AB 101, as amended, Alejo. Pupil instruction: ethnic studies.
Existing law requires the adopted course of study for grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to include, among other subjects, the social sciences. Existing law requires the State Board of Education, with the assistance of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, to establish a list of textbooks and other instructional materials that highlight the contributions of minorities in the development of California and the United States.
This bill would require the Superintendent to oversee the development of, and the state board to adopt, a model curriculumbegin delete framework and other support systemsend delete to ensure quality courses in ethnic studies. The bill would require the Superintendent to establish an Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee and would require the committee to advise, assist,
and make recommendations to thebegin delete state board about programs, curriculum content, and
other issues related to ethnic studies. The bill would require the Superintendent, on or before June 30, 2016, to submit to the state board a plan to fully implement these requirements.end deletebegin insert Superintendent regarding the development of the model curriculum.end insert The bill would, beginning the school year following the adoption of the model curriculum, authorize each school district maintaining any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive, to offer, as an elective course in the social sciences, a course of study in ethnic studies based on the modelbegin delete curriculum framework.end deletebegin insert curriculum.end insert
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) The State of California is committed to providing excellent
4educational opportunities to all of its pupils.
5(b) There are 92 languages other than English spoken throughout
6the state, with the primary languages being Arabic, Armenian,
7Cantonese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
8(c) There is a growing body of academic research that shows
9the importance of culturally meaningful and relevant curriculum.
10(d) Based on the National Education Association (NEA)
11publication, The Academic and Social Value of Ethnic Studies,
12the inclusion of ethnic studies in a curriculum has a positive impact
13on pupils of color.
14(e) Ethnic studies benefit pupils in observable ways, such as
15pupils becoming more academically engaged, increasing their
16performance on academic tests, improving their graduation rates,
17and developing a sense of self-efficacy and personal empowerment.
18(f) The state’s educational standards should be guided by core
19values of equity, inclusiveness, and universally high expectations.
20(g) The state is committed to its efforts to provide all pupils
21with excellent educational opportunities, without regard to race,
22gender,
ethnicity, nationality, income, sexual orientation, or
23disability.
P3 1(h) The state is committed to its obligation to ensure its youth
2are college prepared and career ready, while graduating 100 percent
3of its pupils.
4(i) The implementation of various ethnic studies courses within
5California’s curriculum that are A-G approved, with the objective
6of preparing pupils to be global citizens with an appreciation for
7the contributions of multiple cultures, will close the achievement
8gap, reduce pupil truancy, increase pupil enrollment, reduce
9dropout rates, and increase graduation rates.
10(j) The state should support efforts in recruiting and retaining
11teachers who have relevant experience and educational background
12in the study
or teaching of ethnic studies.
Section 51226.7 is added to the Education Code, to
14read:
(a) The Superintendent shall oversee the development
16of, and the state board shall adopt, a model curriculumbegin delete framework to ensure quality courses of study in
17and other support systemsend delete
18ethnic studies through partnerships with universities with ethnic
19studies programs. The model curriculumbegin delete frameworkend delete shall meet
20the A-G approval requirements of the Regents of the University
21of California.
22(b) (1) On or before the beginning of the 2016-17 school year,
23the Superintendent shall establish an Ethnic
Studies Advisory
24Committeebegin delete comprisingend deletebegin insert
comprisedend insert of a majority of educators with
25experience in teaching ethnic studies from public high schools and
26institutions of higher education.
27(2) The Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee shall advise, assist,
28and make recommendations to thebegin delete state board about programs,
29curriculum content, and other issues related to ethnic studies.end delete
30begin insert Superintendent regarding the development of the model curriculum
31pursuant to subdivision (a).end insert
32(c) On or before June 30, 2016, the Superintendent shall submit
33to the state board a plan to fully implement this section that
34includes, at a minimum, key actions needed to overcome any
35challenges foreseen to implementing this section, timetables,
36staffing responsibilities, and budget requirements.
37(3) Upon completion of the development of the model curriculum
38pursuant to subdivision (a), the Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee
39shall cease to exist.
40(d)
end delete
P4 1begin insert (c)end insert Beginning the school year following the adoption of the
2model curriculumbegin delete frameworkend delete pursuant to subdivision (a), each
3school district maintaining any of grades 7 to 12, inclusive,
may
4offer to all otherwise qualified pupils in those grades, as an elective
5in the social sciences, a course of study in ethnic studies based on
6the modelbegin delete curriculum framework.end deletebegin insert curriculum.end insert
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