BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1764
Page 1
CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1764 (Olsen and Buchanan)
As Amended June 25, 2014
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |78-0 |(April 28, |SENATE: |36-0 |(June 30, |
| | |2014) | | |2014) |
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Original Committee Reference: ED.
Summary : Allows a school district to award mathematics credit
for completion of a California State University (CSU) and
University of California (UC) approved "Category C" computer
science course, if the district requires more than two years of
mathematics courses for graduation.
The Senate amendments :
1) Delete the language that would prohibit a school district
from awarding a pupil mathematics course credit for a
computer science course if that pupil is also being awarded
credit in science, visual arts, foreign language, or career
technical education for that same course;
2) Creates a new section of Education Code for the remaining
provisions of this bill;
3) Encourages governing boards of local school districts to
ensure that any computer science course to which is awards a
pupil mathematics course credit, as specified, builds upon
the fundamental mathematics course content.
4) Encourages governing boards of local school districts to
support schools in submitting computer science courses that
it wishes to use to fulfill its local course requirements for
mathematics to the UC for certification and addition to the
school's a-g course list.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
AB 1764
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Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : By allowing computer science to count for a high
school mathematics credit, this bill provides an essential
incentive for more students to take computer science courses
while in high school. By providing students with an
opportunity to gain critical knowledge and skills in the
field it may also result in more students pursuing computer
science in in their postsecondary education. In an effort
to encourage rigorous courses that speak to computer
science, rather than the use of technology, this bill
suggests that districts should offer mathematics credit only
when those courses are approved by the CSUs or UCs for
"Category C" credit, which represents the mathematics course
requirements. This bill recognizes this overlap between
higher level mathematics courses and rigorous computer
science courses and encourages districts to construct
computer science courses that allow students to re-think
traditional mathematics and explore meaningful computer
science curriculum.
Analysis Prepared by : Jill Rice / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN:
0004140