BILL ANALYSIS �
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 140|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 140
Author: Lowenthal (D)
Amended: 5/24/11
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 7-1, 3/16/11
AYES: Lowenthal, Alquist, Hancock, Liu, Price, Simitian,
Vargas
NOES: Runner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Blakeslee, Huff, Vacancy
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 6-2, 5/26/11
AYES: Kehoe, Alquist, Lieu, Pavley, Price, Steinberg
NOES: Walters, Runner
NO VOTE RECORDED: Emmerson
SUBJECT : Instructional materials: common core standard
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill establishes a streamlined process for
the state-level adoption of instructional materials that
are aligned with the common core academic content
standards, and expands the authority of local school boards
to adopt instructional materials to include K-8 schools.
ANALYSIS : Existing law establishes the Academic Content
Standards Commission (Commission), consisting of 12
appointed members, as specified. The Commission is
required to develop academic content standards in language
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arts and mathematics and to present its recommended
academic content standards to the State Board of Education
(SBE).
Existing law requires at least 85% of the standards to be
the common core academic standard developed by the Common
Core State Standards Initiative consortium or any
associated or related interstate collaboration. Existing
law requires the SBE law requires the SBE to adopt or
reject the academic standards.
Existing law exempts instructional materials that are
aligned to these standards from the requirement that the
SBE adopt any additional criteria that instructional
materials will be required to meet at least 30months before
the materials are to be approved for adoption.
This bill:
1.Requires the California Department of Education (CDE) to
develop a list, by July 2, 1012, of supplemental
instructional materials for use in kindergarten and
grades 1 to 8, inclusive, that are aligned with
California's common core academic standards in language
arts and mathematics.
2.Requires the supplemental instructional materials to
provide a bridge between the common core standards and
the standards-aligned instructional materials currently
being used in schools.
3.Requires SBE, by September 30, 2012, to approve or reject
the supplemental instructional materials as proposed by
CDE.
If the SBE rejects the supplemental instructional
materials, it shall provide a specific written
explanation to the Superintendent of Public Instruction,
the Governor, and the Legislature of the reasons why the
proposed materials were rejected.
4.Authorizes school district governing boards (K-12) to
approve supplemental instructional materials other than
those approved by the SBE, if the governing board
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determines that other supplemental instructional
materials are aligned with the common core standards and
meet the needs of the pupils in the district.
5.Requires publishers choosing to submit supplemental
instructional materials for approval by the SBE to submit
standards maps. Publishers choosing to submit
supplemental instructional materials for approval for use
in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, are encouraged to submit
maps.
6.Requires, before approving supplemental instructional
materials, the SBE, or the governing board of a school
district that chooses to approve supplemental
instructional material, to review those instructional
materials for academic content, social content, and
instructional support to teachers and pupils.
7.Requires supplemental instructional materials approved
pursuant to this bill, to meet required program criteria
for grade-level programs, intervention programs, and
English learners and to include materials for use by
teachers.
8.Requires the CDE to maintain on its Internet Web site
list of supplemental instructional materials approved by
the SBE.
Background
Pursuant to Education code Section 60605.8, the SBE adopted
common core academic content standards in English language
arts and mathematics on August 2, 2010.
California's currently suspended process of adopting
instructional materials begins with the review and update
of the curricular framework in each subject area.
Frameworks are the blueprints for implementing the academic
content standards and provide guidance to publishers for
the development of instructional materials. The framework
process typically takes 24 months from initiation to
approval by the SBE. Once the framework for a particular
subject is adopted by the SBE, the instructional material
adoption process begins, which includes submissions from
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publishers, review by the Instructional Materials Advisory
Reviewer and Content Review Expert (both appointed by the
SBE), Curriculum Commission hearings and SBE adoption. The
adoption process typically takes 30 months.
The processes for reviewing frameworks and adopting
instructional materials has been suspended since July 2009,
pursuant to ABX4 2 (Evans), Chapter 2, Fourth Extraordinary
Session, which among other things, prohibited the SBE from
reviewing frameworks and adopting instructional materials
until the 2013-14 school year. ABX4 2 also extended to the
2012-13 fiscal year the suspension of the requirement to
purchase instructional materials within any specific period
of time following adoption of those materials by the SBE.
Comments
Locally Adopted Instructional Materials . The SBE is
required to adopt instructional materials for grades K-8.
School districts adopt instructional materials for grades
9-12 but do not have the authority to adopt their own
choices of materials for K-8. This bill expands the
authority of school districts to adopt instructional
materials to include K-8, following the same process
currently used for the adoption of high school
instructional materials. This bill also requires the SBE
to adopt (or reject) instructional materials to provide
more options to districts that either cannot or do not wish
to conduct a local adoption.
Additionally, there is no process in place for the state to
develop frameworks and instructional materials that are
aligned to the common core standards. Considering the lack
of a state-level process for the adoption of instructional
materials, and that the process currently used for the
adoption of high school instructional materials have some
accountability, it may be expedient to allow school
districts to adopt instructional materials for all grades,
at least until a new process is developed and in place.
Related Legislation
AB 250 (Brownley), 2011-12 Session, establishes a process
for the implementation of the common core academic content
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standards by developing and adopting curriculum frameworks,
instructional materials, and professional development
opportunities that are aligned to the common core academic
content standards and are appropriate for all pupils. AB
250 also extends the operative date of the STAR assessment
system by one year, to July 2014. (On Assembly
Appropriations Suspense File)
SB 613 (Alquist), 2011-12 Session, requires at least
one-half of instructional materials adopted by the SBE or a
school district governing board to be open-source, which is
defined as materials in a digital format and free to view
online. (Held in Senate Appropriations Committee under
submission)
AB 214 (Fuentes), 2011-12 Session, establishes the English
Language Development Standards Advisory Committee for the
purpose of alignment with the common core standards in
English language arts. (In Senate Business, Professions
and Economic Development Committee)
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2011-12 2012-13
2013-14 Fund
Develop materials list -- Minor and absorbable workload
-- General
SBE review -- Minor and absorbable
workload -- General
SUPPORT : (Verified 5/27/11)
Alturas Elementary School
Association of California School Administrators
California Association of Suburban School Districts
California School Boards Association
California State PTA
Chawanakee Unified School District
Contra Costa County Superintendents' Coalition
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Irvine Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Modoc Middle School
Riverside county School Superintendents' Association
Rowland Unified School District
San Francisco Unified School District
State Line Elementary School
Torrance Unified School District
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
"California has adopted the common core standard in English
and math but has no process in place for the development of
instructional materials that are aligned to the common core
standards. Development of curricular frameworks,
instructional materials, professional development and
assessments will be time consuming and will require
significant resources. Current law authorizes school
districts serving grades 9-12 to adopt their own
instructional materials but materials for K-8 must be
adopted by the State Board of Education. It's possible
that a new assessment will be implemented during the
2014-15 school year; California's schools need to prepare
pupils well in advance of any assessment that is linked to
the common core standards. SB 140 provides school
districts with maximum
flexibility to meet the instructional needs of their
students."
CPM:cm 5/27/11 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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