Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt statewide academically rigorous content standards in the core curriculum areas of reading, writing, mathematics, history/social science, and science, as specified. Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the state board and develop criteria for evaluating instructional materials. This bill would require the state board to, on or before January 1, 2028, develop and adopt academically rigorous content standards for ethnic studies instruction in high school. The bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2028, to review and recommend to the state board curriculum frameworks and instructional materials for ethnic studies instruction in high school, as specified. The bill would require the state board to provide the commission with evaluation criteria to use in providing its review and recommendations. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation to establish an advisory committee with a majority of the advisory committee's members being experts in African American studies, Asian American and Pacific Islander studies, Native American studies, and Latino and Chicanx studies, to provide input to the state board on proposed content standards and to the commission on proposed curriculum frameworks and instructional materials for ethnic studies instruction in high school. Existing law requires a pupil to complete designated coursework while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. These graduation requirements include, commencing for pupils graduating in the 2029–30 school year, the completion of a one-semester course in ethnic studies meeting specified requirements. Under existing law, the requirement to complete an ethnic studies course may be fulfilled by the completion of, among others, a course based on the model curriculum developed by the Instructional Quality Commission, an ethnic studies course taught as part of a course that has been approved as meeting the A–G requirements of the University of California and the California State University, or a locally developed ethnic studies course approved by the governing board of a school district or the governing body of a charter school. Existing law requires the curriculum, instruction, and instructional materials for these ethnic studies courses to meet specified requirements, including that they not reflect or promote any bias, bigotry, or discrimination against any person or group of persons on the basis of certain characteristics. Existing law makes these provisions relating to ethnic studies courses operative only upon an appropriation of funds by the Legislature for purposes of these provisions. This bill would require the curriculum, instruction, and instructional materials for any high school ethnic studies course, including ethnic studies courses meeting high school graduation requirements, to meet the above-described requirements, and would require the curriculum, instruction, and instructional materials for all high school ethnic studies courses to additionally, among other things, foster multicultural respect and understanding and focus on the domestic experience and stories of historically marginalized peoples in American society. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require a school district, county office of education, or charter school to provide, on or before June 30, 2026, the State Department of Education with a copy of all curricula, instruction, and instructional materials in ethnic studies that schools offer or plan to offer to pupils in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, and the adoption calendar for curricula, instruction, and instructional materials in ethnic studies proposed for adoption by the governing board or body of the local educational agency for instruction to these pupils. The bill would require a local educational agency that does not have an ethnic studies course in place for its pupils in any of grades 9 to 12, inclusive, on or before June 30, 2026, to provide the department with a copy of all curricula, instruction, and instructional materials in ethnic studies that its schools seek to adopt at least 60 days before being first presented at a public meeting of the governing board or body of the local educational agency for instruction to these pupils. The bill would require the department to post the information received pursuant to these requirements on its internet website. To the extent that the bill would impose new duties on local educational agencies, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the department to monitor compliance with the requirements of this bill as part of its annual compliance monitoring of state and federal programs and to provide a report to the relevant policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature summarizing the data collected through compliance monitoring, as specified. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
(1) Existing law requires a pupil to complete designated coursework while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. These graduation requirements include, among others, the completion of 3 courses in social studies, including a one-semester course in American government and civics. Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education. This bill, subject to appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, would require the State Department of Education, in collaboration with, and subject to the approval of, the executive director of the state board, to enter into a contract with a county office of education or a consortium of county offices of education for the purpose of developing a curriculum guide for a one-year course in American government and civics, as provided. The bill would require the curriculum guide to include, among other things, fundamentals on federal, state, and local government, as provided, and specified information relating to voting. (2) Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, on or before January 1, 2020, to recommend to the state board criteria for awarding a State Seal of Civic Engagement to pupils who have demonstrated excellence in civics education and participation and have demonstrated an understanding of the United States Constitution, the California Constitution, and the democratic system of government. Existing law requires the state board, on or before January 31, 2021, to adopt, reject, or modify the criteria recommended by the Superintendent. This bill would provide that a pupil's successful completion of a one-year course in American government and civics satisfies specified criteria adopted by the state board related to the State Seal of Civic Engagement. The bill would require a pupil who has successfully completed a one-year course in American government and civics, in order to receive the State Seal of Civic Engagement, to still satisfy all other criteria adopted by the state board.
Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt standards, rules, and regulations for school library services. Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission, among other duties, to recommend the adoption of minimum standards for courses of study in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools to the state board upon request. Existing law requires the courses of study in public schools to conform to those minimum standards when adopted. This bill would require, on or before July 1, 2028, and every 8 years thereafter, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, in consultation with the state board, to consider recommending revisions to the standards for school library services to the state board. The bill would require, if the Superintendent decides to recommend revisions, the Superintendent to convene a group of experts to assist the Superintendent in developing the recommended revisions. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the Instructional Quality Commission, to hold a minimum of 2 public hearings in order for the public to provide input on the recommended revisions. The bill would require the Superintendent, within 18 months of convening the experts, to present to the state board the revised content standards for school library services, which the state board is required to adopt, reject, or modify, as provided. The operation of the bill would be subject to an appropriation being made for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
Existing law requires governing boards of school districts, when adopting instructional materials for use in the schools, to include materials that accurately portray the cultural and racial diversity of our society, including, among others, the contributions of people of all genders in all types of rolls, and the role and contributions of Native Americans, African Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, LGBTQ+ Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic status groups to the total development of California and the United States. This bill would require the State Department of Education to monitor compliance with the above-described instructional materials adoption requirement as part of its annual compliance monitoring of state and federal programs.
Existing law establishes the Instructional Quality Commission and requires the commission to, among other things, recommend curriculum frameworks to the State Board of Education. Existing law requires the commission, when the history-social science curriculum framework is next revised, on or after January 1, 2025, to consider providing for inclusion, in that curriculum framework, related evaluation criteria, and accompanying instructional materials, of instruction on the treatment and perspectives of Native Americans during the Spanish colonization of California and the Gold Rush Era. This bill would require the commission, when the state board next revises the history-social science curriculum framework or adopts new instructional materials, on or after January 1, 2026, to consider including content on the historical, social, economic, and political contributions of African Americans during the Spanish colonization of California, the Gold Rush Era, and Antebellum, as provided.
Existing law requires the State Department of Education to incorporate age-appropriate materials relating to, among other things, genocide and the Holocaust into publications that provide examples of curriculum resources for teacher use, consistent with the subject frameworks on history and social science. Under existing law, the Legislature encourages the incorporation of survivor, rescuer, liberator, and witness oral testimony into the teaching of genocide and the Holocaust. Existing law, upon appropriation by the Legislature, establishes the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education to establish a statewide teacher professional development program on genocide, including the Holocaust, for school district, county office of education, and charter school teachers, and provides that the collaborative's mission is to ensure that genocide, including Holocaust, education is taught consistent with, among other things, content standards, curriculum frameworks, and instructional materials adopted by the State Board of Education, in ways that are interdisciplinary and age-appropriate to pupils of different grade levels. This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish the Holocaust and Genocide Education Grant Program to provide direct allocations to school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools for the purposes of providing Holocaust and genocide education and professional development on Holocaust and genocide education, as provided. The bill would establish the Holocaust and Genocide Education Grant Program Fund in the State Treasury, and would require moneys in the fund to be available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Superintendent for purposes of the grant program. The bill would require the department to issue a notice to school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools serving pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, regarding genocide and Holocaust instruction, and would authorize the department to issue a survey to these local educational agencies on the status of Holocaust and genocide instruction at their schools, as provided.
