Official Summary Text
AB 1053, as amended, Zbur.
Instructional materials: digital supplemental instructional materials.
Educational technology: evaluation and selection.
Existing law states the intent of the Legislature to provide for the adoption and selection of quality instructional materials for use in elementary and secondary schools and requires each governing board of a school district to provide for substantial teacher involvement in the selection of instructional materials and to promote the involvement of parents and other members of the community in the selection of instructional materials. Existing law authorizes the governing board of a school district, when adopting instructional materials for use in school, to include relevant technology-based materials, defined for these purposes to mean basic or supplemental instructional materials that are designed for use by pupils and teachers as learning resources and that require the availability of electronic equipment in order to be used as a learning resource, as provided.
This bill would require the governing board or body of a local educational agency, defined to be a school district, county office of education, charter school, or educational joint powers authority, to, before adopting and using digital supplemental instructional materials or approving the expenditure of public funds for licensure, purchase, or other use of digital supplemental instructional materials, (1) convene a publicly noticed workgroup consisting of specified personnel to evaluate the proposed digital supplemental instructional materials and (2) consider the reported evaluation from the workgroup, as provided. The bill would require the workgroup to evaluate, among other things, the cost of the materials and the impact the materials will have on the behavioral health of pupils, and to report its findings to the governing board or body of the local educational agency. To the extent that this bill would impose additional duties on local officials or local
educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
This bill would require the governing board or body of each school district, county office of education, and charter school to provide for substantial teacher involvement in the evaluation and selection of educational technology, as defined, that is required to be used by all teachers or all paraprofessionals of the local educational agency, and to promote the involvement of parents and other members of the community in the evaluation and selection process. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction, on or before January 1, 2027, to develop, and post on the State Department of Education’s internet website, best practices and resources to guide school
districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and joint powers authorities providing educational services in the evaluation and selection of educational technology that is required to be used by all teachers or all paraprofessionals, as specified. The bill would, commencing January 1, 2027, encourage school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to follow those best practices for the evaluation and selection of educational technology.
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.