Ethnic studies: content standards, curriculum frameworks, instructional materials, and compliance monitoring.

Assembly Members Zbur and Addis have put forward legislation establishing comprehensive standards and oversight for high school ethnic studies instruction in California, requiring the State Board of Education to develop content standards and the Instructional Quality Commission to create curriculum frameworks by January 2028.

The bill mandates that ethnic studies curricula foster multicultural understanding while focusing on the domestic experiences of historically marginalized groups in American society. All course materials must be appropriate for diverse student populations, avoid bias or discrimination, and present controversial topics through balanced academic discussion rather than advocacy. Local educational agencies must submit their ethnic studies curricula to the Department of Education by June 2026 for public posting, with new course proposals requiring submission 60 days before governing board review.

To ensure proper implementation, the legislation calls for creation of an advisory committee comprised primarily of experts in African American, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Native American, and Latino and Chicanx studies. The Department of Education will monitor compliance through its existing annual review process and provide regular reports to legislative committees. Local agencies may receive state reimbursement for costs associated with these new requirements if determined to be state-mandated by the Commission on State Mandates.