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 consider identifying existing model curricula for kindergarten or any of grades 1 tobegin delete 12,end deletebegin insert 6,end insert inclusive, on computerbegin delete science,end deletebegin insert
science. The bill would also require the Superintendent to considerend insert
recommendingbegin delete forend delete the revision of existing, or the development of new, model curricula for kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 6, inclusive, on computer science, andbegin insert to considerend insert submitting, on or before July 1, 2017,begin delete the recommendedend deletebegin insert anyend insert model curriculabegin insert revised or developed as a result of this billend insert to the State Board of Education for adoption. The billbegin insert would provide thatend insert, in addition to funds that may be
appropriated by the Legislature for purposes of implementing the provisions of the bill,begin delete would authorizeend delete the Superintendentbegin delete toend deletebegin insert mayend insert seek outbegin delete alternative nonstateend deletebegin insert and acceptend insert fundingbegin insert from nonstateend insert 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
P3 1is everywhere. While computer usage in classrooms is increasing,
2knowledge and familiarity about computing is not keeping pace.
3(d) The goal of computer science curricula in kindergarten and
4grades 1 to 6, inclusive, should be to introduce the fundamental
5concepts of computer science, including instruction on
6computational thinking, algorithmic processes and principles,
7hardware and software design, computer applications, and the
8impact of computers on society, and to increase the knowledge of
9computer science for all pupils, especially those pupils who are
10members of underrepresented groups.
11(e) The
National Science Foundation and nonprofit organizations
12publish and maintain comprehensive computer science curricula
13for use in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that are free
14of charge to all persons. These curricula promote an introduction
15to, and an understanding of, the fundamental concepts of computer
16programming and coding.
The Superintendent shall considerbegin delete identifyingend deletebegin insert each of
18the following:end insert
19begin insert(a)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertIdentifying end insertexisting model curricula for kindergarten or any
20of grades 1 tobegin delete 12,end deletebegin insert 6,end insert inclusive, on computerbegin delete science, recommending begin insert
science.end insert
21forend delete
22begin insert(b)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertRecommendingend insert the revision of existing, or the development
23of new, model curricula for kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 6,
24inclusive, on computerbegin delete science, and
submitting,end delete
25begin insert(c)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertSubmitting,end insert on or before July 1, 2017,begin delete the recommendedend deletebegin insert anyend insert
26 model curriculabegin insert revised or developed as a result of this sectionend insert to
27the state board for adoption. begin deleteUpon adoption, end deletebegin insertIf
the model curricula
28is adopted by the state board; end insertthe Superintendent shall make the
29model curricula available on the department’s Internet Web site.
In addition to any funds that may be appropriated by
31the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute for
32purposes of implementing this article, the Superintendent may
33seek out, apply for, and acceptbegin delete nonstateend delete fundingbegin insert from nonstateend insert
34 sources to defray the cost of identifying, developing, or revising
35the model curricula pursuant to this article, including, but not
36limited to, federal funds, grant programs, and private funds.
This article shall become inoperative on July 1, 2018,
2and as of January 1, 2019, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute
3that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.
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