2009-2010 LEGISLATION
prepared by California Science Teachers Association

Link to 2007-2008 science education-related legislation.
Last updated: May 14, 2010

Bill # (author) Issues
(italics represent amendments)
Analysis Status Who Supports It Who Opposes It Next Action CSTA's Position
SBX5 1 (Romero) Race to the Top Legislation
This bill provides for student achievement data, in the form of the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System (CALPADS) to be used to make teacher and principal employment decisions, including for purposes of pay, promotion, sanction, or evaluation. The bill also lifts the cap on the number of charter schools that may be authorized by the state. The bill also allows students who are enrolled in low-performing schools to attend a school in a district other than their district of residence. The bill would require the state superintendent to make recommendations on the criteria and conditions for identifying the lowest five percent of historically low-performing schools and would require that each identified school take at least one of three specified alternative governance or restructuring actions required by federal law.

This bill was introduced in response to federal guidelines outlining requirements that states must meet in order to be eligible for federal Race to the Top (RTTT) money, expected to be between $500 million and $1 billion for California. Governor Schwarzenegger called a special session of the legislature to consider legislation to meet the RTTT requirements. Passed, signed by governor Unk. Unk. Unk.  
AJR 39
(Beall & Torlakson)

Common Core Standards for Science and Social Studies
Urges the National Governors Association and CCSSO to replicate the process of developing common core language arts and math standards to develop common core social studies and science standards.


 

Passed Senate and Assembly; chaptered by Secretary of State

CSTA
Calif. Council for the Social Studies

 

Unk. Support
ACR 88 (Torlakson) STEM Task Force
Creates a legislative task force on STEM education as a means to raise awareness of issues in STEM education and to support initiatives to improve education of STEM subjects.
  Passed Assembly and Senate Ed. Cmte.; to full Senate
CSTA
BSMARTE
American Chemical Society
  Unk. Support  
AB 97 (Torlakson)

Content Standards
Requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to appoint an Academic Content and Performance Standards Review Panel for each of the curriculum areas that have MATH AND READING content standards, to review and recommend to the State Board of Education changes to the content and performance standards. The bill allows the State Board of Education to accept or reject the revisions within 120 days of submission. Specifies that the bill would not be implemented unless a budget appropriation was specifically enacted for these purposes. Amended to add that a schedule for reviewing science and history/social science standards should be established.

This bill, which originally called for the review of all subject area content standards, is the latest in an increasingly long line of bills requiring the state's content standards to be reviewed and revised as necessary. Each previous bill has been vetoed by the governor.
Passed Assembly; passed Senate Education Cmte.; moved to inactive file. May be brought back next year

CSTA
BSMARTE
CTA
CFT
Calif. Business Ed. Assoc.
Calif. County Board of Ed.
Calif. Math Council
Calif. School Library Assoc.
Calif. PTA
Los Angeles COE
San Francisco USD
AFSCME

Unk.   Support  
AB 2019 (Torlakson)

Education Technology Task Force
Would authorize the state superintendent to convene a task force to develop recommendations for a comprehensive state plan to increase the level of technology used to deliver instruction in public schools.

 

Passed Assembly; passed Senate Education Cmte.; in Senate Appropriations suspense file CSTA
BSMARTE
American Assoc. of Publishers
Calif. School Library Assoc.
CTA
Children Now
Unk. Unk. Support

AB 2069 (Carter)

Instructional Materials
Amended bill restarts the halted history-social science framework and establishes a timeline for the adoption of instructional materials when they are scheduled to start up in 2013. Schedules the next science adoption for 2017.
The original bill called for restarting the history-social science framework and reinstating the materials adoption halted in 2009, with the science adoption scheduled for 2016. The amended bill keeps the history framework language but eliminates the reinstatement of the adoption cycle, leaving last year's postponement in effect but establishing a new timeline, with science not being adopted until 2017.

Passed Assembly Education Cmte.; in Assembly Appropriations Cmte. suspense file

California Council for the Social Studies CSTA, if amended

Unk. Unk. Support if amended
AB 2446 (Furutani) Graduation Requirements
Would add completion of a course in career technical education as an alternative to the requirement that a pupil complete a course in visual or performing arts or foreign language.
  Passed Assembly Education Cmte.; in Assembly Appropriations suspense file Calif. Business Ed. Assoc.,    ACSA
CSBA
Calif. Space Authority
CTA
Calif. Alliance for Arts Ed., Calif. Language Teachers Assoc., CAHPERD  Unk. Support
SB 1278 (Wyland) Instructional Materials
Similarly to the Carter bill (AB 2069, above), restarts the development of the history-social science framework and establishes a new schedule for materials adoptions when they restart in 2013, with science scheduled for 2016.
The original bill would have repealed the delay of the adoption enacted in 2009 and required the science and history frameworks to be adopted in 2011. The bill was amended to eliminate mention of the science framework altogether, keeps the postponement of materials adoptions until 2013, and establishes a new adoption schedule, with science instructional materials to be adopted in 2016. Passed Senate; in Assembly CCSS
CSTA, if amended
Unk.  Unk. Amend
SB 1444 (Hancock) STEM Instruction
Defines STEM courses for grades 1-12.
Bill doesn't require any action, but defines STEM subjects as courses or a sequence of courses that prepare pupils for occupations and careers that require technically sophisticated skills, including the application of math and science skills and concepts. Passed Senate Education Cmte.; to Assembly CSTA
CBEA
Unk.  Unk. Support


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