San Ramon Valley Unified School District

Ethnic Studies

Assembly Bill (AB) 101 was approved by Governor Newsom on October 8, 2021. This bill adds the completion of an ethnic studies course as a high school graduation requirement. The course will be offered to 9th grade high school students in SRVUSD, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. Our district is currently developing an ethnic studies course based on the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, adopted by the California State Board of Education on March 18, 2021.

The proposed curriculum and instructional materials were presented to the Board of Education on March 18, 2025, and approved at the May 13 Board meeting. As part of our commitment to transparency and community engagement, the materials were on public display from March 18 through May 12. We extend our sincere thanks to the staff, students, and community members who provided valuable feedback. Your input will help strengthen the course and ensure it is meaningful, inclusive, and impactful for all students.

Introduction to Ethnic Studies will be offered to 9th graders, starting Fall 2025. See FAQs.

If you have any further questions, please contact Debra Petish at dpetish@srvusd.net or Hong Nguyen at hnguyen2@srvusd.net.

Standards & Framework

What is Ethnic Studies?

According to the History Social Science Framework, “Ethnic studies is an interdisciplinary field of study that encompasses many subject areas including history, literature, economics, sociology, anthropology, and political science. It emerged to both address content considered missing from traditional curriculum and to encourage critical engagement. As a field, ethnic studies seeks to empower all students to engage socially and politically and to think critically about the world around them. It is important for ethnic studies courses to document the experiences of people of color in order for students to construct counter-narratives and develop a more complex understanding of the human experience. Through these studies, students should develop respect for cultural diversity and see the advantages of inclusion. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this field, ethnic studies courses may take several forms. However, central to any ethnic studies course is the historic struggle of communities of color, taking into account the intersectionality of identity (gender, class, sexuality, among others), to challenge racism, discrimination, and oppression and interrogate the systems that continue to perpetuate inequality”.

SRVUSD Ethnic Studies Implementation Timeline

Communications & Board of Education Resources

Board Workshop/November 6, 2023

View the presentation from the Board Workshop.

You can view the Board Workshop (starts at 5:00)
Board Meeting/August 13, 2024 (Change in Graduation Requirements; Policy 6146.1: High School Graduation Requirements)

You can view the Board Meeting (starts on 1:50:08)
A press release was sent to middle school families on August 26, 2024
Board Meeting/January 14, 2025 (Approval of New Courses)
Communication sent to all 8th grade parents and caregivers/February 6, 2025
Board Meeting/March 18, 2025 (Proposed Curriculum Adoption)
District-Wide Communication sent to all parent and caregivers and secondary students/March 20, 2025
Board Meeting/April 22, 2025 (Scheduled Approval of Curriculum Adoption)
Board Meeting/May 13, 2025 (Approval of Curriculum Adoption)