Amended in Assembly March 28, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1530

Introduced by Assembly Member Chau

January 17, 2014

An act begin insert to add Article 7 (commencing with Section 51300) to Chapter 2 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, end insert relating to school curriculum.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1530, as amended, Chau. begin delete School end delete begin insert Model end insert curriculum: begin delete courses of study: end delete computer science.

Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 1 to begin delete 6, end delete begin insert 12, end insert inclusive, to include begin delete instruction, beginning in grade 1 and continuing through grade 6, end delete in begin delete the following end delete begin insert various end insert areas of begin delete study: end delete begin insert study, including, but not limited to, end insert English, mathematics, begin insert and end insert social begin delete sciences, science, visual and performing arts, health, and physical education, and other studies that may be prescribed by the governing board, as defined. end delete begin insert sciences. Existing law requires the State Department of Education to adopt model curricula in certain areas of instruction, including, among others, driver end insert begin insert ’s education and training, gang violence suppression, and substance abuse prevention. end insert

This bill would begin delete state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would add computer science to the adopted course of study for grades 1 to 6, inclusive. end delete begin insert encourage the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop or, as needed, revise a model curriculum on computer science, and to submit the model curriculum to the State Board of Education for adoption. The bill, in addition to funds that may be appropriated by the Legislature for purposes of implementing the provisions of the bill, would authorize the Superintendent to seek out alternative nonstate funding sources to defray the cost of developing the model curriculum, as specified. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee:  begin delete no end delete begin insert yes end insert . State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Article 7 (commencing with Section 51300) is
added to Chapter 2 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

 

Article begin insert 7. end insert   Model Curriculum for Computer Science

 

begin insert 51300. end insert   

It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the
establishment of programs of instruction in computer science, with
instruction beginning as early as feasible for each school district.

begin insert 51301. end insert   

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) Computer science is an established discipline at the
collegiate and postgraduate levels, but the integration of computer
science concepts into kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive,
curriculum has not kept pace in the United States.

(b) Computer science education is not just about access to
computers or about preparing pupils to be passive users of
technology, it is about preparing pupils to be innovative creators
of new technologies.

(c) Our educational system should prepare our pupils in
kindergarten and grades 1 to 6, inclusive, with the fundamental
computer science knowledge, skills, insights, and perspectives they
need for future success and for a world in which computing is
everywhere. While computer usage in classrooms is increasing,
knowledge and familiarity about computing is not keeping pace.

(d) The goal of the computer science curriculum in kindergarten
and grades 1 to 6, inclusive, should be to introduce the fundamental
concepts of computer science, including instruction on
computational thinking, algorithmic processes and principles,
hardware and software design, computer applications, and the
impact of computers on society, and to increase the knowledge of
computer science for all pupils, especially those pupils who are
members of underrepresented groups.

begin insert 51302. end insert   

The Superintendent is encouraged to develop or, as
needed, revise a model curriculum on computer science, and to
submit the model curriculum to the state board for adoption. Upon
adoption, the Superintendent shall make the model curriculum
available on the department’s Internet Web site.

begin insert 51303. end insert   

In addition to any funds that may be appropriated by
the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for
purposes of implementing this article, the Superintendent may seek
out, apply for, and accept nonstate funding sources to defray the
cost of developing a model curriculum pursuant to this article,
including, but not limited to, federal funds, grant programs, and
private funds.

end insert

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

It is the intent of the Legislature to enact
legislation that would add computer science to the adopted course
of study for grades 1 to 6, inclusive.

end delete