Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 6, Part 10.

Present law specifies that the course of instruction in all public schools should include, at some appropriate grade level or levels, as determined by the local board of education, courses and content designed to educate children in black history and culture and the contribution of black people to the history and development of this country and of the world.<br /> <br /> This bill replaces present law with a requirement that each LEA and public charter school provide age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction to public school students in grades five and eight on black history and culture and the contribution of black people to the history and development of this country and of the world. This bill requires LEAs and public charter schools to include in a black history curriculum information on the history, heritage, culture, experience, and ultimate destiny of all social, ethnic, gender, and national groups and individuals, and that such are represented as interdependent, interactive, and complementary.<br /> <br /> This bill also encourages LEAs and public charter schools to provide age-appropriate and grade-appropriate instruction to public school students in other grades as determined by a local board or charter school governing body.<br /> <br /> This bill requires the department of education to provide each LEA and public charter school with a variety of age-appropriate and grade-appropriate internet resources and materials that may be used to educate kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) public school students about black history. Each LEA and public charter school will be required to determine the resources and materials that will be used to provide the instruction required by this bill.<br /> <br /> ON MARCH 18, 2021, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1, AND RESET SENATE BILL 1101, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #1 requires LEAs, public charter schools, the department of education, and the state board of education to strive to implement (instead of requiring implementation of) the provisions of this bill that are applicable to such entities beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.<br /> <br /> This amendment adds a requirement that academic standards in social studies adopted by the state board of education:<br /> <br /> (1) After July 1, 2021, must strive to include black history and culture; and<br /> <br /> (2) For implementation in the 2025-2026 school year, and in subsequent school years, must strive to include the history and culture all social, ethnic, gender, and national groups and individuals, and that such are represented as interdependent, interactive, and complementary.<br /> <br /> ON APRIL 15, 2021, THE SENATE FURTHER CONSIDERED SENATE BILL 1101, ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2, AND RE-REFERRED SENATE BILL 1101 TO THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #2 incorporates the changes made by Senate Amendment #1 except this amendment clarifies that LEAs, the state board of education, and the department of education will be required to, respectively, provide instruction on black history and culture at grades five and eight (and "should" provide such instruction at other appropriate grade levels), include multicultural diversity when developing frameworks and standards, and provide LEAs and public charter schools with internet resources and materials that may be used to provide instruction to public school students in grades five and eight on black history and culture.<br /> <br /> This amendment further clarifies that the academic standards for social studies adopted for implementation in the 2025-2026 school year, and in subsequent school years, and the instruction in black history and culture required and encouraged by this bill must strive to include the history, heritage, culture, experience, and ultimate destiny of all social, ethnic, gender, and national groups and individuals, and that such are represented as interdependent, interactive, and complementary.<br />