BILL NUMBER: SB 1057 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 27, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 30, 2014
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 10, 2014
INTRODUCED BY Senator Corbett
FEBRUARY 18, 2014
An act to add Section 60605.84 to the Education Code, relating to
pupil curriculum.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 1057, as amended, Corbett. Pupil curriculum: history-social
science content standards.
Existing law required the State Board of Education, not later than
November 1, 1998, to adopt statewide academically rigorous content
standards in the core curriculum area of history-social science.
This bill would require the state board, on or before July 30,
2016 2018 , to adopt, reject, or modify
history-social science content standards in accordance with
specified procedures. The bill would require the Superintendent of
Public Instruction to convene a group of history-social science
experts, as specified, and, with input from the group, would require
the Superintendent, on or before March 30, 2016
2018 , to recommend history-social science content
standards to the state board. The bill would require the
Superintendent and the state board, by October 1, 2016
2018 , to report certain information to the
Governor and appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the
Legislature. The bill would express legislative findings and
declarations relating to history-social science content standards.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) In contrast to other subject areas, the state's 16-year-old
history-social science content standards were developed in 1998 and
have failed to keep up with modern research and scholarship.
(b) There is nothing in current law that requires history-social
science content standards to be reviewed and updated.
(c) California has long been home to many diverse cultures. As
this diversity has grown, there is a greater need than ever before
for understanding the foundational ideas and philosophy of our
country and the world.
(d) California's current kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive,
history-social science textbooks contain outdated and inaccurate
information, and reflect negatively on members of several groups, in
violation of existing law. Hinduism, for instance, is portrayed in an
inequitable manner, and Hindus are depicted negatively and as
implicitly inferior to other religious groups.
(e) Existing law prohibits the State Board of Education from
adopting any instructional materials for use in schools that contain
any matter reflecting adversely upon persons on the basis of race or
ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, or sexual
orientation.
(f) The history-social science content standards therefore must be
rectified to address concerns of accuracy, rigorous scholarship,
equality, diversity, religious and cultural sensitivity, and
adherence to existing law. Furthermore, the standards should be
updated to ensure that they are consistent with changes to other
subjects in California's education system.
(g) It is the intent of the Legislature that the revised
kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, history-social science content
standards must be equitable in their coverage and depiction of any
world religion, ethnicity, race, culture, nationality, gender, sexual
orientation, or disability status and that no group shall
must be portrayed negatively or as inferior
based on any of these characteristics.
(h) It is the intent of the Legislature that the process to update
the kindergarten to grade 12, inclusive, history-social science
content standards be fair, transparent, and inclusive.
(i) It is the intent of the Legislature that the expert group
created pursuant to Senate Bill 1057 at of
the 2013-14 Regular Session must be a body that reflects the
diversity of the state, including groups or individuals who represent
the perspectives of all major religions, ethnicities, races,
cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and disability statuses.
(j) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a schedule
and process for the review and revision, as necessary, of the state's
history-social science content standards.
SEC. 2. Section 60605.84 is added to the Education Code,
immediately following Section 60605.8, to read:
60605.84. (a) The state board shall adopt history-social science
content standards pursuant to the following requirements:
(1) The Superintendent, in consultation with the state board,
shall convene a group of history-social science experts. The
Superintendent shall ensure that the members of the group include,
but are not limited to, individuals who are elementary and secondary
history-social science teachers, schoolsite principals, school
district or county office of education administrators, and university
professors , scholars of all major religious, ethnic,
racial, and cultural groups, and individuals who represent the
perspectives of all major religious, ethnic, racial, and cultural
groups, genders, sexual orientations, and disability statuses. A
majority of the group of experts convened pursuant to this paragraph
shall be history-social science teachers .
(2) The group of experts convened pursuant to paragraph (1) shall
make a good faith effort to solicit and take into consideration input
from scholars of all major religious, ethnic, racial, and cultural
groups and individuals who represent the perspectives of all major
religious, ethnic, racial, and cultural groups, genders, sexual
orientations, and disability statuses.
(2)
(3) The Superintendent shall consider for inclusion in
the history-social science content standards all topics that are
required to be considered for inclusion pursuant to the provisions of
this code.
(3)
(4) The Superintendent, with input from the group
convened pursuant to paragraph (1), shall recommend history-social
science content standards for adoption to the state board.
(4)
(5) The Superintendent shall hold a minimum of two
public meetings pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act
(Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of
Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) in order for the public
to provide input on the history-social science content standards
that would be recommended pursuant to paragraph (1).
(5)
(6) The Superintendent shall present the recommended
history-social science content standards to the state board on or
before March 30, 2016 2018 .
(6)
(7) On or before July 30, 2016
2018 , the state board shall adopt, reject, or modify the
history-social science content standards presented by the
Superintendent.
(7)
(8) If the state board modifies the history-social
science content standards presented by the Superintendent, the state
board shall provide written reasons for its modifications in a public
meeting. The state board shall adopt its modifications to the
history-social science content standards at a subsequent public
meeting held no later than July 30, 2016 2018
. The public meetings required by this paragraph shall be held
pursuant to the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9 (commencing
with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2
of the Government Code).
(b) (1) On or before October 1, 2016 2018
, the Superintendent and the state board shall present to the
Governor and the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the
Legislature a schedule and implementation plan for integrating the
history-social science content standards adopted pursuant to this
section into the state educational system.
(2) The requirement for submitting the report required pursuant to
this subdivision is inoperative on October 1, 2020
2022 , pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the
Government Code.