BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Carol Liu, Chair
2013-2014 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 1539
AUTHOR: Hagman
AMENDED: June 10, 2014
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 25, 2014
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Computer science standards.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission to
develop computer science content standards by July 31,
2016.
BACKGROUND
Academic content standards define the knowledge, concepts,
and skills that students should acquire at each grade
level. Curricular frameworks are the blueprint for
implementing the standards, and include criteria by which
instructional materials are evaluated.
Standards
Current law:
1) Establishes the Academic Content Standards Commission
for the purpose of developing the common core
standards in English language arts and mathematics.
These standards were adopted by the State Board of
Education (SBE) on August 2, 2010. The SBE adopted
revised frameworks for common core mathematics on
November 6, 2013, and is required to adopt revised
frameworks in common core English language arts by
July 30, 2014. (Education Code � 60605.8 and � 60207)
2) Authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI) to recommend modifications to the common core
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standards in mathematics by consulting with a group of
experts in mathematics. The SBE adopted modified
mathematics standards in January 2013. (EC �
60605.11)
3) Requires the SPI to update, revise and align the
English language development standards to the common
core standards in English language arts. The SPI was
required to convene a group of experts to complete
this work, and the SBE adopted these standards on
November 7, 2012. The SPI is required to convene a
group of experts to also modify the English language
development standards, by January 1, 2015, to link
with the common core standards in mathematics and
updated science standards. (EC � 60811.3 and �
60811.4)
4) Requires the SPI to convene a group of science experts
to recommend science standards using the Next
Generation Science Standards. The SBE adopted these
standards on September 4, 2013, and is required to
consider the adoption of a revised framework and
evaluation criteria by January 31, 2016. (EC �
60605.85 and � 60200.9)
ANALYSIS
This bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission to
develop computer science content standards by July 31,
2016. Specifically, this bill:
1) Requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to
develop and recommend to the State Board of Education
(SBE), by July 31, 2016, computer science content
standards pursuant to recommendations developed by a
group of computer science experts.
2) Requires the IQC to consider:
a) Existing computer science content
standards including the national K-12 computer
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science content standards developed by the
Computer Science Teachers Association.
b) Content standards that include,
but are not limited to, standards for teaching
coding. This bill defines "coding" as the
process of converting a program design into an
accurate and detailed representation of that
program in a suitable language.
3) Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction
(SPI), in consultation with the IQC, to convene the
group of experts in computer science, and requires the
SPI to ensure that the members of the group include,
but are not limited to, all of the following:
a) Teachers who teach computer
science in grades 7-12, including mathematics and
science teachers.
b) Schoolsite principals.
c) School district or county office
of education administrators.
d) University professors.
e) Representatives of private sector
business or industry.
Requires the SPI, in consultation with the SBE, to
ensure that one-half of the members are teachers.
4) Authorizes the computer science content standards to
be used by school districts to develop computer
science programs and course assessments, and specifies
that the standards are not mandatory.
STAFF COMMENTS
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1) Standards . Content standards are currently in place
for the following subjects:
a) English language arts.
b) English language development.
c) Mathematics.
d) Science.
e) History-social science.
f) Career technical education.
g) Health.
h) Physical education.
i) Visual and performing arts.
j) Model school library.
aa) World language.
This bill requires the development of stand-alone
standards in computer science, rather than
incorporating computer science into existing subjects
such as mathematics and science.
2) Fidelity to the process . This bill requires the
Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to develop
standards in computer science, and requires the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) to convene
a group of experts to develop the standards. To keep
with the tradition of the Legislature in not reversing
the amendments of another committee, staff recommends
amendments to require the IQC to consider developing
standards in computer science and require the SPI to
consider convening the panel of experts.
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3) Timing . The State Board of Education (SBE) adopted
common core standards in English language arts and
mathematics in August 2010, standards in English
language development that are aligned to the common
core in November 2012, and the Next Generation Science
Standards in September 2013. There is no statutory
authorization or requirement for standards to be
developed, revised or adopted in any other subject
area. Current legislation requires the Superintendent
of Public Instruction to present recommended
history-social science standards by March 31, 2018,
and SBE to adopt, modify or reject the standards by
July 30, 2018. Staff recommends an amendment
to change the timeline, from July 31, 2016, to July 31,
2019, to first allow for the expected adoption of
history-social science standards.
4) Group of experts . This bill requires the SPI, in
consultation with the IQC, to convene the group of
experts in computer science. The existing process is
to have SPI consult with the SBE. Staff recommends an
amendment to correct this error.
5) K-12 ? This bill requires the group of experts to
include teachers who teach computer science in grades
7-12. This bill also references national K-12
computer science standards. It is unclear if the
standards proposed by this bill are to be limited to
grades 7-12. Staff recommends an amendment to clarify
the grade spans.
6) Fiscal impact . According to the Assembly
Appropriations Committee, a prior version of this bill
would impose:
a) General Fund administrative costs to the IQC
of $300,000 to develop computer science
standards. Computer science standards currently
embedded in the Career Technical Education Model
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Curriculum standards and Model School Library
standards may meet the needs of what is intended
by this legislation, in which case the above
costs would be substantially reduced.
b) Ongoing costs in the range of $20,000 to
$100,000 to CDE to publish and edit updated
standards, costs could be offset through sales of
materials.
c) General Fund (Proposition 98) cost pressure,
likely in the millions of dollars, to hire
credentialed teachers to teach computer science,
provide equipment and materials, and provide
professional development.
7) Related legislation . AB 2110 (Ting) requires the IQC
to consider incorporating computer science curriculum
content into the mathematics, science, history-social
science, and language arts frameworks. AB 2110 is
scheduled to be heard in this Committee on June 25.
AB 1530 (Chau) requires the SPI to consider
identifying, developing or revising model curriculum
on computer science. AB 1530 is scheduled to be heard
in this Committee on June 25.
AB 1764 (Olsen) authorizes school districts that
require more than two years of mathematics for high
school graduation to award credit for a "category C"
approved computer science course. AB 1764 is pending
on the Senate Floor.
SB 1057 (Corbett) requires the SPI to recommended
history-social science content standards to the SBE on
or before March 30, 2018, and requires the SBE to
adopt, reject, or modify the history-social science
content standards by July 30, 2018.
AB 455 (Medina) requires the Superintendent of Public
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Instruction to develop standards in Braille and
American Sign Language that are aligned to the common
core standards. AB 455 is scheduled to be heard in
this Committee on June 25.
AB 2016 (Campos) requires the SBE to consider
adopting, by March 1, 2017, content standards in
sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and
prevention upon the recommendations of the SPI. AB
2016 is scheduled to be heard in this Committee on
June 25.
SUPPORT
Alliance for California Computing Education for Students
and Schools
California Chamber of Commerce
California Educational Technology Professionals Association
California School Boards Association
California Teachers Association
Children Now
Code.org
Computer Science Teachers Association
Computing in the Core
Microsoft
TechNet
OPPOSITION
None on file.