identical textbooks and instructional  
          materials.

           Comments
           
           Budget flexibility  .  The categorical funding flexibility  
          provided in 
          SB 4XXX (Ducheny), Chapter 12, Statutes of 2009, Third  
          Extraordinary Session, allows districts to use  
          instructional materials funding for any educational  
          purpose.  Therefore, at least through the 2012-13 school  
          year,  districts could use the funds to purchase  
          instructional material in electronic format provided that  
          the districts meets the other requirements of Chapter 12,  
          including sufficiency and assuring that all pupils who are  
          enrolled in the same course have the same instructional  
          materials.  This bill also requires districts to meet  
          sufficiency requirements. 

           Related Legislation

           AB 314 (Brownley) requires publishers or manufacturers of  
          instructional materials to furnish instructional materials  
          in an electronic format at a price that is less than the  
          price charged for the printed version and requires the  
          electronic version of any textbook to contain at least the  
          same content as the printed version.  The bill is in the  
          Assembly Appropriations Committee.

          AB 1374 (Brownley) allows a local governing board to use  
          instructional materials funding to purchase  
          technology-based instructional materials.  The bill is in  
          the Assembly Education Committee.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  No    
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  5/8/09)








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          California Manufacturers and Technology Association
          Los Angeles Unified School District
          San Diego County Office of Education
          Santa Clara County Office of Education
          TechAmerica


          DLW:mw  5/8/09   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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