BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 580
Page 1
Date of Hearing: April 13, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 580 (Davis) - As Introduced: February 16, 2011
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:6-2
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No
Reimbursable:No
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the California Civil Rights Education
Advisory Commission (CCREAC), within the State Department of
Education (SDE), to study and review the history/social science
curriculum framework and advise the State Board of Education
(SBE) and the Curriculum and Development and Supplemental
Materials Commission (CDSMC) on the inclusion of civil rights
education in the history/social science framework and criteria
for evaluating instructional materials (IM). Specifically, this
bill:
1)Authorizes the CCREAC to act as a liaison with various
entities, including the U.S. Congress, the State Legislature,
and the National Association of the Advancement of Colored
People, in advising the SBE and CDSMC on the curriculum
framework.
2)Requires the CCREAC to consist of 14 members, including the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) (who also appoints
members) and representatives of the state's higher education
institutions, who serve three-year terms. Of the 10 members
appointed by the SPI, this measure requires at least two to
represent civil rights organizations and five to be public
school teachers.
3)Prohibits CCREAC members from receiving compensation, but
requires members to be reimbursed for their expenses in
performing commission duties.
4)Authorizes SDE to apply and receive gifts, grants, and
donations from any public or private sources for the CCREAC.
AB 580
Page 2
FISCAL EFFECT
GF administrative costs, of at least $200,000, to the SDE to
support the CCREAC.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . Over the past five years, 115 episodes of vandalism
involving hate speech have occurred on the University of
California's (UC) 10 campuses. Recently, there have been
several high profile incidents involving race and gender at
both UC San Diego and UC Davis. According to the author, "The
rise of hate crimes and racial tension in California and
across the nation, most recently on several campuses within
the UC system, provides a compelling reason to completely
re-approach the process of developing state curriculum in the
field of history/social science. Far too many citizens
obviously do not appreciate the complexity of racial, social,
economic, and political problems."
This bill establishes the CCREAC to provide assistance and
advice to the SBE and the CDSMC on the inclusion of civil
rights education in the history/social science framework and
criteria for evaluating IM.
2)Existing law. Prior to the enactment of AB 2 X4, Chapter 2,
Statutes of 2009 in July 2009 (see below), statute required
the SBE to adopt basic instructional materials (IM) in the
core academic content areas (English language arts,
mathematics, history/social science, and science) every six
years for use in grades K-8. It is also required the SBE to
adopt statewide academically rigorous content standards in the
core curriculum areas. These content standards are implemented
through the curriculum frameworks, as adopted by SBE. The
adopted IM must be consistent with the criteria and standards
of quality prescribed in the adopted curriculum frameworks.
The development of curriculum frameworks is a multi-year
process. Also, the governing board of each school district
maintaining one or more high schools is authorized to adopt IM
for use in the high schools (grades 9-12) under its control.
In June 2003, the SBE adopted the history/social science
curriculum framework for grades K-12. The current framework
AB 580
Page 3
states a goal of the framework is to ensure textbooks provide
"sociopolitical literacy," including information on the civil
rights movement. Also, specific information on civil rights
is noted in the framework for grade 11.
Statute also requires the SBE to adopt content standards in
the curriculum area of history/social science. In October
1998, the SBE adopted the History/Social Science Content
Standards for grades K-12. These content standards require
pupils to be taught about the civil rights movement in grade
11 (the evolution of federal law) and in grade 12 (landmark
Supreme Court decisions).
3)Existing law . AB 2 X4 (Evans), Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009,
specified that local education agencies are not required to
purchase IM through the 2012-13 fiscal year. Consistent with
the non-purchasing requirement, Chapter 2 also suspended the
requirement for SBE to adopt IM or conduct other procedures
associated with adoption (i.e., adopting curriculum
frameworks) until the 2013-14 school year.
As part of the 2011 budget process, SB 70 (Committee on Budget
and Fiscal Review), Chapter 7, Statutes of 2011, extended the
ability of districts to not purchase IM and the SBE to not
adopt IM or conduct the adoption process by two years, until
2014-15.
Prior to the enactment of AB 2 X4 and SB 70, the next
history/social science curriculum framework was scheduled for
adoption in May 2010, with IM for this subject to be adopted
in 2011. However, this timeline is no longer relevant and the
next adoption of this framework has not been determined.
4)Related legislation . AB 250 (Brownley), pending in the
Assembly Education Committee, attempts to revise the IM
adoption process, including the role of the CDSMC.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081