Bill Text: CA SB1057 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Pupil curriculum: history-social science content standards.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2014-09-18 - In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending. [SB1057 Detail]

Download: California-2013-SB1057-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 1057	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 30, 2014
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 10, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Corbett

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2014

   An act to add Section 60605.84 to the Education Code, relating to
pupil curriculum.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1057, as amended, Corbett. Pupil curriculum: history-social
science content standards.
   Existing law  provides for the adoption and modification
of academic content standards by the State Board of Education in the
subjects of language arts and mathematics in accordance with
specified procedures.   required the State Board of
Education, not later than November 1, 1998, to adopt statewide
academically rigorous content standards in the core curriculum area
of history-social science. 
   This bill would require the state board  , on or before July
30, 2016,  to  adopt   adopt, reject, or
modify  history-social science  content  standards in
accordance with specified procedures. The bill would require the
Superintendent of Public Instruction to convene a  diversity
advisory group,   group of history-social science
experts,  as specified, and, with input from the 
diversity advisory  group, would require the Superintendent,
on or before March 30, 2016, to recommend history-social science
content standards to the state board.  The bill would require
the state board to adopt, reject, or modify the history-social
science content standards on or before July 30, 2016.  The
bill would require the Superintendent and the state board, by October
1, 2016, to report certain information to the Governor and
appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature. The bill
would express legislative findings and declarations relating to
history-social science content 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.  The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
   (a) In contrast to other subject areas, the state's 16-year-old
history-social science content standards were developed in 1998 and
have failed to keep up with modern research and scholarship.
   (b) There is nothing in current law that requires history-social
science content standards to be reviewed and updated.
   (c) California has long been home to many diverse cultures. As
this diversity has grown, there is a greater need than ever before
for understanding the foundational ideas and philosophy of our
country and the world.
   (d) California's current kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive,
history-social science textbooks contain outdated and inaccurate
information, and reflect negatively on members of several groups, in
violation of existing law. Hinduism, for instance, is portrayed in an
inequitable manner, and Hindus are depicted negatively and as
implicitly inferior to other religious groups.
   (e) Existing law prohibits the State Board of Education from
adopting any instructional materials for use in schools that contain
any matter reflecting adversely upon persons on the basis of race or
ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, or sexual
orientation.
   (f) The history-social science content standards therefore must be
rectified to address concerns of accuracy, rigorous scholarship,
equality, diversity, religious and cultural sensitivity, and
adherence to existing law. Furthermore, the standards should be
updated to ensure that they are consistent with changes to other
subjects in California's education system.
   (g) It is the intent of the Legislature that the revised
kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, history-social science content
standards must be equitable in their coverage and depiction of any
world religion, ethnicity, race, culture, nationality, gender, sexual
orientation, or disability status and that no group shall be
portrayed negatively or as inferior based on any of these
characteristics.
   (h) It is the intent of the Legislature that the process to update
the kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, history-social science
content standards be fair, transparent, and inclusive.
   (i) It is the intent of the Legislature that the 
diversity advisory   expert group created pursuant
to Senate Bill 1057 at the 2013-14 Regular Session must be a body
that reflects the diversity of the state, including groups or
individuals who represent the perspectives of all major religions,
ethnicities, races, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and
disability statuses.
   (j) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a schedule
and process for the review and revision, as necessary, of the state's
history-social science content standards.
  SEC. 2.  Section 60605.84 is added to the Education Code,
immediately following Section 60605.8, to read:
   60605.84.  (a)  Notwithstanding any other law, the
  The  state board shall adopt history-social
science content standards pursuant to the following requirements:
   (1) The Superintendent, in consultation with the state board,
shall convene a  diversity advisory group.  
group of history-social science experts.  The Superintendent
shall ensure that the members of the  diversity advisory
 group include, but are not limited  to, all of the
following:  
   (A) Individuals who are scholars in and represent the perspectives
of all major religious, ethnic, racial, and cultural groups.
 
   (B) Individuals who represent the perspectives of all major
religions, ethnicities, races, cultures, genders, sexual
orientations, and disability statuses. 
    (C)     Individuals
  to, individuals  who are elementary and secondary
history-social science teachers, schoolsite principals, school
district or county office of education administrators, and university
 professors.   professors, scholars of all
major religious, ethnic, racial, and cultural groups, and individuals
who represent the perspectives of all major religious, ethnic,
racial, and cultural groups, genders, sexual   orientations,
and disability statuses. A majority of the group of experts convened
pursuant to this paragraph shall be history-social science teachers.
 
   (2) The Superintendent shall consider for inclusion in the
history-social science content standards all topics that are required
to be considered for inclusion pursuant to the provisions of this
code.  
   (2) 
    (3)  The Superintendent, with input from the 
diversity advisory  group convened pursuant to paragraph
(1), shall recommend history-social science content standards for
adoption to the state board. 
   (3) 
    (4)  The Superintendent shall hold a minimum of two
public meetings 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) in order for the public
to provide input on the history-social science content standards
that would be recommended pursuant to paragraph (1). 
   (4) 
    (5)  The Superintendent shall present the recommended
history-social science content standards to the state board on or
before March 30, 2016. 
   (5) 
    (6)  On or before July 30, 2016, the state board shall
adopt, reject, or modify the history-social science content standards
presented by the Superintendent. 
   (6) 
    (7)  If the state board modifies the history-social
science content standards presented by the Superintendent, the state
board shall provide written reasons for its modifications in a public
meeting. The state board shall adopt its modifications to the
history-social science content standards at a subsequent public
meeting held no later than July 30, 2016. The public meetings
required by this paragraph shall be held 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).

   (b) (1) On or before October 1, 2016, the Superintendent and the
state board shall present to the Governor and the appropriate policy
and fiscal committees of the Legislature a schedule and
implementation plan for integrating the history-social science
content standards adopted pursuant to this section into the state
educational system.
   (2) The requirement for submitting the report required pursuant to
this subdivision is inoperative on October 1, 2020, pursuant to
Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.