BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1530
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Date of Hearing: May 7, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 1530 (Chau) - As Amended: April 28, 2014
Policy Committee: EducationVote:7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill encourages the State Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI) to identify, develop or, as needed, revise new
or existing model curricula on computer science, and to submit
the model curricula to the State Board of Education (SBE) for
adoption by July 1, 2017. Specifically, this bill:
1) Declares the goal of the computer science curriculum in
Kindergarten and grades 1 - 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, 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.
2) Requires the SPI, upon adoption by the SBE, to make the
model curriculum available on the California Department of
Education's (CDE) Internet Web site.
3) Permits the SPI to seek out, apply for, and accept non-state
funding sources to defray the cost of identifying, developing
or revising a model curricula pursuant to this article,
including, but not limited to, federal funds, grant programs,
and private funds.
4) Makes the provisions of the bill inoperative July 1, 2018
and repeals the provisions on January 1, 2019.
AB 1530
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FISCAL EFFECT
General Fund administrative costs to CDE of approximately
$300,000 should the department choose to identify, develop or
revise new or existing model curricula on computer science. Cost
estimates include advisory committee meetings; research,
development, drafting, public comment, editing and publication
of the curriculum; and Instructional Quality Commission (IQC)
meetings to discuss and publically act upon proposed curriculum.
The SBE would incur additional costs to review the curriculum
for adoption.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . This bill seeks to provide model curriculum in the
area of computer science to students in grades K-12.
2)Background . Model curriculum is designed to give classroom
instructors ready access to comprehensive and accurate
information that can be used to build engaging lessons for any
classroom. For example, in 2000, the CDE published a
standards-based model curriculum on the life and work of Cesar
Chavez. This curriculum is published on the CDE's Web site
and provides biographies, pictures, and other resources to
help teachers prepare lessons for Kindergarten and grades 1 -
12.
3)Related legislation .
a) AB 1539 (Hagman), which encourages the IQC to adopt
computer science academic content standards, is pending on
this committee's Suspense File.
b) AB 1764 (Olsen and Buchanan), which allows a school
district to award mathematics credit for completion of a
California State University and Universities of California
approved "category c" computer science course if the
district requires more than two years of mathematics
courses for graduation, is pending in the Senate.
c) AB 2110 (Ting), which requires the SBE to incorporate
computer science curriculum content into the mathematics,
science, history-social science, and language arts
AB 1530
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curriculum frameworks as it deems appropriate, is pending
on this committee's Suspense File.
Analysis Prepared by : Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081