BILL ANALYSIS
SB 471
Page 1
Date of Hearing: July 8, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
SB 471 (Romero and Steinberg) - As Amended: May 28, 2009
SENATE VOTE : 24-14
SUBJECT : California Stem Cell and Biotechnology Education and
Workforce Development Act
SUMMARY : Creates the California Stem Cell and Biotechnology
Education and Workforce Development Act of 2009 to establish
stem cell and biotechnology education and workforce development
as a state priority and to promote stronger links among industry
sectors, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
(CIRM), and California public schools. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Requires the California Department of Education (CDE), in
consultation with the CIRM and representatives of the
biotechnology industry to promote stem cell and biotechnology
education and workforce development within existing programs,
including, but not limited to, all of the following:
a) The California Health Science Educators Institute;
b) The Health Science Capacity Building Project;
c) The California Partnership Academies (CPAs);
d) The regional science resource centers;
e) The California Career Resource Network (CalCRN),
including the State Agency Partners Committee;
f) Multiple pathway programs; and,
g) The K-12 High Speed Network (HSN), including its
academic content platform.
2)Requires CDE to post on its Internet Web site information and
links to information about the following:
a) Biotechnology education programs, including, but not
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limited to, those identified by the biotech industry and
industry-related organizations, and,
b) The CIRM education initiatives and related stem cell
education and workforce development programs
3)Requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to incorporate
stem cell science curriculum content into the science
curriculum framework at its next revision.
4)Requests the Regents of the University of California to
consult with the CIRM and representatives of the biotechnology
industry in developing curriculum for the California State
Summer School for Mathematics and Science.
5)Requests that the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee
(ICOC), when allocating funds for stem cell research and
facilities consider education and workforce development in
addition to other criteria, with the goal of furthering the
purpose of this article.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the CIRM to, among other duties, make grants and
loans for stem cell research, for research facilities, and for
other vital research opportunities to realize therapies,
protocols, and medical procedures that will result in the cure
for, or substantial mitigation of, diseases and injuries.
2)Creates the ICOC to govern the CIRM and is vested with full
power, authority, and jurisdiction over the CIRM.
3)Establishes a right to conduct stem cell research which
includes research involving adult stem cells, cord blood stem
cells, pluripotent stem cells, and/or progenitor cells.
4)Establishes the CPA program as a state-school-private sector
partnership to provide combined academic and occupational
training to eligible "at-risk" students in grades 10-12,
inclusive.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee the CDE would incur costs of approximately $65,000 for
inclusion of stem cell and biotechnology in existing workforce
development programs, and for various administrative costs, such
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as posting and collaboration with UC.
COMMENTS : In November 2004, the voters of California approved
Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures
Initiative, which authorized $3 billion in state bond funding
for stem cell research at California universities and research
institutions and established the CIRM to make grants and provide
loans for stem cell research, research facilities and other
research opportunities. According to information on the CIRM
website, to date, 294 grants have been awarded worth a total of
$761 million in 13 rounds of funding.
This bill seeks to make stem cell and biotechnology education
and workforce development a state priority by requiring the CDE
to promote stem cell and biotechnology education and workforce
development within existing academic and career development
programs such as the following:
1)The California Health Science Capacity Building Project which
is intended to build quality health science pathway programs
statewide to prepare qualified workers to meet the critical
worker shortages in the health-care industry by preparing
students for jobs or for postsecondary options.
2)The California Health Science Educators Institute which is a
partnership between the CDE's Health Careers Education Program
and the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency to
support health science pathway programs in California through
school district teams' attendance at the California Annual
Health Science Educators Institute. Grants are awarded to
eligible sites interested in developing or implementing health
science and medical technology pathways.
3)The CPA programs, which are three-year programs in grades
10-12, structured as a school-within-a-school to serve at-risk
pupils. The curriculum of CPAs is focused on a career theme
and is coordinated with related academic classes. The
integration of a standards based academic and career technical
curriculum is a key component of this program. The career
technical focus for a CPA is determined by an analysis of the
local labor market and considering fields that have companies
willing to support the program.
