BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Dede Alpert, Chair
1999-2000 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 305
AUTHOR: Vasconcellos
AS INTRODUCED: February 4, 1999
FISCAL COMM.: Yes HEARING DATE: March 17, 1999
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Scott Plotkin
SUMMARY
This bill requires school districts to ensure that all
pupils in grades 9 to 12 receive parenting education, as
specified; and that the Department of the Youth Authority
offer parenting education to wards in their jurisdiction,
as specified. Further, the bill calls for the convening of
a summit for the purpose of developing a master plan for
parenting education in nonpublic school settings.
BACKGROUND
Existing law:
1) Requires the course of study in grades 7 or 8 to
include a course in parenting education.
2) Requires the State Department of Education (SDE) to
supply a sample curriculum in parenting education
suitable as a stand alone course or for incorporation
within existing courses in grades 7 or 8. The content
of which should develop a knowledge of topics
including, but not limited to: (a) child growth and
development; (b) parental responsibilities;
(c) household budgeting; (d) child abuse and
neglect issues; (e) personal hygiene; (f) maintaining
healthy relationships; (g) teen parenting issues; and,
(h) self-esteem.
3) Requires the county boards of education to administer
the operation of juvenile court schools.
4) Requires the Department of the Youth Authority to
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adopt and prescribe minimum standards of programs of
education for juvenile homes, ranches, camps, forestry
camps, and youth correctional facilities.
ANALYSIS
This bill:
1) Requires that, beginning in 2000-2001, all pupils in
grades 9 to 12, receive parenting education from
adequately trained instructors in existing appropriate
education courses.
2) Requires that each parent or guardian of a pupil in a
parenting education curriculum be given notice about
the proposed participation of the pupil, and access to
the instructional materials.
3) Requires the State Department of Education to submit
to the Legislature by January 1, 2004 an evaluation of
the effectiveness of the parenting education
requirements of this bill.
4) Requires that all pupils who are pregnant and all
pupils who are known to be prospective fathers for the
babies of these pregnant pupils shall be enrolled in
the next scheduled parenting education course.
5) Specifies that a teacher providing parenting education
either:
a) Hold a valid California teaching credential
that includes preparation to teach child growth
and development, family and interpersonal
relationships, and parenting education, or
b) Complete 40 hours of SDE approved in-service
instruction in the above areas.
6) Requires a juvenile court school and the Department of
the Youth Authority to offer a course in parenting to
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each pupil or ward who is at least 12 years old.
7) Specifies that the parenting education courses
required above be designed to develop knowledge of
topics including, but not limited to, all of the
following:
a) Parental responsibilities.
b) Child development and growth.
c) Maintaining healthy relationships.
d) Child abuse and neglect issues.
e) Self-esteem.
f) Personal hygiene.
g) Household budgeting.
h) Teen parenting issues.
8) Requires the Director of Health Services to convene a
summit no later than March 31, 2000 to develop a
master plan for parenting education in nonpublic
school settings. Also, requires the Director to
submit a proposed master plan of parenting education
to the Legislature by January 1, 2001.
9) Requires the Department of Health Services (DHS) to
evaluate the Summit's recommendations and attempt to
use existing resources or secure private funding to
underwrite the study.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Bill is a reintroduction . This bill is a
reintroduction of several similar bills by Senator
Vasconcellos over the past few years. The 1998
version of this bill, SB 2138, was approved by this
Committee by a vote of 9 ayes, 3 noes, on May 6, 1998.
2) Need for the Bill . The purpose of this bill,
according to the author, is to educate children about
their most important function as productive members of
society: being parents. The author believes that
attention should be focused on parenting education to
better prepare children to be responsible, caring
adults. The author notes that as many as 75 percent
of all prison inmates were abused as children and that
the only hope of
breaking the cycle of violence is to prepare every
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Californian to become a parent who can provide a
nurturing environment conducive to healthy human
development.
3) New Trend in Violence . The American Association for
the Advancement of Science researched the patterns of
murder, drugs, and guns and found a disturbing trend.
In the period between 1985-93, murders by adults
decreased 20 percent, while murders by 18-24 year-olds
increased 65 percent, and murders by 14-17
year-olds increased 165 percent. High birth rate over
the last decade means than 40 million children will be
in their teens in the next decade.
4) Governor Wilson's Concerns Not Addressed . This bill
is similar to Senator Vasconcellos' SB 669 (1997) and
SB 2138 (1998) which were vetoed. In his vetoes,
Governor Wilson expressed support for parenting
education as a means of improving children's lives,
but had concerns with two areas of the bills,
specifically:
a) "Notification of parents is not the parental
consent sought in the veto of a prior version of
this bill." The Governor is referring to his
veto of AB 2497 (Vasconcellos) in 1994.
b) "...this bill - while overly prescriptive in
some respects - leaves a number of questions
unaddressed...Agencies other than DHS need to be
involved in non-school settings." This was a
concern raised by the Governor for the first
time, without any guidance as to what he might
have suggested as an alternative.
The author also addressed several of these concerns in
AB 262 (1995), but the bill was held in the Assembly
Appropriations Committee.
5) A Preventative Effort . Supporters of the bill contend
that this bill offers a comprehensive, cost efficient,
and preventative approach to break the cycle of crime.
They further state that nowhere is the need for
parenting skills more evident than in correctional
facilities designed for children.
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SUPPORT
California Association for the Education of Young Children
California Child, Youth and Family Coalition
California Teachers Association
Children's Advocacy Institute
Planned Parenthood of California
OPPOSITION
None received