BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-2012 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 402
AUTHOR: Correa
AMENDED: March 31, 2011
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: April 27, 2011
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Curriculum Frameworks
SUMMARY
This bill requires each curriculum framework adopted by the
State Board of Education (SBE) to describe how academic
content can be taught to build specific skills into and
across each subject area.
BACKGROUND
Curriculum frameworks are the blueprints for implementing the
academic content standards and are the basis for the
development of instructional materials by providing guidance
to publishers, including specific criteria by which materials
will be evaluated for possible adoption. Frameworks also
give guidance to teachers on instructional strategies (i.e.
use of hands-on instruction).
The process for reviewing frameworks and adopting
instructional materials has been suspended since July 2009,
pursuant to AB 2 of the Fourth Extraordinary Session (Chapter
2, July 2009), which among other things, prohibited the SBE
from reviewing frameworks and adopting instructional
materials until the 2013-14 school year. SB 70 (Committee on
Budget and Fiscal Review, Ch. 7, March 24, 2011) extended
this suspension to the 2015-16 school year. (Education Code
� 60200.7)
Frameworks have been adopted by the State Board of Education
as follows:
(1) Physical Education, adopted September 11,
2008.
(2) Career Technical Education, adopted January
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10, 2007.
(3) Reading & Language Arts, adopted April 17,
2006.
(4) Mathematics, adopted March 9, 2005.
(5) Science, adopted February 6, 2002, with new
evaluation criteria adopted March 10, 2004.
(6) Visual & Performing Arts, adopted January 7,
2004.
(7) History-Social Science, adopted October 9,
2000, with new evaluation criteria adopted January
8, 2003.
(8) Health, adopted March 6, 2002.
(9) Foreign Language, adopted May 9, 2001.
ANALYSIS
This bill requires each curriculum framework to describe how
academic content can be taught to build specific skills into
and across each subject area. Specifically, this bill:
Requires each curriculum framework adopted by the State Board
of Education (SBE) to describe how content can be delivered
to intentionally build all of the following skills into and
across each content area, to the extent deemed appropriate by
the SBE:
1) Creativity and innovation, including but not limited to,
thinking creatively, working creatively with others, and
implementing innovations.
2) Critical thinking and problem solving, including, but
not limited to, reasoning effectively, using systems
thinking, making judgments and decisions, and solving
problems.
3) Collaboration, including but not limited to working
effectively in diverse teams, adapting to change and
being flexible, demonstrating productivity and
accountability, and demonstrating leadership and
responsibility.
4) Communication, including but not limited to,
communicating clearly and effectively through reading,
writing, and speaking.
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STAFF COMMENTS
1) Purpose of the bill . According to the author, "In order
for California to compete in the global market, address
complex economic, political, social, environmental, and
technological challenges home and abroad, public
education must be dedicated to providing students with a
well-rounded education that intentionally integrates
critical thinking and problem solving, communication,
collaboration, and creativity and innovation skills into
all academic core content areas. Current practice
focused on assessment on reading language arts and
mathematics has narrowed the curriculum and limited
access to a well-rounded education to a number of
underperforming groups, thus creating a knowledge and
skills gap."
2) Schedule for revising frameworks . The schedule to
revise the frameworks and adopt instructional materials
has been suspended until the 2015-16 school year.
Considering this suspension, is this bill premature?
3) Related legislation . SB 13 (Correa), among other
things, requires the State Board of Education to
incorporate teen dating violence and sexual violence
curriculum into the health curriculum framework. SB 13
is scheduled to be heard in this Committee on April 27,
2011.
AB 250 (Brownley) among other things, requires the State
Board of Education to adopt revised curriculum
frameworks and evaluation criteria that are aligned to
the common core academic content standards, ensure that
K-8 frameworks and instructional materials include the
English language development standards and English
language development strategies in the four core
subjects, ensure that K-12 curriculum frameworks and K-8
instructional materials include strategies to address
the needs of pupils with disabilities in the four core
subjects. AB 250 is scheduled to be heard by the
Assembly Education Committee on May 4, 2011.
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AB 739 (Lowenthal) requires the State Board of Education
and the Curriculum Commission to include suicide
prevention instruction and mental illness awareness
instruction in the health education framework for pupils
in grades 7 to 12 during the next revision of that
framework. AB 739 is pending in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee.
SUPPORT
21st Century Coalition for California
Business for Science, Math and Related Technologies Education
California Alliance for Arts Education
California Council for the Social Studies
California Language Teachers Association
Californians Together
California School Library Association
California Science Teachers Association
El Segundo Unified School District
International Polytechnic High School
Lennox School District
Los Amigos of Orange County
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Individuals
OPPOSITION
None on file.