BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Carol Liu, Chair
2013-2014 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 2110
AUTHOR: Ting
AMENDED: June 18, 2014
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 25, 2014
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Computer science curriculum.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission to
consider incorporating computer science curriculum content
into the mathematics, science, history-social science, and
language arts frameworks.
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.
The processes for reviewing frameworks and adopting
instructional materials have been suspended since July 28,
2009. The State Board of Education (SBE) is specifically
prohibited from reviewing frameworks and adopting
instructional materials until the 2015-16 school year (other
than as specifically authorized for common core English
language arts and mathematics, the revised science standards
and framework, and the revised history-social science
framework). (Education Code � 60200.7, � 60200.8, and �
60200.9)
ANALYSIS
This bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission to
consider incorporating computer science curriculum content
into the mathematics, science, history-social science, and
language arts frameworks. Specifically, this bill:
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1) Requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to
consider incorporating computer science curriculum
content into the mathematics, science, history-social
science, and language arts frameworks, as it deems
appropriate, upon the next revision of those frameworks.
2) Requires the curriculum (across all subject areas) to
focus on foundational concepts in computer science by
integrating basic skills in technology with simple ideas
about computational thinking, communication, and
collaboration, and being responsible citizens in a
changing digital world.
3) Requires computer science curriculum to be designed to
promote an understanding of all of the following:
a) Computational thinking, including,
but not limited to, using technology resources to
solve age-appropriate problems, understanding and
using basic steps of algorithmic problem solving
with computer-free exercises, demonstrating that a
string of bits can be used to represent alphanumeric
information, recognizing that software is created to
control computer operations, and understanding the
connections between computer science and other
fields.
b) Collaboration, including, but not
limited to, gathering information and communicating
electronically, and using age-appropriate technology
resources and tools to participate in collaborative
problem-solving activities for the purpose of
developing solutions or products.
c) Computer practice, including, but not
limited to, using age-appropriate technology
resources to gather, organize, and manipulate data,
using technology tools for individual and
collaborative writing, communication, and publishing
activities, constructing a set of step-by-step
instructions to be acted out, and identifying a wide
range of jobs that require knowledge or use of
computing.
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d) Computers and communication devices,
including, but not limited to, demonstrating an
appropriate level of proficiency with input and
output devices, understanding the pervasiveness of
computers in daily life, and identifying factors
that distinguish humans from machines.
e) Community, global, and ethical
impacts, including, but not limited to, practicing
responsible digital citizenship in the use of
technology, identifying the social and ethical
impacts of technology on personal life and society,
and evaluating the accuracy, relevance, and biases
of electronic information sources.
4) Requires the IQC to consult with classroom teacher and
school administrators to ensure the age-appropriateness
of the curriculum.
5) Requires the SPI, if he or she chooses to incorporate
computer science into the frameworks, to identify and
post on the California Department of Education's website
professional development resources for teaching computer
science curriculum.
6) Requires this bill to be implemented in a manner that
does not result in new duties or programs being imposed
on local educational agencies. States legislative
findings and declarations that this bill does not mandate
costs and that materials used be part of the normal
instructional materials purchased by local educational
agencies in their normal course of business and
purchasing cycles.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Frameworks . Curricular frameworks are the blueprint for
implementing the standards, and include criteria by which
instructional materials are evaluated. Computer science
is not well-represented in existing standards or
frameworks. Stand-along standards for computer science
do not exist, although current legislation requires the
consideration of their development. Another measure
requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to
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consider identifying, developing or revising model
curriculum on computer science. It is likely that,
should standards for computer science be developed, a
framework specific to computer science would subsequently
be developed.
2) Timing . The Instructional Quality Commission is
currently authorized to develop or revise only the
following frameworks:
a) The revised framework for common core
mathematics was adopted by the State Board of
Education (SBE) on November 6, 2013.
b) The revised framework for common core English
language arts is in the final stages, and is
expected to be adopted by the SBE in July 2014.
c) The revised framework for common core English
language arts/English language development is nearly
complete, with adoption by the SBE expected in July
2014.
d) The revised framework for history-social
science is expected in February 2015, with adoption
by the SBE expected in May 2015.
The SBE is required to consider, by January 31, 2016, the
adoption of a revised framework and evaluation criteria
for instructional materials in science, based on the Next
Generation Science Standards.
This bill requires the IQC to consider incorporating
computer science into the next revision of frameworks in
several subject areas; however, frameworks for two of
those subjects have been revised recently, and the
revision of another is expected to be completed four
months after this bill may become law. Therefore, if
this bill were to become law, science is the only
framework in which computer science would most likely be
incorporated within the next few years. When a schedule
of framework revisions existing (prior to July 2009),
frameworks were typically revised every 6-8 years.
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3) Technical amendment . This bill references the language
arts framework. Staff recommends an amendment to clarify
that it is the English language arts and English language
arts/English language development frameworks.
4) Fiscal impact . According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, the prior version of this bill would impose:
a) One-time General Fund costs to the California
Department of Education (CDE) of $60,000 to $80,000
to incorporate computer science curriculum content
into the mathematics, science, history-social
science, and language arts curriculum frameworks.
There may also be costs associated with convening
meetings to consult with classroom teachers, to the
extent this cannot occur as part of the regular IQC
workload.
b) Potential General Fund (Proposition 98) cost
pressure, in the hundreds of thousands of dollars,
to the extent state and local education agencies
develop and incorporate computer science content and
resources into professional development activities.
5) Related legislation . ACR 108 (Wagner, Chapter 42, 2014)
designates the week of December 8, 2014, as Computer
Science Education Week.
AB 1530 (Chau) requires the Superintendent of Public
Instruction 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 1539 (Hagman) requires the Instructional Quality Commission
(IQC) to develop computer science content standards. AB
1539 is scheduled to be heard in this Committee on June
25.
AB 2110 (Ting) requires the IQC to incorporate computer
science curriculum into the mathematics, science,
history-social science, and language arts frameworks. AB
2110 is scheduled to be heard in this Committee on June
25.
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SUPPORT
Association of California School Administrators
California Educational Technology Professionals Association
Microsoft
Salesforce.com
OPPOSITION
None on file.