BILL NUMBER: AB 524 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 5, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 26, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Low
FEBRUARY 23, 2015
An act to amend Section 51225.3 of, and to add Section 51221.1 to,
the Education Code, relating to school curriculum.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 524, as amended, Low. School curriculum: social
studies: coursework for high school graduation
: service learning.
(1) Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and
secondary schools in this state, and authorizes local educational
agencies throughout the state to operate schools and provide
instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.
Existing law prescribes the course of study a pupil is required to
complete while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a
diploma of graduation from high school. These requirements include
the completion of 3 courses in social studies, including one-year
courses in United States history and geography and world history,
culture, and geography, and one-semester courses in American
government and economics.
This bill would express legislative findings and declarations
relating to service learning. The bill would additionally require,
commencing with the high school class graduating during the 2020-21
school year, and for the high school classes graduating in each
subsequent school year, at least one of the social studies
classes courses completed by a pupil to satisfy
the graduation requirements referenced above to have a service
learning component. The bill would define "service learning" for
this purpose.
The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to
develop curriculum standards for social studies
courses that incorporate a service learning component in order to
satisfy the requirements of this bill. The bill would require the
Superintendent to consult with leaders of community organizations,
pupils, parents, classroom teachers, school administrators,
postsecondary educators, representatives of business and industry,
and other persons with knowledge or experience the Superintendent
deems appropriate to the task of developing these curriculum
standards. The bill would require the Superintendent to submit these
proposed curriculum standards to the State Board of Education on or
before July 1, 2016, March 1, 2017, and
for the state board to adopt or reject curriculum
standards that incorporate a service learning component into
social studies courses on or before January
July 1, 2017.
The If the state board adopts these
proposed curriculum standards, the bill would require
these the curriculum standards to be implemented
by school districts, commencing with the 2017-18 school year, as a
component of social studies courses in order to
satisfy the graduation requirements enacted by this bill. To the
extent the implementation of these curriculum standards would impose
new duties on school districts, this bill would constitute a
state-mandated local program.
(2) 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.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: yes.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) California has been a national leader in promoting service and
volunteerism, including support for youth service and the
conservation corps, service learning, and statewide mentor
initiatives.
(b) Service learning is a powerful instructional strategy for
improving the educational performance of pupils, along with
contributing to the development of character, values, self-esteem,
civic responsibility, and knowledge of local community issues and
concerns.
(c) This act is based on the results of numerous research studies
that identify the following benefits associated with pupils who
engage in quality service learning programs infusing well-planned
service activity into the school curriculum, including, but not
necessarily limited to, all of the following:
(1) Pupil academic achievement increases, as demonstrated by
higher standardized test scores and by higher grade point averages.
(2) Pupils are less likely to drop out of school.
(3) Pupils are less likely to have discipline problems, or to
engage in behaviors that lead to pregnancy or arrest.
(4) Pupils are likely to maintain higher attendance rates in
school.
(5) Pupils are more likely to develop a sense of civic
responsibility and an ethic of service in their communities.
(6) Pupils report greater acceptance of cultural diversity and
show increased awareness of cultural differences, including positive
attitudes toward helping others.
(7) Pupils show increases in measures of personal and social
responsibility, perceive themselves to be more socially competent,
and are more likely to increase their sense of self-esteem and
self-efficacy.
(d) This act is intended to promote volunteer service performed by
pupils, since research has demonstrated many positive outcomes of
pupil volunteer service, including, but not necessarily limited to,
all of the following:
(1) Senior pupils who are engaged in volunteer work, whether
through school or on their own, are likely to have significantly
higher civics assessment scale scores than pupils who did not
participate in volunteer work as reported by the National Assessment
of Educational Progress in 1998.
(2) Community leaders report that service learning partnerships
help build more positive community attitudes toward youth.
(3) Schools that support service learning and community service
are more likely to have positive relationships with their community.
