BILL NUMBER: AB 970AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 4, 2009 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 2, 2009 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Block and Bass (Coauthors: Assembly Members Ammiano, Brownley, Carter, Eng, Miller, Nestande, and Solorio) FEBRUARY 26, 2009 An act to add Section 51204.7 to the Education Code, relating to public schools. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 970, as amended, Block. Curriculum and instructional materials: Native Americans. Existing law requires that, when adopting instructional materials for use in the schools, governing boards shall include only instructional materials that, in their determination, accurately portray the cultural and racial diversity of our society, including the role and contributions of Native Americans to the total development of California and the United States. Existing law also requires that instruction in social sciences include the early history of California and a study of the role and contributions of American Indians to the economic, political, and social development of California and the United States of America, with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in contemporary society. This bill would encourage the State Board of Education and the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission to ensure that the history-social science framework, evaluation criteria, and instructional materials include information about American Indians.The bill would encourage instruction about American Indians, emphasizing California Native Americans, including their tribal and sovereign governments and their relationship with the California state government and the people of California.The bill would require the state board, within one year following the conclusion of the first adoption cycle for history-social science instructional materials that occurs on or after January 1, 2010, to report to the Legislature and the Governor regarding the progress of achieving the goals set forth by the bill. 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. Section 51204.7 is added to the Education Code, to read: 51204.7. (a) The State Board of Education and the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission are encouraged to ensure that the history-social science framework, evaluation criteria, and instructional materials, adopted in the course of the next submission cycle following the date on which this section becomes effective, include information about American Indians, emphasizing California Native Americans, including their existing tribal and sovereign governments and their relationship with the California state government and the people of California.(b) The Legislature encourages instruction about American Indians, emphasizing California Native Americans, including their tribal and sovereign governments and their relationship with the California state government.(c) The Legislature encourages all state and local professional development activities to provide teachers with content background and resources to assist in teaching about American Indians, emphasizing California Native Americans, including their tribal and sovereign governments and their relationship with the California state government.(d)(b) Within one year following the conclusion of the first adoption cycle for history-social science instructional materials that occurs on or after January 1, 2010, the state board shall report to the Legislature and the Governor regarding the progress of achieving the goals set forth in this section.