BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 402
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Date of Hearing: June 22, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
SB 402 (Correa) - As Amended: March 31, 2011
SENATE VOTE : 26-13
SUBJECT : Education: curriculum frameworks
SUMMARY : Requires each curriculum framework adopted by the
State Board of Education (SBE) to describe how content can be
delivered to intentionally build specific skills into and across
each content area, to the extent the description is deemed
appropriate by the SBE. Specifically, this bill : Requires each
curriculum framework adopted by the SBE to describe how content
can be delivered to intentionally build all of the following
skills into and across each content area, as 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 initiative and self-direction, working
independently, demonstrating productivity and accountability,
and demonstrating leadership and responsibility; and,
4)Communication, including, but not limited to, communicating
clearly and effectively through reading, writing, and
speaking.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires the SBE to adopt basic instructional materials for
use in kindergarten and grades one to eight, inclusive, (K-8)
and requires the state board to ensure that the instructional
materials it adopts meet specified criteria, and requires
those criteria to be approved by resolution at the time the
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resolution adopting the framework for the current adoption is
approved, or at least 30 months before the date that the
materials are to be approved for adoption.
2)Prohibits the SBE from adopting instructional materials or
follow the procedures for the adoption of instructional
materials until the 2015-16 school year.
3)Requires the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials
Commission to recommend curriculum frameworks for adoption by
the SBE, develop criteria for evaluating instructional
materials, study and evaluate instructional materials
submitted for adoption, and recommend to the state board
instructional materials that it approves for adoption.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee:
1) Likely minor ongoing General Fund costs beginning in
2015-16.
2) This bill will likely add only minor costs to future
curriculum frameworks in the form of staff time and
document writing. The existing process includes
considerable sunk costs, described previously, to develop a
framework and adding a description of how the content can
be delivered to build additional qualitative skill areas is
unlikely to produce significant additional costs; The
California Department of Education (CDE) expects the
workload increase to be absorbable within normal funding
for curriculum framework development.
COMMENTS : Curriculum frameworks provide a blueprint for
curriculum and instruction by describing the scope and sequence
of the knowledge and skills all students need to master in a
specific subject area, and the evaluation criteria found within
the framework provides guidance to publishers in the development
of instructional materials. The framework and criteria are used
to evaluate kindergarten and grades 1-8, inclusive, (K-8)
instructional materials that are submitted for state adoption
and the curriculum frameworks also provide guidance to teachers
in the delivery of the curriculum.
Curriculum frameworks have been adopted by the SBE as follows:
1)Physical Education, adopted September 11, 2008;
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2)Career Technical Education, adopted January 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; and,
9)Foreign Language, adopted May 9, 2001.
This bill requires each curriculum framework adopted by the SBE
to describe how content can be delivered to intentionally build
creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem
solving, collaboration, and communication skills into and across
each content area. The existing curriculum and instruction
system has been criticized for its heavy emphasis on reading
language arts and math, which has led to a narrowing of the
curriculum in other subject areas and to limited access to a
well-rounded curriculum that incorporates these 21st century
important skills. According to a survey conducted by the
American Management Association (AMA), "Executives say they need
a workforce fully equipped with skills beyond the basics of
reading, writing and arithmetic in order to grow their
businesses. Skills such as critical thinking, communication,
collaboration, and creativity will become even more important to
organizations in the future."
Status of curriculum frameworks and instructional material
adoptions : Due to the fiscal challenges of the state, the
current framework development and instructional materials
adoption activities have been suspended. AB 2 X4 Chapter 2,
Statutes of 2009-10, Fourth Extraordinary Session suspends the
requirement for the SBE to conduct any of the activities related
to the adoption of instructional materials for use in K-8
through the 2012-13 fiscal year, and for the 2008-09 to the
2012-13 fiscal years, inclusive, local educational agencies are
not required to purchase newly adopted instructional materials
within 24 months of adoption by the SBE. Additionally, the
funding for the Curriculum Commission has been suspended and the
Commission is not currently meeting nor conducting any of its
duties. As part of the 2011 budget process, SB 70 (Committee on
Budget and Fiscal Review), Chapter 7, Statutes of 2011, extended
the provisions of SB 2 X4 for two additional years, hence the
framework development and instructional materials adoption
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processes are suspended until the 2015-16 fiscal year. It will
be several years before the curriculum frameworks and
instructional materials processes restart.
The California Coalition for P21 notes on its Internet Web site,
"effective K-12 education is more than just ensuring a broad
array of subjects. Students need to transition from K-12 with
skills that they can use and apply to help them succeed at the
next level in college and careers. The ability to eliminate the
wrong answers on a bubble in test does little for them other
than getting a pizza party or other extrinsic reward. Business
and higher education leaders lament the fact that more and more
students cannot write, cannot communicate, cannot work
effectively in groups, and cannot apply knowledge to real
problems. They blame K-12 when K-12 has been shackled by the
testing mandates of NCLB (No Child Left Behind) and CAHSEE
(California High School Exit Exam)."
The author states, "In order for California, the eighth largest
economy in the world, 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 including
English-Language Arts, Mathematics, History-Social Science,
Science, Visual and Performing Arts, and World Languages."
Related legislation : AB 250 (Brownley) among other things,
requires the SBE 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 in all subject
areas incorporate creativity and innovation, critical thinking
and problem solving, collaboration, and communication skills
into and across each content area. AB 250 is pending in the
Senate Education Committee.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Association of California School Administrators
California Alliance for Arts Education
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California Association for Bilingual Education
California Language Teachers Association
California School Boards Association
California Science Teachers Association
Californians Together Coalition
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi�a / ED. / (916) 319-2087