California Assembly Bill AB1033 Latest Draft

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1033AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 4, 2011 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 31, 2011 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Feuer FEBRUARY 18, 2011 An act to add  Sections 60605.10 and 60605.11   Section   60605.10  to the Education Code, relating to academic content standards. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1033, as amended, Feuer. Academic content  standards.   standards: standards review commission.   (1) Existing   Existing  law requires the State Board of Education to adopt statewide content and performance standards in the core curriculum areas of reading, writing, mathematics, history/social science, and science, as specified. Existing law authorizes the state board to modify any proposed content standards or performance standards prior to adoption, and to adopt content and performance standards in individual core curriculum areas as those standards are submitted to the state board. Existing law requires the state board also to adopt standards for school library services, visual and performing arts, physical education, foreign languages, and English language development. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to coordinate the development of model curriculum standards for the course of study required for high school graduation and for a career technical education course of study necessary to assist school districts with complying with existing law.  This bill would authorize the Superintendent to recommend to the state board a schedule for reviewing and modifying the standards described above and to recommend modifications to those standards. The bill would authorize the state board to approve or modify the schedule recommended by the Superintendent and to modify the standards. If the state board modifies the standards, the bill would require the state board to explain, in writing, to the Governor and the Legislature the reasons for making modifications. The bill would require the state board to ensure that the rigor of the standards is maintained. The bill would make implementation of these provisions contingent on an appropriation of funding for that purpose in the annual Budget Act.   (2) Existing   Existing  law establishes the Academic Content Standards Commission and requires the commission to develop internationally benchmarked academic content standards, at least 85% of which are required to be the common core academic standards developed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative consortium or another specified interstate collaboration. Existing law requires the commission to present its recommended academic content standards to the state board and requires the state board by August 2, 2010, to either adopt the standards proposed by the commission or reject them.  This bill would require the Superintendent to recommend to the state board, and the state board to approve, modifications to the state-adopted common core standards. If the state board modifies those standards, the bill would require the state board to explain, in writing, to the Governor and the Legislature the reasons for making those modifications. The bill would require the state board to ensure the rigor of the state common core standards is maintained and that all of the common core standards developed by the consortium or interstate collaboration be adopted. The bill would require that modifications, including additions and revisions, amount to no more than 15% of the common core standards adopted by the state board.   This bill would authorize the review of certain of the standards described above by a 25-member standards review commission, appointed as specified and convened for that purpose, if the Superintendent and the state board jointly find that there is a need to revise or modify the standards. The bill would restrict a finding to 2 subject areas at a time and would authorize the Superintendent and the state board to make additional findings after each time a standards review commission submits its recommendations to the state board. The bill would require the state board, upon receiving recommendations from a standards review commission, to either adopt or reject the standards as proposed by the commission and to notify the Governor, the Senate Committee on Rules, and the Speaker of the Assembly that it has acted. If the state board rejects the recommendations, the bill would require the state board to provide a specific written explanation to the Superintendent, the Governor, and the Legislature of the reasons why the proposed standards were rejected.   The bill would authorize a standards review commission that is convened for the purpose of considering revisions to the academic content standards in language arts and mathematics only to make recommendations to modify the grade 8 common core standards in mathematics and to consider recommending the inclusion of college and career readiness anchor standards as developed by the consortium or interstate collaboration.   The bill would authorize the Superintendent to recommend to the state board a schedule for reviewing the other standards.  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 60605.10 is added to the   Education Code  , to read:   60605.10. (a) (1) If the Superintendent and the state board jointly find that there is a need to revise or modify any of the standards listed in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, the review shall be conducted by a standards review commission convened for that purpose and in accordance with this section. (A) The language arts and mathematics academic content standards adopted pursuant to Section 60605.8. (B) The history/social science and science content standards adopted pursuant to Section 60605. (C) The standards adopted pursuant to Section 18101, 51226, 60605.1, 60605.2, or 60605.3. (2) A finding pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be limited to any two subject areas at a time to allow a standards review commission to review only two subject areas at a time. The Superintendent and the state board may make additional findings after each time a standards review commission submits its