BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 1380
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Date of Hearing: August 6, 2014
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
SB 1380 (Wyland) - As Amended: April 30, 2014
Policy Committee: EducationVote:7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill encourages instruction in social science for grades 7
to 12, inclusive, to include the American military conflicts in
Afghanistan and Iraq, including Operation Desert Storm.
Further, this bill requires the Instructional Quality Commission
(IQC) to consider including the Armenian Genocide when the
history-social science curriculum framework is revised.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Encourages instruction in social science for grades 7 to 12,
inclusive, to include the American military conflicts in
Afghanistan and Iraq, including Operation Desert Storm and
encourages this instruction to include a component drawn from
personal testimony, especially in the form of oral or video
histories of military veterans who were involved in those
conflicts. Specifies that any oral histories used pursuant to
this measure, should exemplify the personal sacrifice,
courage, and sense of duty of those who were called upon to
serve.
2)Encourages the CDE to include in publications that provide
examples of curriculum resources for teachers, instruction in
the origins of genocide as a phenomenon. This bill also
encourages content providers and teachers to promote pupil
analysis of genocides, including the ethnic, religious, and
political causes and include associated instructional
materials.
3)Encourages incorporating survivor, rescuer, liberator, and
witness oral testimony when teaching about genocide, including
SB 1380
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but not limited to the Armenian, Cambodian, Darfur, and
Rwandan genocides.
4)Defines the term "oral testimony" to mean only those firsthand
accounts of significant historical events and provides
examples of the formats of such testimony.
5)Requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to
consider including the Armenian Genocide when the
history-social science curriculum framework is revised.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)Minor/absorbable costs to the California Department of
Education (CDE) for the IQC to consider including the Armenian
Genocide when the history-social science curriculum framework
is revised. According to the CDE the current draft of the
history-social science framework already covers the Armenian
genocide. To the extent major rewriting of the framework is
needed, however, CDE indicates they could need additional
resources and an extended timeline for adoption.
2)General Fund/Proposition 98 cost pressure, in the hundreds of
thousands, to the extent school districts decide to purchase
new basic or supplemental instructional materials and develop
or incorporate additional content and resources into
professional development activities relative to instruction in
the origins of genocide and American military conflicts, as
specified. This bill encourages these activities; therefore,
no direct state costs are incurred.
COMMENTS
1)Background . The history-social science framework was last
adopted in 2005. A review of the history-social science
framework was underway in 2009 until the process was suspended
due to budget constraints. Additionally, the IQC was
prohibited from resuming work on the history-social science
framework until work on the English language arts and
mathematics frameworks were complete. The 2014-15 Budget Act
includes $270,000 for the IQC to complete the review and
revision of the history-social science framework and the IQC
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resumed this process in July.
According to CDE, the current draft of the history-social
science framework already covers the Armenian genocide.
Additional edits to the document can be suggested during the
public field review or submitted directly to the IQC during
the existing process.
2)Related history-social science legislation :
a) SB 897 (Steinberg), pending in this committee, among
other things, requires the State Board of Education to
consider incorporating the College, Career, and Civic Life
(C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards into the
next history-social science content standards.
b) SB 1057 (Corbett), pending in this committee, requires
the Superintendent of Public Instruction to convene a group
of history-social science experts to revise the
history-social science standards by March 30, 2018, and
requires the State Board of Education to adopt, reject or
modify the revised standards by July 30, 2018.
c) AB 1915 (Nazarian), pending in the Senate, among other
things, requires the IQC to include the Armenian,
Cambodian, Darfur, and Rwandan genocides in the next
revision of the history-social science framework.
d) AB 1912 (Holden), pending in the Senate, requires the
SBE to consider including 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.
Analysis Prepared by : Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081