California Senate Bill SB725 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: SB 725AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 18, 2015 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 7, 2015 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 2, 2015 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 28, 2015 INTRODUCED BY Senator Hancock  (   Principal   coauthors:   Senators   De Len,   Leno,   and Liu   )   (   Principal   coauthors:   Assembly Members   Chiu   and Ting   )   (   Coauthor:   Senator   Hertzberg   )  FEBRUARY 27, 2015  An act to repeal, add, and repeal Section 60605.1 of the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.   An act to add Section 60851.1 to the Education Code, relating to pupil testing.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 725, as amended, Hancock.  Pupil instruction: visual and performing arts content standards.   Pupil testing: high school exit examination: exemption.   Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, with the approval of the State Board of Education, to develop a high school exit examination in English language arts and mathematics in accordance with state academic content standards. Existing law requires, commencing with the 2003-04 school year and each school year thereafter, each pupil completing grade 12 to successfully pass the high school exit examination as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation or a condition of graduation from high school.   This bill would provide that the high school exit examination shall not be required as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation or a condition of graduation from high school for a pupil completing grade 12 in 2015 and who has met all other high school graduation requirements. To the extent that this requirement would impose additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.   The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.   Existing law required the State Board of Education, by June 1, 2001, to adopt content standards in the curriculum area of visual and performing arts pursuant to recommendations developed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.   This bill would repeal those provisions and would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, to convene an academic content standards advisory committee, comprised of 21 members, for the purpose of updating the content standards in visual and performing arts in the areas of dance, visual arts, theater, and music. The bill would provide for the appointment of committee members by the Governor, the Senate Committee on Rules, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Superintendent, as specified. The bill would require the committee to review the visual and performing arts content standards, prepare updates to the content standards, and to recommend proposed updates to the state board. The bill would require the state board, on or before July 1, 2018, to either adopt or reject the updates proposed by the committee. The bill would make its provisions contingent upon the Legislature appropriating funds for its purposes in the annual Budget Act. The bill would repeal the bill' s provisions on January 1, 2019. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program:  no   yes  . THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.   Section 60851.1 is added to the   Education Code   , to read:   60851.1. Notwithstanding any other law, the high school exit examination shall not be required as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation or a condition of graduation from high school for a pupil completing grade 12 in 2015 and who has met all other high school graduation requirements.   SEC. 2.   If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.       SECTION 1.   The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Arts education helps prepare our pupils for the expectations of the 21st century workforce, which includes the ability to innovate, communicate, and collaborate. Employers across industry sectors stress the need for innovation and creativity skills that are developed by the arts. (b) In California, 1.4 million jobs, approximately 10 percent of all jobs, are directly or indirectly related to or induced by the arts. (c) Seven and eight-tenths percent of California's gross domestic product is related to the creative industry. (d) It is in the state's best economic interest to provide pupils the most current and relevant instruction in visual and performing arts. (e) The state's current visual and performing arts content standards do not include connections to the Common Core State Standards or 21st century skills that are necessary to the careers of the future. (f) California's content standards for the visual and performing arts were last adopted 14 years ago in 2001. (g) In the interim period, education has changed: pedagogy has improved and technology has been developed that impacts instruction in the visual and performing arts. (h) There is nothing in current law that requires visual and performing arts content standards to be reviewed and updated. (i) A standards-based, sequential visual and performing arts education should be accessible to all pupils in every school. (j) Extensive research has demonstrated that arts education engages pupils in learning, contributes to higher test scores, and reduces truancy and dropout rates.   SEC. 2.   Section 60605.1 of the Education Code is repealed.  SEC. 3.   Section 60605.1 is added to the Education Code, to read: 60605.1. (a) The state board shall adopt visual and performing arts content standards only if the state board adopts a schedule recommended by the Superintendent for the regular update of academic content standards in all subjects for which academic content standards have been adopted by the state board pursuant to other legislation. The visual and performing arts content standards shall be adopted pursuant to the following requirements: (1) The Superintendent, in consultation with the state board, shall convene an academic content standards advisory committee for the purpose of updating the content standards in visual and performing arts in the areas of dance, visual arts, theater, and music. The committee shall use the National Core Arts Standards developed by the National Coalition for Core Arts Standards as the basis for their deliberations. (2) The committee shall consist of 21 members, appointed as follows: (A) Ten members appointed by the Governor. (B) Four members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. (C) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly. (D) Three members appointed by the Superintendent. (3) Members of the committee shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. (4) At least one-half of the committee members appointed by each appointing authority shall be current public elementary or secondary school classroom teachers who have a professional credential under state law and meet the definition of "highly qualified" under federal law. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature that all of the following occur: (1) That the committee include representation from teachers of different grade level spans, including elementary, middle, and high school grades. (2) That each member of the committee possesses a thorough knowledge of the academic content standards in the content area and grade level span in which he or she is appointed. (3) That the committee membership reflects the diversity of the various ethnic groups, types of school districts, and regions in California. (c) The committee shall review the content standards established for visual and performing arts, and shall recommend and prepare updates to the content standards as the committee deems necessary. (d) In making its recommendations, the committee shall consider both of the following criteria: (1) The extent to which the proposed updates reflect current and confirmed research in visual and performing arts. (2) The impact the committee anticipates that the proposed updates will have on school districts, including the impact on existing curricula and assessments. (e) The committee shall conduct at least two, and no more than six, in-person meetings that are open to the public and include opportunities for public input. The committee may convene additional meetings by teleconference or the Internet subject to the requirements of Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. (f) Before the committee finalizes the proposed updates for recommendation to the state board, the department shall post the proposed updates on the department's Internet Web site for at least 60 days. The department shall include a link by which members of the public may submit comments on the proposed updates. (g) Upon completing its review and recommendation of the proposed updates to the state board, the committee shall be dissolved. (h) Members of the committee shall serve without compensation, except for actual and necessary travel expenses and substitute teacher costs. (i) The committee shall submit the proposed updates to the state board on or before January 31, 2018. (j) The state board shall do either of the following on or before July 1, 2018: (1) Adopt the updates proposed by the committee. (2) Reject the updates proposed by the committee. (k) If the state board rejects the proposed updates, it shall provide a written explanation to the Superintendent, the Governor, and the Legislature of the reasons why the proposed updated standards were rejected. (l) Nothing in this section shall be construed as mandating an assessment of pupils in visual or performing arts. (m) The convening of an academic content standards advisory committee and the requirement for the state board to act on visual and performing arts content standards is contingent upon the Legislature appropriating funds for that purpose in the annual Budget Act. (n) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2019, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2019, deletes or extends that date.