California Assembly Bill AB1539 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 1539AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 10, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 22, 2014 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 2, 2014 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Hagman (Coauthors: Assembly Members Brown, Nestande, and Waldron) (Coauthor: Senator Knight) JANUARY 22, 2014 An act to add Section 60605.4 to the Education Code, relating to content standards. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1539, as amended, Hagman. Content standards: computer science. Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt statewide academically rigorous content standards, pursuant to recommendations of the Commission for the Establishment of Academic Content and Performance Standards, in core curriculum areas. This bill would  encourage   require  the Instructional Quality Commission to develop and recommend to the state board, on or before July 31, 2016, computer science content standards, pursuant to recommendations developed by a group of computer science experts. The bill would  express that the Legislature encourages   require  the commission to consider existing computer science content standards, including, but not limited to, national K-12 computer science content standards developed by the Computer Science Teachers Association. The bill would  encourage   require  the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the commission, to convene that group of experts and ensure that the group includes individuals from specified groups. 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 60605.4 is added to the Education Code, to read: 60605.4. (a) On or before July 31, 2016, the Instructional Quality Commission  is encouraged to   shall  develop and recommend to the state board computer science content standards, pursuant to recommendations developed by a group of computer science experts. The  Legislature encourages the  Instructional Quality Commission  to   shall  consider existing computer science content standards, which include, but are not limited to, the national K-12 computer science content standards developed by the Computer Science Teachers Association, and consider content standards that include, but are not necessarily limited to, standards for teaching coding. For purposes of this section, "coding" is the process of converting a program design into an accurate and detailed representation of that program in a suitable language. (b) (1) The Superintendent, in consultation with the Instructional Quality Commission,  is encouraged to   shall  convene the group of experts referenced in subdivision (a), and  is encouraged to  shall  ensure that the members of the group include, but are not necessarily limited to, all of the following: (A) Teachers who teach computer science, including mathematics and science teachers, in grades 7 to 12, inclusive. (B) Schoolsite principals. (C) School district or county office of education administrators. (D) University professors. (E) Representatives of private sector business or industry. (2) The Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, shall ensure that one-half of the members of the group are teachers as described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1). (c) The computer science content standards may be used by school districts to develop computer science programs and course assessments but are not mandatory.