AB 1530, as amended, Chau. Model curricula: computer science.
Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to include instruction in various areas of study, including, but not limited to, English, mathematics, and social sciences. Existing law requires the State Department of Education to adopt model curricula in certain areas of instruction, including, among others, driver education and training, gang violence suppression, and substance abuse prevention.
This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to considerbegin delete identifying, developing, or, as needed, revising new or existing end deletebegin insert identifying existing model curricula for kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, on computer science,
recommending for the revision of existing, or the development of new, end insertmodel curriculabegin insert for kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 6, inclusive,end insert on computer science, andbegin delete to submit,end deletebegin insert submitting,end insert on or before July 1, 2017, thebegin insert recommendedend insert model curricula 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 identifying, developing, or revising the model curricula.
The bill would make these provisions inoperative on July 1, 2018, and would repeal them on January 1, 2019.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Article 7 (commencing with Section 51300) is
2added to Chapter 2 of Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the 3Education Code, to read:
4
It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage the
8establishment of programs of instruction in computer science, with
9instruction beginning as early as feasible for each school district.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
11(a) Computer science is an established discipline at the collegiate
12and postgraduate levels, but the integration of computer science
13concepts into kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, curricula
14has not kept pace in the United States.
15(b) Computer science education is not just about access to
16computers or about preparing pupils to be passive users of
17technology, it is about preparing pupils to be innovative creators
18of new technologies.
19(c) Our educational system should prepare our pupils in
20kindergarten
and grades 1 to 6, inclusive, with the fundamental
21computer science knowledge, skills, insights, and perspectives
22they need for future success and for a world in which computing
23is everywhere. While computer usage in classrooms is increasing,
24knowledge and familiarity about computing is not keeping pace.
25(d) The goal of computer science curricula in kindergarten and
26grades 1 to 6, inclusive, should be to introduce the fundamental
27concepts of computer science, including instruction on
P3 1computational thinking, algorithmic processes and principles,
2hardware and software design, computer applications, and the
3impact of computers on society, and to increase the knowledge of
4computer science for all pupils, especially those pupils who are
5members of underrepresented groups.
6(e) The National Science Foundation and nonprofit organizations
7publish and maintain comprehensive computer science curricula
8for use in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that are free
9of charge to all persons. These curricula promote an introduction
10to, and an understanding of, the fundamental concepts of computer
11programming and coding.
The Superintendent shall considerbegin delete identifying, begin insert identifying
13developing, or, as needed, revising new or existingend delete
14existingend insert model curriculabegin insert for kindergarten or any end insertbegin insertof grades 1 to 12,
15inclusive,end insert on computer science,begin insert recommending for the revision of
16existing, or the development of new, model curricula for
17kindergarten or any of
grades 1 to 6, inclusive, on computer
18science, end insert andbegin delete to submit,end deletebegin insert
submitting,end insert on or before July 1, 2017, the
19begin insert recommendedend insert model curricula to the state board for adoption.
20Upon adoption, the Superintendent shall make the model curricula
21available on the department’s Internet Web site.
In addition to any funds that may be appropriated by
23the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for
24purposes of implementing this article, the Superintendent may
25seek out, apply for, and accept nonstate funding sources to defray
26the cost of identifying, developing, or revising the model curricula
27pursuant to this article, including, but not limited to, federal funds,
28grant programs, and private funds.
This article shall become inoperative on July 1, 2018,
30and as of January 1, 2019, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
31that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.
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