BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Carol Liu, Chair
2013-2014 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 1057
AUTHOR: Corbett
AMENDED: April 10, 2014
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: April 24, 2014
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : History-social science standards.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to
convene a diversity advisory group to revise the
history-social science standards by March 30, 2016, and
requires the State Board of Education to adopt, reject or
modify the revised standards by July 30, 2016.
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.
History-social science
Current law required the State Board of Education (SBE) to
adopt history-social science content standards by November 1,
1998. The current history social-science content standards
were adopted by the SBE on October 9, 1998. The SBE does not
have the authority to revise this standard. (Education Code �
60605)
The history-social science framework was last adopted in 2005.
A review of this framework was underway and nearly complete
when the state suspended the process due to budget
constraints. The process for reviewing frameworks has been
suspended since July 28, 2009. The SBE is specifically
prohibited from reviewing frameworks and adopting
instructional materials until the 2015-16 school year.
However, the SBE is authorized to revise the history-social
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science framework but only upon completion of work related to
the development of frameworks for the common core standards in
English language arts and mathematics. (EC � 60200.7 and �
60200.8)
Other core subjects
Current law:
1) Establishes the Academic Content Standards Commission for
the purpose of developing the common core standards in
English language arts and mathematics. These standards
were adopted by the SBE on August 2, 2010. The SBE
adopted revised frameworks for common core mathematics on
November 6, 2013, and is required to adopt revised
frameworks in common core English language arts by July
30, 2014. (EC � 60605.8 and � 60207)
2) Authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI)
to recommend modifications to the common core standards
in mathematics by consulting with a group of experts in
mathematics. The SBE adopted modified mathematics
standards in January 2013. (EC � 60605.11)
3) Requires the SPI to update, revise and align the English
language development standards to the common core
standards in English language arts. The SPI was required
to convene a group of experts to complete this work, and
the SBE adopted these standards on November 7, 2012. The
SPI is required to convene a group of experts to also
modify the English language development standards, by
January 1, 2015, to link with the common core standards
in mathematics and updated science standards.
(EC � 60811.3 and � 60811.4)
4) Requires the SPI to convene a group of science experts to
recommend science standards using the Next Generation
Science Standards. The SBE adopted these standards on
September 4, 2013, and is required to consider the
adoption of a revised framework and evaluation criteria
by January 31, 2016. (EC � 60605.85 and � 60200.9)
ANALYSIS
This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to
convene a diversity advisory group to revise the
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history-social science standards by March 30, 2016, and
requires the State Board of Education to adopt, reject or
modify the revised standards by July 30, 2016. Specifically,
this bill:
1) Requires the SBE to adopt history-social science
standards pursuant to the following requirements:
a) The SPI, in consultation with the
SBE, is to convene a diversity advisory group, and
ensure the advisory group includes but is not
limited to all of the following:
i) Individuals who are
scholars in and represent the perspectives of
all major religious, ethnic, racial, and
cultural groups.
ii) Individuals who represent the
perspectives of all major religions,
ethnicities, races, cultures, genders, sexual
orientations, and disability statuses.
iii) Individuals who are elementary and
secondary history-social science teachers,
schoolsite principals, school district or
county office of education administrators, and
university professors.
b) The SPI is to present the recommended
history-social science standards to the SBE by March
30, 2016, and the SBE is to adopt, reject, or modify
the standards by July 30, 2016.
c) The SPI is to hold a minimum of two
public meetings to allow the public to provide input
on the history-social science standards prior to
their recommendation to the SBE.
d) The SBE is to provide written reasons
for any modifications to the standards, and is to
adopt modifications at a subsequent public meeting
held no later than July 30, 2016.
2) Requires the SPI and SBE to present to the Governor and
appropriate policy and fiscal committees a schedule and
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implementation plan for integrating the history-social
science standards into the state educational system.
3) States legislative intent that the revised history-social
science standards be equitable in coverage and depiction
of any world religion, ethnicity, race, culture,
nationality, gender, sexual orientation, or disability
status and that no group be portrayed negatively or as
inferior based on any of these characteristics.
