Bill Text: CA AB141 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Teacher credentialing: beginning teacher induction programs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2016-01-15 - Consideration of Governor's veto stricken from file. [AB141 Detail]
Download: California-2015-AB141-Enrolled.html
BILL NUMBER: AB 141 ENROLLED
BILL TEXT
PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 10, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE SEPTEMBER 4, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE JULY 9, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 1, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 7, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Bonilla
JANUARY 9, 2015
An act to amend Section 44259 of the Education Code, relating to
teacher credentialing.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 141, Bonilla. Teacher credentialing: beginning teacher
induction programs.
Existing law prescribes the minimum requirements for a clear
multiple or single subject teaching credential, including the
completion of either a beginning teacher induction program approved
by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the Superintendent of
Public Instruction pursuant to the Marian Bergeson Beginning Teacher
Support and Assessment System, an alternative program of beginning
teacher induction that is provided by one or more local educational
agencies and has been approved by the commission and the
Superintendent on the basis of initial review and periodic
evaluations of the program in relation to appropriate standards of
credential program quality and effectiveness that have been adopted
by the commission, the Superintendent, and the State Board of
Education, as provided, or an alternative program of beginning
teacher induction that is sponsored by a regionally accredited
college or university, in cooperation with one or more local school
districts, that addresses the individual professional needs of
beginning teachers and meets the commission's standards of induction,
except as provided. Existing law also requires credentials for
teaching specialties, including, but not limited to, bilingual
education, early childhood education, and special education, to be
based upon a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution,
completion of a program of professional preparation, and any other
standards which the commission may establish.
This bill would, commencing with hiring for the 2016-17 school
year, and each school year thereafter, prohibit a school district,
county office of education, or charter school from charging a fee to
a beginning teacher to participate in a beginning teacher induction
program that is approved by the commission and the Superintendent,
and would define a beginning teacher for purposes of that provision
to include a teacher with a preliminary multiple or single subject
teaching credential, or a preliminary education specialist
credential. The bill also would prohibit a local educational agency
from charging a fee to a beginning teacher to participate in an
alternative program of beginning teacher induction program that it
provides, and would prohibit a school district from charging a fee to
a beginning teacher to participate in an alternative program of
beginning teacher induction that is sponsored by a regionally
accredited college or university, in cooperation with one or more
local school districts.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following:
(a) Educators and policymakers have long acknowledged that the
skills and competencies needed to be an effective teacher are
supported through early and structured mentoring and assessment.
(b) Induction programs help beginning teachers transition into the
profession by providing standards-based, individualized assistance
that combines the application of theory with intensive mentor-based
support and formative assessment.
(c) In 1998, California created its two-tiered teaching credential
system and established the completion of a statewide,
standards-based induction program, Beginning Teacher Support and
Assessment (BTSA), as a path toward a clear credential.
(d) Until 2009, the state provided $4,000 per participating
teacher to BTSA providers as part of the Teacher Credentialing Block
Grant.
(e) In order to receive state funding, a local educational agency
(LEA) was required to make a local in-kind contribution of $2,000 per
participating teacher.
(f) The combined level of dedicated funding was sufficient for
running the program and allowed LEAs to provide induction at no
charge to beginning teachers.
(g) In 2009, due to the Great Recession, the state gave increased
flexibility to LEAs by allowing Teacher Credentialing Block Grant
funds to be used for any educational purpose.
(h) In 2013, the state eliminated the majority of K-12 categorical
programs, including the Teacher Credentialing Block Grant, with the
establishment of the local control funding formula (LCFF).
(i) Although former Teacher Credentialing Block Grant funds are
included in LEAs' base LCFF funding, some induction providers have
shifted the costs of induction onto teacher participants, while
others have closed their programs altogether.
(j) According to data collected by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing, nearly 12 percent of providers are charging teachers
an average of $2,000 per year for induction.
