Bill Text: CA SB725 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Pupil testing: high school exit examination: exemption.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-08-26 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 225, Statutes of 2015. [SB725 Detail]
Download: California-2015-SB725-Amended.html
Bill Title: Pupil testing: high school exit examination: exemption.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-08-26 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 225, Statutes of 2015. [SB725 Detail]
Download: California-2015-SB725-Amended.html
BILL NUMBER: SB 725 AMENDED
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 León, 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.