recommendations to the state board. (3) After making a finding pursuant to paragraph (1), the Superintendent and the state board shall notify the Governor, the Senate Committee on Rules, and the Speaker of the Assembly of the finding, including the reasons for the need to appoint members to a standards review commission. (b) (1) Each time the Superintendent and state board make a finding pursuant to subdivision (a), a standards review commission consisting of 25 members shall be appointed as follows: (A) The Governor shall appoint 11 members. (B) The Senate Committee on Rules shall appoint five members. (C) The Speaker of the Assembly shall appoint five members. (D) The Superintendent shall appoint four members. (2) Not less than half of the members appointed by each of the appointing authorities pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be current public school elementary or secondary classroom teachers. (3) In making appointments to a commission, the appointing authorities shall consult with each other to ensure that the commission includes all of the following: (A) Individuals with expertise in the subject area under review. (B) Individuals from different geographical areas of the state. (C) Individuals who reflect the ethnic and gender diversity of California. (D) Individuals who are knowledgeable about English learners and pupils with disabilities. (4) Members of a commission shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. (5) Pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), all meetings and hearings of the commission shall be open and available to the public. (c) (1) If a standards review commission is convened for the purpose of considering revisions to the language arts and mathematics academic content standards adopted pursuant to Section 60605.8, the commission may only make recommendations to modify the grade 8 common core standards in mathematics and may consider recommending the inclusion of college and career readiness anchor standards as developed by the consortium or interstate collaboration set forth in Section 60605.7. (2) The recommendations of a standards review commission made pursuant to paragraph (1) and modifications approved by the state board with regard to those recommendations shall ensure all of the following: (A) The rigor of the state common core standards is maintained so that all high school graduates are prepared for college and careers, as specified in the common core standards. (B) All of the state common core standards developed by the consortium or the interstate collaboration set forth in Section 60605.7 are adopted. (C) Modifications, including additions and revisions, amount to no more than 15 percent of the state common core standards adopted by the state board. (d) A standards review commission established pursuant to subdivision (b) may make recommendations to the state board to modify the history/social science and science content standards adopted pursuant to Section 60605, and the standards adopted pursuant to Sections 18101, 51226, 60605.1, 60605.2, and 60605.3, when convened for that purpose and in accordance with this section. (e) Upon receiving recommendations from a standards review commission, the state board shall do either of the following: (1) Adopt the standards as proposed by the commission. (2) Reject the standards as proposed by the commission. If the state board rejects the standards, it shall provide a specific written explanation to the Superintendent, the Governor, and the Legislature of the reasons why the proposed standards were rejected. (f) The Superintendent and the state board shall notify the Governor, the Senate Committee on Rules, and the Speaker of the Assembly after the state board takes action pursuant to subdivision (e) on the recommendations submitted by a standards review commission. (g) The Superintendent may recommend to the state board a schedule for reviewing the history/social science and science content standards adopted pursuant to Section 60605 and the standards adopted pursuant to Sections 18101, 51226, 60605.1, 60605.2, and 60605.3, but a standards review commission shall not be appointed until the Superintendent and state board make a finding pursuant to subdivision (a) regarding at least one, but not more than two, subject areas.   SECTION 1.   Section 60605.10 is added to the Education Code, to read: 60605.10. (a) The Superintendent may recommend to the state board a schedule for reviewing the standards adopted pursuant to Sections 18101, 51226, 60605, 60605.1, 60605.2, 60605.3, and 60811 and may recommend modifications to those standards. The state board may approve or modify the schedule recommended by the Superintendent and may modify the standards. If the state board modifies the standards, it shall explain, in writing, to the Governor and the Legislature the reasons for making those modifications. (b) The recommendations of the Superintendent and modifications made by the state board shall ensure that the rigor of the standards listed in subdivision (a) is maintained. (c) Implementation of this section is contingent on an appropriation of funding for that purpose in the annual Budget Act.   SEC. 2.   Section 60605.11 is added to the Education Code, to read: 60605.11. (a) The Superintendent may recommend to the state board, and the state board may approve, modifications to the common core standards adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 60605.8. If the state board modifies the common core standards recommended by the Academic Content Standards Commission, it shall explain, in writing, to the Governor and the Legislature the reasons for making those modifications. (b) The recommendations of the Superintendent and modifications of the common core standards that are approved by the state board shall ensure all of the following: (1) The rigor of the state common core standards is maintained so that all high school graduates are prepared for college and careers, as specified in the common core standards. (2) All of the common core standards developed by the consortium or interstate collaboration set forth in Section 60605.7 are adopted. (3) Modifications, including additions and revisions, amount to no more than 15 percent of the common core standards adopted by the state board.