4)The CalCRN which is an interagency, state-level network
created to support career guidance and academic counseling
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programs to all individuals in California. The primary duty
of CalCRN, is to distribute career information, resources, and
training materials to middle school and high school
counselors, educators, and administrators, in order to ensure
that middle schools and high schools have the necessary
information available to provide guidance and instruction on
education and job requirements necessary for career
development.
5)Multiple pathway programs which integrate academic and
technical courses of study around a broad theme, interest, or
industry sector. These programs include work-based learning
opportunities such as internships or apprenticeships and
provide appropriate student support services.
6)Regional science resource centers, which were established in
the Education Code in 1984 to increase educational and
training opportunities for teachers and students. However,
these programs have not been funded.
7)The K-12 HSN which provides the California K-12 schools
network connectivity, Internet services, network diagnostic
service, teaching and learning application coordination, and
videoconferencing coordination and support. This network is
designed to provide the capacity to deliver online resources
and according to the CDE the K-12 HSN does not have staff or
resources for actual content development. But according to
information provided by the author, there are plans underway
for having standards-aligned academic content available on the
K-12 HSN. Furthermore, according to the K-12 HSN website, the
K-12 HSN is offering a set of tools to share lesson ideas,
upload student learning objects, and disseminate best
practices.
Science curriculum framework : This bill requires the SBE to
include stem cell science content in the next revision of the
science curriculum framework. Curriculum frameworks provide a
blueprint for curriculum and instruction by describing the scope
and sequence of the knowledge and skills all students need to
master in a specific subject area.
The Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission
(Curriculum Commission) has begun the process of updating the
science framework for the 2012 science primary adoption. A
Curriculum Framework and Evaluation Criteria Committee (CFECC)
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has been appointed and is currently drafting the revised science
framework using guidelines provided by Curriculum Commission and
the SBE.
At its March 2009 meeting, the SBE voted to amend the guidelines
for the science CFECC to include stem cell research in the
narrative that would reflect current and confirmed scholarly
research in science and changes in California and the United
States since the last edition of the science framework was
published. The CFECC will be reviewing and revising the science
curriculum framework by May 2010 for the 2012 primary adoption.
The curriculum framework includes criteria for evaluating
instructional materials. The framework and criteria are used by
publishers in the development of instructional materials and
also by the field reviewers, the Curriculum Commission and the
SBE in the review, selection and adoption of instructional
materials for kindergarten through grade eight (K-8). Textbooks
selected for adoption must be aligned to the content standards
and satisfy the requirements in the framework and evaluation
criteria. Although this bill recommends the framework include
stem cell science content, the bill should be amended to specify
that stem cell science content shall also be included in the
evaluation criteria and in instructional materials. Staff
recommends the following amendment:
On page 5, line 27, after "framework" insert
"evaluation criteria and instructional materials" and
on line 28 after "revision" insert "and adoption."
This bill also requires CDE to post on its Internet Web site
specified information on biotechnology programs and CIRM
education initiatives and related stem cell education and
workforce development programs.
This Committee authored legislation two years ago to create a
comprehensive career technical education (CTE) website that
would be administered by the CDE. Staff recommends that the
author consider amending this bill to also require the
information on workforce development programs as provided in
this bill be posted on the CTE Web site created by AB 597
(Education Committee), Chapter 529, Statutes of 2007.
The authors state, "California will fully realize the medical
and economic promise of regenerative medicine only if it has a
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workforce with the education and technical training necessary to
translate discoveries into therapies and cures. Recent reports
predict a shortage of trained professionals to fill jobs in the
biotechnology and life sciences sector and a more general
shortage of workers with the college education or technical
training needed to meet industry demands."
Arguments in support : The California Healthcare Institute
writes, "For California to remain the leader in biotechnology
research and innovation, including stem-cell research, we must
invest in science and math education at the K-12 level that
prepares students for entry-level jobs in the biotechnology
sector or advanced study in these fields at the university
level."
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
BayBio
BIOCOM
California Healthcare Institute
California State University
University of California
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi?a / ED. / (916) 319-2087