SEC. 2. Section 51221.1 is added to the Education Code, to read:
51221.1. (a) The Superintendent shall develop curriculum
standards for social studies courses that
incorporate a service learning component in order to satisfy the
requirements of subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1)
paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 51225.3. In
developing the curriculum standards under this section, the
Superintendent shall consult with leaders of community organizations,
pupils, parents, classroom teachers, school administrators,
postsecondary educators, representatives of business and industry,
and other persons with knowledge or experience the Superintendent
deems appropriate to the task of developing these curriculum
standards. The persons the Superintendent consults with pursuant to
this section shall represent, as much as feasible, the diverse
regions and socioeconomic communities of this state.
(b) (1) The Superintendent shall submit the
proposed curriculum standards developed under subdivision (a) to the
state board for its review on or before July 1, 2016.
March 1, 2017. The state board shall adopt
or reject curriculum standards that incorporate a service
learning component into social studies courses on
or before January July 1, 2017.
These If the state board adopts the proposed
curriculum standards, the curriculum standards shall be
implemented by school districts, commencing with the 2017-18 school
year, as a component of social studies courses in
order to satisfy the requirements of subparagraph (D) of
paragraph (1) (3) of
subdivision (a) of Section 51225.3.
(2) If the state board rejects the curriculum standards proposed
under this subdivision, the state board shall submit a written
explanation of the reasons why the proposed curriculum standards were
rejected to the Superintendent, the Legislature, and the Governor.
SEC. 3. Section 51225.3 of the Education Code, as amended by
Section 2 of Chapter 888 of the Statutes of 2014, is amended to read:
51225.3. (a) A pupil shall complete coursework in accordance
with all of the following while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive,
in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school:
(1) At least the following numbers of courses in the subjects
specified, each course having a duration of one year, unless
otherwise specified:
(A) Three courses in English.
(B) Two courses in mathematics. If the governing board of a school
district requires more than two courses in mathematics for
graduation, the governing board of the school district may award a
pupil up to one mathematics course credit pursuant to Section
51225.35.
(C) Two courses in science, including biological and physical
sciences.
(D) Three courses in social studies, including United States
history and geography; world history, culture, and geography; a
one-semester course in American government and civics; and a
one-semester course in economics. Commencing with the high
school class graduating during the 2020-21 school year, and for the
high school classes graduating in each subsequent school year, at
least one of the classes completed by a pupil to satisfy the
requirements of this subparagraph shall have a service learning
component.
(E) One course in visual or performing arts or foreign language.
For purposes of satisfying the requirement specified in this
subparagraph, a course in American Sign Language shall be deemed a
course in foreign language.
(F) Two courses in physical education, unless the pupil has been
exempted pursuant to the provisions of this code.
(2) Other coursework requirements adopted by the governing board
of the school district.
(3) (A) Commencing with the high school class graduating during
the 2020-21 school year, and for the high school classes graduating
in each subsequent school year, at least one of the courses completed
by a pupil to satisfy the requirements of this subdivision shall
have a service learning component.
(B) For purposes of this subdivision, "service learning" is
defined as follows:
(i) It is a method through which pupils or participants learn and
develop through active participation in thoughtfully organized
service that: (I) is conducted in, and meets the needs of, a
community; (II) is coordinated with a secondary school and with the
community; and (III) helps foster civic responsibility.
(ii) It is a method that: (I) is integrated into, and enhances,
the standards-based academic curriculum of the pupils; and (II)
provides structured time for the pupils or participants to reflect on
the service experience.
(b) The governing board of the school district, with the active
involvement of parents, administrators, teachers, and pupils, shall
adopt alternative means for pupils to complete the prescribed course
of study that may include practical demonstration of skills and
competencies, supervised work experience or other outside school
experience, career technical education classes offered in high
schools, courses offered by regional occupational centers or
programs, interdisciplinary study, independent study, and credit
earned at a postsecondary educational institution. Requirements for
graduation and specified alternative modes for completing the
prescribed course of study shall be made available to pupils,
parents, and the public.
(c) If a pupil completed a career technical education course that
met the requirements of subparagraph (E) of paragraph (1) of
subdivision (a) of Section 51225.3, as amended by the act adding this
section, before the inoperative date of that section, that course
shall be deemed to fulfill the requirements of subparagraph (E) of
paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of this section.
(d) This section shall become operative upon the date that Section
51225.3, as amended by the act adding this section, becomes
inoperative.
SEC. 4. 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.