Amended in Senate August 19, 2014

Amended in Senate July 2, 2014

Amended in Senate June 10, 2014

Amended in Assembly May 27, 2014

Amended in Assembly April 22, 2014

Amended in Assembly April 2, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1539

Introduced by Assembly Member Hagman

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Brown, Nestande, and Waldron)

(Coauthor: Senator Knight)

January 22, 2014

An act to add Section 60605.4 to the Education Code, relating to content standards.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1539, as amended, Hagman. Content standards: computer science.

Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt statewide academically rigorous content standards, pursuant to recommendations of the Commission for the Establishment of Academic Content and Performance Standards, in core curriculum areas.

This bill would require the Instructional Quality Commission to consider developing and recommending to the state board, on or before July 31, 2019, computer science content standards for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, pursuant to recommendations developed by a group of computer science experts. The bill would require the commission to consider existing computer science content standards, including, but not limited to, national K-12 computer science content standards developed by the Computer Science Teachers Association. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the state board, to consider convening that group of experts and ensure that the group includes individuals from specified groups. begin insert The bill would declare that the operation of its provisions is subject to an appropriation being made for these purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

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

SECTION 1.  

Section 60605.4 is added to the Education Code,
to read:

60605.4.  

(a) On or before July 31, 2019, the Instructional
Quality Commission shall consider developing and recommending
to the state board computer science content standards for
kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, pursuant to
recommendations developed by a group of computer science
experts. The Instructional Quality Commission shall consider
existing computer science content standards, which include, but
are not limited to, the national K-12 computer science content
standards developed by the Computer Science Teachers
Association, and consider content standards that include, but are
not necessarily limited to, standards for teaching coding. For
purposes of this section, “coding” is the process of converting a
program design into an accurate and detailed representation of that
program in a suitable language.

(b) (1) The Superintendent, in consultation with the state board,
shall consider convening the group of experts referenced in
subdivision (a), and shall ensure that the members of the group
include, but are not necessarily limited to, all of the following:

(A) Teachers who teach computer science, including
mathematics and science teachers, in kindergarten and grades 1 to
12, inclusive.

(B) Schoolsite principals.

(C) School district or county office of education administrators.

(D) University professors.

(E) Representatives of private sector business or industry.

(2) The Superintendent, in consultation with the state board,
shall ensure that one-half of the members of the group are teachers
as described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1).

(c) The computer science content standards may be used by
school districts to develop computer science programs and course
assessments but are not mandatory.

begin insert

(d) The operation of this section is subject to an appropriation
being made for purposes of this section in the annual Budget Act
or another statute.

end insert