BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 1451|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 1451
Author: Yee (D)
Amended: 4/28/10
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 8-0, 4/21/10
AYES: Romero, Huff, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Price,
Simitian, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Maldonado
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 6-3, 5/17/10
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Corbett, Leno, Wolk, Yee
NOES: Cox, Denham, Walters
NO VOTE RECORDED: Price, Wyland
SUBJECT : Education: instructional materials
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the State Board of Education
(SBE) to (1) notify the Legislature and Governors office if
it determines any instructional materials submitted for
consideration for adoption contain content that meets the
revised standards for social studies curriculum in Texas,
and (2) to ensure that the next revision of the
History-Social Science framework is consistent with
existing requirements to ensure instructional materials
include, portray accurately, encourage and impress certain
content upon pupils.
CONTINUED
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ANALYSIS : Existing law requires that the SBE must adopt
regulations to govern the social content reviews, as
specified, conducted at the request of a publisher or
manufacturer of instructional materials outside the primary
and follow-up instructional material adoption process.
Existing law requires instructional materials to accurately
portray:
1.The cultural and racial diversity of our society.
2.The protection of ecological systems and the harm caused
by tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
Existing law requires instructional materials to include:
1.The contributions of men, women, and ethnic groups to the
development of the state and nation.
2.The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of
the United States.
3.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the civil rights
movement.
Existing law requires instructional materials to impress
upon the minds of certain pupils American principles, and
encourage thrift, fire prevention and the humane treatment
of animals and people.
Existing law prohibits school districts from adopting
instructional materials that:
1.In the determination of the school district, contains:
A. Any matter reflecting adversely upon people due to
race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex,
handicap, or occupation.
B. Any sectarian, or denominational doctrine or
propaganda contrary to law.
2.Provides any exposure to commercial brand name, product,
or corporate or company logo that is inconsistent with
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the guidelines or frameworks adopted by the SBE.
This bill extends the sunset date on existing law which
provides that the SBE must adopt regulations to govern the
social content reviews, as specified, conducted at the
request of a publisher or manufacturer of instructional
materials outside the primary and follow-up instructional
material adoption process from 1/1/11 to 1/1/16.
This bill further requires the SBE to notify the
Legislature and Governor's office if it determines any
instructional materials submitted for consideration for
adoption contain content that meets the revised standards
for social studies curriculum in Texas.
Specifically, this bill requires the SBE, upon the next
adoption of the History-Social Science framework, to ensure
the framework is consistent with the following requirements
in existing law:
1. Instruction of social sciences must include the early
history of California and a study of the role and
contributions of both men and women, Black Americans,
American Indians, Mexicans, Asians, Pacific Island
people, and other ethnic groups to the economic,
political, and social development of California and the
United States of America, with particular emphasis on
portraying the roles of these groups in contemporary
society.
2. Instructional materials used in schools must accurately
portray the cultural and racial diversity of our
society, including the contributions of both men and
women in all types of roles, including professional,
vocational, and executive roles, as well as the role and
contributions of Native Americans, African Americans,
Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, European Americans,
and members of other ethnic and cultural groups to the
total development of California and the United States,
and finally, the role and contributions of the
entrepreneur and labor in the total development of
California and the United States.
3. Instructional materials must be designed to impress upon
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the minds of the pupils the principles of morality,
truth, justice, patriotism, and a true comprehension of
the rights, duties, and dignity of American citizenship,
and to instruct them in manners and morals and the
principles of a free government.
4. Instructional materials in social studies must include
information designed to instruct pupils on Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr., the civil rights movement, and
contributions made by ethnic minority groups to the
history of the United States.
An early stage in the instructional materials adoption
process is the submission by publishers of samples of
instructional materials to the SBE for review. As part of
this process, the California Department of Education (CDE)
is required to conduct social content reviews for all
instructional materials, which is intended to determine
compliance with all of the Education Code sections
described in Section 51204.5 of the Education Code.
The processes for reviewing frameworks and adopting
instructional materials has been suspended since July 2009,
pursuant to AB 2 (Evans), Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009,
Fourth Extraordinary Session, which, among other things,
prohibited the SBE from reviewing framework and adopting
instructional materials until the 2013-14 school year.
Comments
Need for the Bill . According to the author's office, the
Texas Board of Education recently voted to adopt revisions
to the social studies curriculum that are "a sharp
departure from widely accepted historical teachings that
are driven by an inappropriate ideological desire to
influence academic content standards for children in public
schools. Although not yet formally adopted, it is widely
presumed that the proposed changes to Texas' social studies
curriculum will have a national impact on the textbook
content since Texas is the second largest purchaser of
textbooks in the United States, second only to California."
What Changes are Proposed for the Social Studies Curriculum
in Texas ? The Texas Board of Education has proposed
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changes to the social studies curriculum that a majority of
the board sees as moving away from a liberal bias; others
believe the proposed changes insert a conservative bias.
(NOTE: For examples of propose changes, please see Senate
Education Committee analysis.)
Already Part of Review ? The CDE is currently required to
conduct a social content review of instructional materials
submitted to the SBE for adoption. Statute does not
clearly review this type of review of curriculum
frameworks. However, the SBE and Curriculum Commission
directed the Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria
Committee for the currently-suspended review and update of
the History-Social Science Framework to incorporate into
the evaluation criteria the portrayals that are required to
be included in instructional materials.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12
2013-14 Fund
Reporting $60, offset
by fees Fees*
CPM:cm 5/19/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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