4) States legislative findings and declarations relative to
the need to update the history-social science standards.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Updating the history-social science standards . The
existing history-social science standards were adopted in
1998 and have not been revised. Further, current law
requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI)
to recommend to the State Board of Education, by March 1,
2016, expansion of the State's assessment system to add
exams in subjects other than English language arts and
mathematics, including history-social science.
This bill requires the SPI to convene a diversity advisory
group to revise the history-social science standards.
The history-social science standards should be revised to
update content, rather than solely to address diversity.
The process to revise content standards should mirror the
existing structure used to revise the common core
mathematics standards and to update standards in science.
Specifically, staff recommends amendments to require the
SPI to convene a group of experts in history-social
science, and ensure that the members include but not be
limited to individuals who are elementary and secondary
history-social science teachers, schoolsite principals,
school district or county office of education
administrators, university professors, scholars of all
major religious, ethnic, racial and cultural groups, and
individuals who represent the perspectives of all major
religious, ethnic, racial and cultural groups, genders,
sexual orientations, and disability statuses.
2) National efforts to update history-social science
standards . There does not appear to be a nationwide
effort regarding history-social science standards as
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there was for the common core standards in English
language arts and mathematics, which was spearheaded by
the National Governors Association and Council of Chief
State School Officers (although there are many groups
independently working to update history-social science
standards). This Committee passed SB 897 (Steinberg) on
March 26, 2014, which among other things, requires the
Instructional Quality Commission to consider whether and
how to incorporate the College, Career, and Civic Life
(C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards into
the history-social science framework.
3) Inclusion in the framework . Numerous bills have been
enacted in recent years to require the consideration of
additional topics to be included in the next revision of
the history-social science framework, as well as
inclusion in the course of study. Topics include the
role of Filipino farm workers, gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgender Americans, Braceros, financial literacy, and
historical documents such as the Articles of
Confederation and California Constitution. Staff
recommends an amendment to require the consideration for
inclusion in the standards all topics that are required
to be considered for inclusion in the framework.
Sections of the Education Code that have been amended
since the history-social science framework was last
adopted include sections 33540, 51008, 51204.5, 51210,
51210.5, 51220, 51220.3, 51221.3, 51221.4, and 51284.
4) Timing . The State Board of Education (SBE) is authorized
to revise the history-social science framework upon
completion of work related to the development of
frameworks for the common core standards in English
language arts and mathematics. The updated framework for
mathematics was adopted by the SBE on November 6, 2013.
The updated framework for English language arts is in the
final stages, and is expected to be adopted by the SBE in
July 2014. Should the SBE be authorized to revise the
history-social science framework only upon adoption of
updated history-social science standards?
This bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to
present the recommended history-social science standards
to the SBE by March 30, 2016, and the SBE is to adopt,
reject, or modify the standards by July 30, 2016. The
SBE is required to consider the adoption of a revised
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framework and evaluation criteria for science by January
31, 2016. Staff recommends an amendment to push dates
back one year to provide additional time for the
development of the standards, considering they may be
built from the ground-up rather than based on established
work as was the case with the Common Core Standards or
Next Generation Science Standards.
5) Fiscal impact . Analyses of prior legislation related to
the revision of science standards estimated General Fund
administrative costs to the California Department of
Education of between $120,000 and $200,000. Costs
imposed by this bill could exceed those estimates if the
history-social science standards are developed from the
ground-up rather than based on established work as was
the case with the Common Core Standards or Next
Generation Science Standards.
6) Related legislation specific to history-social science .
SB 1380 (Wyland), among other things, requires the
Instructional Quality Commission to consider including
the Armenian Genocide in the next revision of the
history-social science framework. SB 1380 is scheduled
to be heard by this Committee on April 24, 2014.
AB 659 (Nazarian) encourages the California Department of
Education (CDE) to include the Armenian Genocide in its
published curriculum resources, encourages the
incorporation oral testimony when teaching specific
instances of genocide (including the genocides in
Armenia, Cambodia, Darfur, and Rwanda) into existing
curriculum, encourages including the Armenian Genocide
into state and local professional development activities
and in the next revision of the history/social science
curriculum framework, and makes technical/non-substantive
revisions to these sections. AB 659 is pending referral
in the Senate.
