BILL ANALYSIS �
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Bill No: SB 897
Author: Steinberg (D)
Amended: 8/22/14
Vote: 21
SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE : 9-0, 3/26/14
AYES: Liu, Wyland, Block, Correa, Galgiani, Hancock, Hueso,
Huff, Monning
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 7-0, 5/23/14
AYES: De Le�n, Walters, Gaines, Hill, Lara, Padilla, Steinberg
SENATE FLOOR : 33-0, 5/27/14
AYES: Anderson, Beall, Block, Cannella, Corbett, Correa, De
Le�n, DeSaulnier, Evans, Fuller, Gaines, Galgiani, Hancock,
Hernandez, Hill, Hueso, Huff, Jackson, Knight, Leno, Lieu,
Mitchell, Monning, Nielsen, Padilla, Pavley, Roth, Steinberg,
Torres, Vidak, Walters, Wolk, Wyland
NO VOTE RECORDED: Berryhill, Calderon, Lara, Liu, Morrell,
Wright, Yee
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 77-0, 08/27/14 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Adult Education Programs: history-social science
framework
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the Instructional Quality
Commission (IQC) to consider whether and how to incorporate a
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specified social studies framework into California's
history-social science framework and content standards, and
requires specified adult education courses and classes to
distribute information and include instruction on government and
civic education.
Assembly Amendments remove the provisions that would codify the
California Career Pathways Trust Program; require the IQC to
consider incorporating the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3)
framework into the history-social science standards when they
are next revised; add double-jointing language to prevent
chaptering out issues with AB 1599 (Assembly Education
Committee); and make other clarifying changes.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires the State Board of Education
(SBE) and the California Department of Education (CDE) to
request the IQC review and revise, as necessary, the course
requirements in the history-social science framework, as
specified. Existing law requires the IQC, when revising the
history-social science framework and as appropriate and based on
the subject matter of the course, to ensure that certain
historical documents are incorporated into the framework,
consider incorporating additional specified historical documents
into the framework, and encourage instruction that promotes an
understanding of the governments of California and the United
States of America.
Existing law, pursuant to funding made available in the annual
Budget Act, requires the Chancellor of the California Community
Colleges and the CDE to jointly provide two-year planning and
implementation grants to regional consortia of community college
districts and school districts for purposes of developing
regional plans to better serve the educational needs of adults.
Existing law requires the grant funds to be used by each
regional consortium to create and implement a plan to better
provide adults in the region with certain classes and programs,
including, among other things, elementary and secondary basic
skills, including classes required for a high school diploma or
high school equivalency certificate, and classes and courses for
immigrants eligible for educational services in citizenship and
English as a second language (ESL), and workforce preparation
classes in basic skills.
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This bill:
1.Requires the classes and courses related to elementary and
secondary basic skills and classes and courses for immigrants,
as specified, to distribute basic information on American
government and civics that includes, but is not limited to,
instruction on (a) federal, state, and local government, (b)
the three branches of government, (c) the importance of civic
engagement, and (d) registering to vote.
2.Requires the IQC, whenever it revises the history-social
science framework and as appropriate and based on the subject
matter of the course, to, among other things, receive input
from civics learning experts for purposes of integrating
civics learning content, concepts, and skills, at all
appropriate grade levels, with certain standards, and ensure
that voter education information is included in the American
government and civics curriculum at the high school level, as
specified.
3.States the intent of the Legislature, for purposes of the
history-social science framework that is revised any time
after July 1, 2015, that the IQC consider whether and how to
incorporate a specified social studies framework into that
framework.
4.Requires the SBE to consider incorporating a specified social
studies framework into the history-social science content
standards when those content standards are next revised after
January 1, 2015.
5.Contains double-jointing language to prevent chaptering out
issues with
AB 1599 (Assembly Education Committee).
Prior Legislation
AB 700 (Gomez, Chapter 483, Statutes of 2013) requires the IQC,
in its regular adoption schedule for the history/social science
framework, to ensure that voter education information is
included in the American government and civics curriculum at the
high school level, including, but not limited to, information on
the importance of registering to vote in local, state, and
federal elections, where and how to access and understand the
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voter information pamphlet and other materials to become an
informed voter.
AB 137 (Buchanan, Chapter 225, Statutes of 2013) requires IQC,
when revising the history-social science framework, among other
things, to receive input from civics learning experts, including
civics education program providers, associations of civics
educators, and organizations dedicated to research on civics
learning, for the purpose of integrating civics learning
content, concepts, and skills, at all appropriate grade levels
and with the SBE adopted standards in the core curriculum areas.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:
1.Minor/absorbable costs to CDE to incorporate civic education
and voter education into the history social-science framework.
These requirements are consistent with the legislation passed
last year (and subsequently chaptered out). The 2014-15
Budget Act provides $270,000 for CDE to finish the
history-social science framework and the science framework.
2.General Fund administrative cost pressure of approximately
$170,000 to the CDE if the IQC decides to update the
history-social science content standards and frameworks to
incorporate the C3 framework. General Fund/Proposition 98
cost pressure, in the hundreds of thousands, for local
education agencies to incorporate the C3 framework into
classroom resources and professional development.
3.Potential General Fund/Proposition 98 costs, in the hundreds
of thousands, for school districts and community colleges to
distribute "basic information" on American government and
civics to students in every adult education course for
elementary and secondary basic skills, classes for immigrants
in citizenship and ESL and workforce preparation classes.
California Community Colleges and school districts are not
eligible for state reimbursement for this requirement because
the affected courses are not required to be taught.
In 2008-09, adult education programs enrolled 1.2 million
adult learners in almost 300 adult schools throughout
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California. Adult education funding was made flexible
starting in 2009 and the state has not kept data on the number
of schools or classes provided since that time, therefore, it
is difficult to determine a statewide cost estimate. This
bill does not define "basic information" so costs will vary
depending on how each entity choses to provide this
information. For example, if schools determine they need to
purchase new curriculum, costs could be $1,500 per class.
Costs could be reduced to the extent materials are developed
and shared among providers of adult education courses.
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/27/14)
California Adult Education Administrators Association
California Council for Adult Education
California Council for the Social Studies
California School Boards Association
California School Employees Association
Children Now
State Bar of California
Students First
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author, "Too many
studies show an alarming deficiency in civic knowledge and in
turn the ability for our residents and citizens to protect our
democracy?..As a democracy, we depend on a knowledgeable and
engaged population. Education plays a fundamental role in
building civic vitality within our communities and states."
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 77-0, 08/27/14
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Bigelow, Bloom,
Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian
Calderon, Campos, Chau, Ch�vez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley,
Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier,
Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell,
Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Roger Hern�ndez, Holden, Jones,
Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal, Maienschein,
Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian,
Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea, John A. P�rez, V.
Manuel P�rez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Ridley-Thomas,
Rodriguez, Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron,
Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, Yamada, Atkins
NO VOTE RECORDED: Donnelly, Harkey, Vacancy
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PQ/AL:k 8/27/14 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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