SB 1057, as amended, Corbett. Pupil curriculum: history-social science content standards.
Existing law provides for the adoption and modification of academic content standards by the State Board of Education in the subjects of language arts and mathematics in accordance with specified procedures.
This bill would require the state board to adopt history-social science standards in accordance with specified procedures. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to convene a diversity advisory group, as specified, and, with input from the diversity advisory group, would require the Superintendent, on or before March 30, 2016, to recommend history-social science content standards to the state board. The bill would require the state board to adopt, reject, or modify the history-social science content standards on or before July 30, 2016. The bill would require the Superintendent and the state board, by October 1, 2016, to report certain information to the Governor and appropriatebegin insert policy and fiscalend insert committees of the Legislature. The bill would express legislative findings and declarations relating to history-social science content standards.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) In contrast to other subject areas, the state’s 16-year-old
4history-social science content standards were developed in 1998
5and have failed to keep up with modern research and scholarship.
6(b) There is nothing in current law that requires history-social
7science content standards to be reviewed and updated.
8(c) California has long been home to many diverse cultures. As
9this diversity has grown, there is a greater need than ever before
10for understanding the foundational
ideas and philosophy of our
11country and the world.
12(d) California’s currentbegin delete K-12end deletebegin insert kindergarten to grade 12,
13inclusive,end insert history-social science textbooks contain outdated and
14inaccurate information, and reflect negatively on members of
15several groups, in violation of existing law. Hinduism, for instance,
16is portrayed in an inequitable manner, and Hindus are depicted
17negatively and as implicitly inferior to other religious groups.
18(e) Existing law prohibits the State Board of Education from
19adopting any instructional materials for use in schools that contain
20any matter reflecting adversely upon persons on the basis of
race
21or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, or sexual
22orientation.
23(f) The history-social science content standardsbegin delete must thereforeend delete
24begin insert therefore mustend insert be rectified to address concerns of accuracy,
25rigorous scholarship, equality, diversity, religious and cultural
26sensitivity, and adherence to existing law. Furthermore, the
27standards should be updated to ensure that they are consistent with
28changes to other subjects in California’s education system.
29(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that the revisedbegin delete K-12end delete
30begin insert
kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive,end insert history-social science content
31standards must be equitable in their coverage and depiction of any
32world religion, ethnicity, race, culture, nationality, gender, sexual
33orientation, or disability status and that no group shall be portrayed
34negatively or as inferior based on any of these characteristics.
35(h) It is the intent of the Legislature that the process to update
36thebegin delete K-12end deletebegin insert kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive,end insert history-social science
37content standards be fair, transparent, and inclusive.
P3 1(i) It is the intent of the Legislature that the diversity advisory
2group created pursuant to Senate Bill 1057 at the 2013-14 Regular
3Session must be a body that reflects the diversity of the state,
4including groups or individuals who represent the perspectives of
5all major religions, ethnicities, races, cultures, genders, sexual
6orientations, and disability statuses.
7(i)
end delete
8begin insert(j)end insert It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a schedule and
9process for the review and revision, as necessary, of the state’s
10history-social science content
standards.
Section 60605.84 is added to the Education Code, 12immediately following Section 60605.8, to read:
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the state board
14shall adopt history-social science content standards pursuant to
15the following requirements:
16(1) The Superintendent, in consultation with the state board,
17shall convene a diversity advisory group. The Superintendent shall
18ensure that the members of the diversity advisory group include,
19but are not limited to,begin delete individuals whoend deletebegin insert all of the following:end insert
20begin insert(A)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertIndividuals whoend insert are scholars inbegin insert and represent the
21perspectives of allend insert major religious, ethnic, racial, and cultural
22begin delete groups, individuals whoend deletebegin insert groups.end insert
23begin insert(B)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertIndividuals whoend insert represent the perspectives of allbegin insert major
24religions, ethnicities, races, cultures,end insert genders, sexual orientations,
25and disabilitybegin delete status, as well as individuals whoend deletebegin insert
statuses.end insert
26begin insert(C)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertIndividuals whoend insert are elementary and secondary history-social
27science teachers, schoolsite principals, school district or county
28office of education administrators, and university professors.begin delete Theend delete
29begin insert(2)end insertbegin insert end insertbegin insertTheend insert Superintendent, with input from the diversity advisory
30groupbegin insert
convened pursuant to paragraph (1)end insert, shall recommend
31history-social science content standards for adoption to the state
32board.
33(2)
end delete
34begin insert(3)end insert The Superintendent shall hold a minimum of two public
35meetings pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article
369 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of
37Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) in order for the
38public to provide input on the history-social science content
39standards that would be recommended pursuant to paragraph (1).
40(3)
end delete
P4 1begin insert(4)end insert The Superintendent shall present the recommended
2history-social science content standards to the state board on or
3before March 30, 2016.
4(4)
end delete
5begin insert(5)end insert On or before July 30, 2016, the state board shall adopt, reject,
6or modify the history-social science content standards presented
7by the Superintendent.
8(5)
end delete
9begin insert(6)end insert If the state board modifies the history-social science content
10standards presented by the Superintendent, the state board shall
11provide written reasons for its modifications in a public meeting.
12The state board shall adopt its modifications to the history-social
13science content standards at a subsequent public meeting held no
14later than July 30, 2016. The public meetings required by this
15paragraph shall be held pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open
16Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of
17Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government
18Code).
19(b) (1) On or before October 1, 2016, the Superintendent and
20the state board shall present to
the Governor and the appropriate
21policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature a schedule and
22implementation plan for integrating the history-social science
23content standards adopted pursuant to this section into the state
24educational system.
25(2) The requirement for submitting the report required pursuant
26to this subdivision is inoperative on October 1, 2020, pursuant to
27Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.
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