AB 1915 (Nazarian), among other things, requires the
Instructional Quality Commission to consider including
the Armenian, Cambodian, Darfur, and Rwandan genocides in
the next revision of the history-social science
framework. AB 1915 is pending in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee.
AB 1912 (Holden) requires the SBE to consider including
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instruction on the election of President Barack Obama and
the significance of the United States electing its first
African American President, in the History-Social Science
Framework, as appropriate, in the next adoption cycle.
AB 1912 is pending on the Assembly Floor.
SB 521 (Wyland) requires the CDE and SBE to request the
Instructional Quality Commission to revise the
history-social science frameworks to include the
comparative differences between the rights of citizens in
America and those in other countries, and the connection
of civics and American government to western
civilizations. SB 521 was never heard.
SB 1419 (Wyland) encourages instruction in social sciences to
include instruction on the American military conflicts in
Afghanistan and Iraq, and include a component drawn from
personal testimony. SB 1419 is scheduled to be heard by
this Committee on April 24, 2014.
SB 897 (Steinberg), among other things, requires the
Instructional Quality Commission to consider for whether
and how to incorporate the College, Career, and Civic
Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards
into the history-social science framework. SB 897 is
scheduled to be heard by the Senate Appropriations
Committee on April 28, 2014.
AB 2110 (Ting) requires the Instructional Quality
Commission to consider incorporating computer science
curriculum content into the mathematics, science,
history-social science, and language arts curriculum
frameworks, as it deems appropriate. AB 2110 is pending
in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SB 945 (Morrell) adds, beginning with the 2018-19 school
year, a summative assessment in history-social science to
the state assessment system. SB 945 is pending referral
in the Senate Rules Committee.
7) Prior legislation specific to history-social science . AB
97 (Torlakson, 2010) would have required the State Board
of Education (SBE), upon recommendation of the
Superintendent of Public Instruction, to adopt a schedule
for the review and recommend revisions to the science and
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history-social science curriculum area content standards.
AB 97 was vetoed by the Governor, whose veto message
read:
"Given California's participation in the Common
Core initiative and the anticipated
reauthorization of the federal Elementary and
Secondary Education Act, this bill is
premature. This bill could create an
unnecessary, duplicative process in the
development of content standards and in the
integration of those standards into the state's
assessment system."
AB 391 (Wieckowski, 2013) would have, among other things,
required the history-social science curriculum framework,
when it is revised, to encourage instruction related to
the understanding of personal finances, as specified. AB
391 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SB 1325 (Wyland, 2012) would have, among other things,
authorized the Superintendent of Public Instruction and
SBE to consider developing new curriculum frameworks and,
if necessary, standards that engage students in learning
about American history and government from oral histories
to biographical sketches and age-appropriate descriptions
of heroic efforts on the part of Americans to build our
society and its institutions. SB 1325 was never heard.
SB 283 (Wyland, 2011) was identical to SB 1325, and was
also never heard.
SB 1278 (Wyland, 2010) would have required the SBE to
adopt a revised curriculum framework and evaluation
criteria for instructional materials in history-social
science in 2011. SB 1278 was held in Assembly
Appropriations Committee.
SB 223 (Wyland), 2009) would have required the Curriculum
Commission to consider and vote on whether to include a
unit on financial literacy in the proposed changes to the
2014 history-social science framework. SB 223 was held
in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SB 234 (Wyland, 2009) would have required the Curriculum
Commission, as part of its regular process of developing
and revising curriculum frameworks, to consider and vote
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on whether to include an oral history component
specifically related to genocides in the proposed changes
to the 2014 history-social science curriculum framework.
SB 234 was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SB 1254 (Wyland, 2008) was identical to SB 1325, and was
held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
SUPPORT
AJC San Francisco
Californians Together
Director, Center for Engaged Religious Pluralism, Saint Mary's
College
Disability Rights California
Doshi Professor of Indie and Comparative Theology, Loyola
Marymount University
Federation of Jain Associations in North America
Hindu American Foundation
Jain Center of Northern California
Professor of Indian History and Archaeology, Soka University
of America
Professor of Media Studies and Asian Studies, University of
San Francisco
OPPOSITION
None on file.