Existing law requires a pupil to complete designated coursework while in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, in order to receive a diploma of graduation from high school. The coursework requirements include, among others, the completion of one course in visual or performing arts, foreign language, or career technical education. Existing law eliminates the authorization for career technical education to count toward that graduation requirement on July 1, 2027, or upon the occurrence of a specified event relating to career technical education requirements of the University of California and the California State University, whichever occurs earlier, as specified. This bill would indefinitely extend the authorization for career technical education to count toward that graduation requirement. To the extent this bill would impose additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill also would make conforming changes. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
(1) Existing law states the policy of the State of California is to afford all persons in public schools, regardless of their disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other specified characteristic, equal rights and opportunities in the educational institutions of the state. Existing law prohibits the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school from adopting or approving the use of any textbook, instructional material, supplemental instructional material, or curriculum if its use would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination, as specified. This bill would additionally prohibit the adoption or approval of the use of any professional development materials if the use of the material would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination, as specified. The bill would similarly prohibit the adoption or approval of the use of professional development materials or services that promote, endorse, or otherwise support actions or the use of textbooks, instructional materials, supplemental instructional materials, or curriculum that would subject a pupil to unlawful discrimination, as specified. If the governing board of a school district, a county board of education, or the governing body of a charter school knows or has reason to know that materials were used in a classroom or an action occurred that resulted in unlawful discrimination, or knows or has reason to know that professional development materials or services were used that resulted in unlawful discrimination, the bill would require investigation and remediation of the action, as provided. This bill would establish the Office of Civil Rights, under the administration of the Government Operations Agency, with the purpose of working directly with local educational agencies to prevent and address discrimination and bias, as specified. The bill would require the Director of the Office of Civil Rights to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would require the Office of Civil Rights, in consultation with the State Department of Education and under the supervision of the Government Operations Agency, to, among other things, (A) provide education and educational resources to identify and prevent antisemitism and other forms of discrimination and bias, (B) share relevant laws and regulations with educational state agencies, school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and community stakeholders, and (C) annually submit a report to the Government Operations Agency, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the executive director of the State Board of Education, and the Legislature on the state of discrimination and bias in all local educational agencies, as specified. The bill would also require the Office of Civil Rights to employ the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The bill would require the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to, among other things, develop, consult, and provide antisemitism education to school personnel to identify and proactively prevent antisemitism and to make recommendations, in coordination with the executive director of the state board, to the Legislature on legislation necessary for the prevention of antisemitism in educational settings. (2) Existing law authorizes a party to a written complaint of prohibited discrimination to appeal the action taken by the governing board of a school district to the State Department of Education. This bill would authorize a party to a written complaint of prohibited discrimination to appeal to the department based on the governing board of a school district's failure to issue an investigation report within a certain timeline. Existing law authorizes a person to file a complaint of an alleged violation with the local educational agency using the uniform complaint process or directly with the Superintendent as provided. If the Superintendent determines that a local educational agency has violated that prohibition and has not taken corrective action within 60 days, existing law authorizes the department to use any means authorized to effect compliance. This bill would authorize the department to require local educational agencies to take specified corrective actions, including obtaining technical assistance from the Office of Civil Rights and requiring the local educational agency to engage in regular reporting to the Office of Civil Rights and to use alternative instructional materials. The bill would prohibit instructional materials found to have resulted in unlawful discrimination, as provided, to be used in any current course offerings or any subsequent course offerings. If the unlawful discrimination involves antisemitism, the bill would require an improvement plan to be created in consultation with the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator. If a determination is made that an organization has contracted to provide any textbook, instructional material, professional development material, supplemental instructional material, or curriculum that violates specified laws that prohibit subjecting a pupil to unlawful discrimination, the bill would require a local educational agency or the Superintendent to notify the organization that it must take corrective action, as provided, and would require the organization found to be in violation to, among other things, reimburse all funds received for their services from the local educational agency. (3) Existing law prohibits instruction or school-sponsored activities that promote a discriminatory bias on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, sexual orientation, or other characteristics, as provided. This bill would establish that discriminatory bias in instruction and school-sponsored activities does not require a showing of direct harm to members of a protected group and would not require members of a protected group to be present while the discriminatory bias is occurring for the act to be considered discriminatory bias. If the governing board or body of the local educational agency finds that instruction or school-sponsored activities are discriminatory, as provided, the bill would require corrective action to be taken, as provided. (4) Existing law requires the governing board of a school district to annually notify parents or guardians of minor pupils of specified rights and responsibilities of the parent or guardian and of specified school district policies and procedures. This bill would require the notification to additionally advise the parent or guardian of the protections, requirements, and responsibilities prescribed in this bill. (5) This bill would require the department, by October 1 of each year, to issue a management bulletin to all local educational agencies describing the protections, requirements, and responsibilities prescribed in certain laws. The bill would require the Superintendent, in consultation with the executive director of the state board and the Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator, to develop and maintain a distinct internet web page containing resources and information specific to antisemitism on its internet website. (6) This bill would make the operation of its provisions contingent upon the enactment of SB 48 of the 2025–26 Regular Session. (7) By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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 the statutory provisions noted above.
Existing law requires the State Board of Education to adopt instructional materials for kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, and to adopt procedures for the submission of instructional materials. This bill would require the state board to, on or before July 1, 2028, adopt instructional materials for health education, as specified.
