Existing law requires students in grades 9-12 complete designated coursework in order to receive a high school diploma. Existing law requires the Instructional Quality Commission to develop, and the State Board of Education to adopt, modify, or revise, a model curriculum in ethnic studies. Currently, the law encourages school districts and charter schools with grades 9 12 that do not offer a standards-based ethnic studies curriculum, to offer beginning in the school year following the adoption of the model curriculum, a course of study in ethnic studies based on the model curriculum.
AB 101 adds the completion of a one-semester course in ethnic studies to the graduation requirements commencing with pupils graduating in the 2029-30 school year. This requirement also applies to pupils enrolled in charter schools. Under this law, school districts and charter schools have discretion to require pupils complete a full-year course in ethnic studies. School districts and charter schools are required to offer an ethnic studies course commencing with the 2025-26 school year. The course must offer ethnic studies content to meet this requirement. This law allows pupils to satisfy the ethnic studies requirement by completing any of the following:
- A course based on the model curriculum in ethnic studies developed by the commission;
- An existing ethnic studies course;
- 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 the school district or the charter school.
(AB 101 amends Section 51225.3 of the Education Code.)
