Amended in Senate August 20, 2014

Senate Bill No. 1008

Introduced by Senator Wyland

February 13, 2014

An act to add Section 52952 to the Education Code, relating to science education.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1008, as amended, Wyland. Science education: begin delete science end delete begin insert STEM end insert curriculum.

The California Constitution requires the Legislature to encourage by all suitable means the promotion of intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural improvement. Under existing law, the Legislature finds and declares that improved science education in elementary and secondary schools contributes to improvements in pupil performance. Existing law begin delete provides for the establishment by the University of California, upon approval by the regents, of the California Science Project for purposes of providing science education to public elementary, secondary, and postsecondary school personnel located in rural, urban, and suburban areas throughout the state. end delete begin insert requires the adopted course of study for grades 1 to 12, inclusive, to include instruction in various areas of study, including, but not limited to, mathematics and science. end insert

This bill would make specified findings and declarations, and would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education to consider begin delete ways to increase the number of pupils who go to college and graduate with degrees in the various scientific and engineering fields. The bill would require the Superintendent and the state board to direct the appropriate entity to revise the science teaching frameworks and standards, as specified, and to incorporate in the science curriculum applied mathematics, reading comprehension, expository writing, analytical, intellectual, and creative skills, and engineering elements. end delete begin insert strategies to introduce, and expose to pupils, a complete STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) program at age appropriate levels from kindergarten through each of grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The bill would require the STEM program to include certain elements, including the development of a STEM curriculum that includes a wide array of engineering fields, opportunities to design and perform scientific experiments that explore challenging questions developed by pupils, and training for current teachers interested in a STEM curriculum. 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.  

The Legislature finds and declares begin delete both end delete begin insert all end insert of the
following:

(a) Science and technical innovation is critical for the future of
California.

(b) California is not producing enough scientists and engineers
to meet the challenges that businesses located in this state will face
in the global competition of the future.

begin insert

(c) STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)
subjects have been introduced into high school classrooms in the
form of the traditional subject areas of science and mathematics.
Innovative technology and engineering components, and extensive
exploratory experimentation in science topics, require added
emphasis in order to define a vision for STEM, and to achieve the
innovation crucial to the California economy and the personal
fulfillment of pupils.

end insert

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 52952 is added to the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 52952. end insert   

Notwithstanding any other law, the Superintendent and
the state board shall consider strategies to introduce, and expose
to pupils, a complete STEM (science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics) program at age appropriate levels from
kindergarten through each of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that
includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(a) The development of a STEM curriculum that includes, by
the time a pupil reaches high school, engineering and technology
subjects with opportunities for their application, such as robotics
programs or software development.

(b) The development of a STEM curriculum that includes a wide
array of engineering fields including, but not limited to, civil,
structural, mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering.

(c) Opportunities for the innovative design of, and, where
feasible, the production of, engineered projects.

(d) In the STEM science curriculum, the incorporation of the
analytical and creative skills necessary to pose and investigate
scientific questions.

(e) Opportunities to design and perform scientific experiments
that explore challenging questions developed by pupils.

(f) Training for current teachers interested in the STEM
curriculum.

(g) Opportunities for potential teachers from the private sector
with the appropriate skills to teach STEM subjects.

(h) Recruiting more college graduates to teach STEM subjects
through incentives and public-private partnerships.

(i) Requiring the California State University, and requesting
the University of California, to recognize STEM subjects as equal
to mathematics or science courses for purposes of admission.

end insert

begin delete

SEC. 2.  

Section 52952 is added to the Education Code, to read:

52952.  

(a) The Superintendent and the state board shall
consider ways to increase the number of pupils who go to college
and graduate with degrees in the various scientific and engineering
fields, including either of the following:

(1) Recruiting more science teachers through incentives and
public-private partnerships designed to encourage pupils to go to
college, major in science and related fields, and enter teaching
careers.

(2) Encouraging businesses in the private sector to participate
in educating pupils and in offering them exposure to possible
careers in the science and engineering fields.

(b) To increase the number of pupils who go to college and
graduate with degrees in the various scientific and engineering
fields, the Superintendent and the state board shall direct the
appropriate entity to do the following:

(1) Revise the science teaching frameworks and standards, if
necessary, to reflect the model curriculum developed by
organizations of outstanding scientists, such as the National
Academy of Sciences.

(2) Incorporate in the science curriculum applied mathematics,
reading comprehension, and expository writing in describing
observations and experiments.

(3) Incorporate in the science curriculum analytical, intellectual,
and creative skills required to pose and investigate scientific
questions.

(4) Incorporate in the science curriculum engineering elements
in a manner designed to engage pupils.

end delete