BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 426
AUTHOR: Yee
AMENDED: March 31, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: April 15, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Curriculum Frameworks
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Curriculum Commission to consider
and vote on whether to adopt each concurrent resolution
passed by the Legislature that proposes changes to
curriculum frameworks, and requires the State Board of
Education to consider each of the resolutions, as
specified.
BACKGROUND
The State Board of Education (SBE) has adopted statewide
academic content standards in core and other curriculum
areas.
Curriculum frameworks, also adopted by the SBE, are
blueprints for implementing the academic content standards.
Frameworks serve as a basis for the development of
instructional materials. The frameworks are reviewed and
updated on a set schedule: the frameworks for core subjects
are reviewed every six years and other frameworks are
reviewed every seven or eight years. The foreign language
framework is scheduled for adoption in 2009, and the
frameworks for history-social science and science are
scheduled for review in 2010.
The Curriculum Commission is composed of:
Thirteen members appointed by the SBE.
One member appointed by the Governor.
One member appointed by the Speaker of the
Assembly.
One member appointed by the Senate Rules Committee.
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One Senator.
One Assembly member.
The primary role of the Curriculum Commission is to advise
the SBE on the adoption of K-12 curriculum frameworks and
K-8 instructional materials. The Curriculum Commission
must ensure that curriculum frameworks are aligned with
statewide standards and develop criteria for evaluating
instructional materials submitted for adoption.
The Curriculum Commission is responsible for conducting a
field review of each draft framework prior to recommending
the draft to the SBE. Once approved for field review,
copies are mailed to interested individuals, posted on the
Internet, and placed on public display in the Learning
Resources Display Centers throughout California. Members
of the public may submit written comments to the Curriculum
Commission and/or the SBE. The Curriculum Commission holds
public comment sessions on the draft framework prior to
considering the framework for recommendation to the SBE.
The SBE also holds a public hearing prior to considering
the framework for adoption.
Members of the SBE are appointed by the Governor.
ANALYSIS
This bill requires the Curriculum Commission to consider
and vote on whether to adopt each concurrent resolution
passed by the Legislature that proposes changes to
curriculum frameworks, and requires the State Board of
Education (SBE) to consider each of the resolutions.
Specifically, this bill:
1) Requires the Curriculum Development and Supplemental
Materials Commission (Curriculum Commission), as part
of its regular process of developing and revising
curriculum frameworks as requested by the SBE, to
consider and vote on whether to adopt each concurrent
resolution passed by the Legislature that proposes
changes to curriculum frameworks.
2) Requires the Curriculum Commission to present each of
the resolutions it adopts to the SBE on a biannual
basis.
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3) Requires the SBE to consider each of the resolutions
presented by the Curriculum Commission as part of the
SBE's regular process of developing and revising
curriculum frameworks.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) What's the problem ? The Legislature has passed
numerous bills over the past few years that propose to
add specific components to curriculum frameworks,
particularly in the area of history-social science.
Those bills are routinely vetoed by the Governor,
whose veto messages state that standards are
intentionally broad, and his belief is that those
bills are overly prescriptive in specific school
curriculum. This bill affects resolutions, not bills.
Resolutions do not require gubernatorial approval to
take affect.
2) Timing . The Curriculum Commission meets four times a
year. This bill requires the Curriculum Commission to
present any resolutions they have adopted to the SBE
twice a year. Frameworks are up for consideration by
the Curriculum Commission about every six years. What
happens if the Curriculum Commission and SBE adopt a
resolution to modify a framework that is not up for
review for several years? The membership of the SBE
is likely to change within the span of several years.
Will the SBE be bound by a years-prior vote to make
specific modifications to frameworks? Staff
recommends that this bill be amended to require action
by the Curriculum Commission and SBE only when a
resolution affects the same subject area as a
framework that is currently under review.
3) Curriculum bills in 2009 . AB 156 (Jeffries)
authorizes a school district to offer one credit
towards the required number of credits necessary for
graduation from high school for training and
certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation or the
use of an automatic external defibrillator, or both.
AB 156 is pending in the Assembly Education Committee.
AB 717 (Cook) encourages instruction in social science
for grades 7 to 12 to include instruction on World War
II and the role of Filipinos in that war. AB 717 is
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pending on the Assembly Floor.
SB 223 (Wyland) requires one-half of the currently
required one-semester course in economics to focus on
personal finance and financial literacy. SB 223 is
pending in this Committee.
SB 234 (Wyland) beginning with the 2010-11 school
year, prohibits a pupil from receiving credit for
passing a course in United States history and
geography, or in world history, and culture, without
exposure in that course to an oral history component
specifically related to genocides. SB 234 is
scheduled for hearing in this Committee on April 22.
SB 236 (Huff) currently makes technical changes to the
course of study for grades 7 to 12; relative to career
technical education. SB 236 is pending in the Senate
Rules Committee.
SB 297 (Wyland) expresses the intent of the
Legislature to enact legislation relating to science
and mathematics instruction in public elementary and
secondary schools. SB 297 is pending in the Senate
Rules Committee.
SB 339 (Wyland) states legislative intent to enact
legislation relating to civics education in public
schools. SB 339 is pending in the Senate Rules
Committee.
SB 471 (Romero) requires the Curriculum Commission to
make recommendations to the SBE for the purpose of
promoting pupil awareness of career opportunities in
industries facing workforce shortages. SB 471 is
pending in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 520 (Pavley) authorizes school districts to offer
one credit towards the required number of credits
required for graduation from high school for each 10
hours of volunteer service provided by a pupil, up to
a maximum of 5 credits per pupil per semester. SB 520
is scheduled for hearing in this Committee on May 6.
SB 552 (Padilla) requires a school district to offer
grade 9 or 10 pupils who are enrolled in health
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classes at least 15 minutes of instruction on organ
procurement and tissue donation designed to develop a
knowledge of the potentially life-saving achievement
involved in organ and tissue transplantation. SB 552
is scheduled for hearing in this Committee on April
29.
SUPPORT
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
California Italian-American Task Force
Hmong Leadership Network of San Joaquin
Korean Schools Association of Northern California
Little Manila Foundation
Numerous individuals
OPPOSITION
None received.