BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2546
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 16, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2546 (Donnelly) - As Amended: April 26, 2012
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:10-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill requires the history-social science curriculum
framework, when it is revised by current law, to include
specified historical documents based on the subject matter of
the course. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the following historical documents to be included in
the history-social science framework, where appropriate:
a) The Magna Carta.
b) The Articles of Confederation.
c) The California Constitution.
2)Requires the adopted course of study for social science for
grades 7-12 to include instruction on the development of
democracy and the history of the development of the U.S.
Constitution.
3)Requires the governing board of a school district, when
adopting instructional materials for social science or
history, to ensure a classroom in which these subjects are
taught has access to a copy of the California Constitution.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Potential GF administrative costs, likely between $150,000 and
$200,000, to the State Department of Education's (SDE)
Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to complete the
history-social science framework requirements of this measure.
This assumes a portion of the IQC's funding is restored to
complete the development of the history-social science
AB 2546
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framework, as specified. Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed all GF
funding ($700,000) for the Curriculum Development and
Supplemental Materials Commission (now the IQC) in 2009. To
date, this funding has not been restored.
2)GF/98 state reimbursable mandated costs, of at least $600,000,
to local education agencies (LEAs) to ensure a classroom in
which social science or history is taught has access to a copy
of the California Constitution. There were 1,280 high schools
in 2009-10.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to the author, "While various other
mandates for understanding are included in the code, currently
the development of democracy and the history of the framing of
the United States Constitution are not required subject
matters for social science instruction."
The author further states: "America, arguably the greatest
democracy ever to exist, will only stay as such if subsequent
generations understand its importance and the work necessary
to secure its preservation. In the effort to ensure this vital
education for future Californians, this bill aims to
standardize instruction in the fundamentals of democracy and
the formation of our republic."
2)Background . Existing law requires history-social science
curriculum framework to include the following historical
documents: the Declaration of Independence, the U.S.
Constitution, the Federalist Papers, the Emancipation
Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address, and George Washington's
Farewell Address.
The IQC, formerly the Curriculum Development and Supplemental
Materials Commission, is an 18-member advisory board to SBE.
The IQC advises SBE on the K-12 curriculum frameworks and K-8
instructional materials (IM). In doing so, it serves as an
intermediary between the field experts and SBE. The commission
holds a public hearing on a framework after the Subject Matter
Committee hearing and before the SBE hearing on the framework.
It also holds a public hearing on IM after content panel
AB 2546
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members develop their evaluation report and before SBE holds a
hearing to adopt the materials. School districts conduct
their own adoption process for high school IM.
Current law establishes a required course of study for grades
7-12. The course of study includes instruction in social
sciences. Statute requires instruction in this subject area
to include a foundation for understanding the history,
resources, development, and government of California and
United States.
Statute also requires local governing boards, when adopting
IM, to require the textbooks for social science or civics
classes to contain the Declaration of Independence and the
U.S. Constitution.
3)IM and curriculum framework moratorium . AB 2 X4 (Evans),
Chapter 2, Fourth Extraordinary Session, Statutes of 2009,
specified that LEAs are not required to purchase IM through
the 2012-13 FY. 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. SB 70 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal
Review), Chapter 7, Statutes of 2011, extended this suspension
until the 2014-15 FY
This bill would countermand this budget decision.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081