(k) The large fees place heavy financial burdens on teachers just
starting their careers and put the entire responsibility of
identifying, accessing, and completing a quality induction program
solely on new teachers.
(l) A new teacher's inability to access an induction program
compromises that teacher's professional growth and greatly reduces
the chance that the teacher will stay in the profession.
(m) This is particularly troubling because enrollment in teacher
preparation programs, and the number of new teaching credentials
being issued, have reduced considerably in recent years.
(n) In 2013, according to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing,
there were fewer than 20,000 students enrolled in teacher
preparation programs in the state, less than half of the number that
were enrolled in 2008.
(o) The shortage is expected to worsen within the next 20 years
with projected increases in student enrollment and teacher
retirements.
(p) Access to high quality induction programs is critical to
addressing the teacher shortage because induction is an important
tool for recruiting and retaining teachers.
(q) Teacher retention data collected by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing in 2008 demonstrates the effectiveness of induction,
showing that 87 percent of teachers who participated in a BTSA
program were still teaching five years later.
(r) The Governor and Legislature recognized induction's importance
by including $490 million in the 2015-16 Budget Act for activities
that promote educator quality and effectiveness, including support
and mentoring for both beginning teachers and administrators.
(s) The 2015-16 Budget Act also directs the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing, by September 1, 2015, to work with stakeholders to
evaluate any burdens of existing induction requirements and identify
funding recommendations, including state, LEA, and teacher candidate
responsibilities.
(t) The allocation and forthcoming report by the Commission on
Teacher Credentialing provide a great opportunity to protect and
support new teachers by strengthening access and the quality of
induction programs.
SEC. 2. Section 44259 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44259. (a) Except as provided in subparagraphs (A) and (C) of
paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), each program of professional
preparation for multiple or single subject teaching credentials shall
not include more than two years of full-time study of professional
preparation.
(b) The minimum requirements for the preliminary multiple or
single subject teaching credential are all of the following:
(1) A baccalaureate degree or higher degree from a regionally
accredited institution of postsecondary education. Except as provided
in subdivision (c) of Section 44227, the baccalaureate degree shall
not be in professional education. The commission shall encourage
accredited institutions to offer undergraduate minors in education
and special education to students who intend to become teachers.
(2) Passage of the state basic skills proficiency test that is
developed and administered by the commission pursuant to Section
44252.5.
(3) Satisfactory completion of a program of professional
preparation that has been accredited by the Committee on
Accreditation on the basis of standards of program quality and
effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission. In accordance
with the commission's assessment and performance standards, each
program shall include a teaching performance assessment as set forth
in Section 44320.2 that is aligned with the California Standards for
the Teaching Profession. The commission shall ensure that each
candidate recommended for a credential or certificate has
demonstrated satisfactory ability to assist pupils to meet or exceed
academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the
state board pursuant to Section 60605. Programs that meet this
requirement for professional preparation shall include any of the
following:
(A) Integrated programs of subject matter preparation and
professional preparation pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section
44259.1.
(B) Postbaccalaureate programs of professional preparation,
pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 44259.1.
(C) Internship programs of professional preparation, pursuant to
Section 44321, Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 44325), Article
11 (commencing with Section 44380), and Article 3 (commencing with
Section 44450) of Chapter 3.
(4) Study of alternative methods of developing English language
skills, including the study of reading as described in subparagraphs
(A) and (B), among all pupils, including those for whom English is a
second language, in accordance with the commission's standards of
program quality and effectiveness. The study of reading shall meet
the following requirements:
(A) Commencing January 1, 1997, satisfactory completion of
comprehensive reading instruction that is research based and includes
all of the following:
(i) The study of organized, systematic, explicit skills, including
phonemic awareness, direct, systematic, explicit phonics, and
decoding skills.
(ii) A strong literature, language, and comprehension component
with a balance of oral and written language.
(iii) Ongoing diagnostic techniques that inform teaching and
assessment.
(iv) Early intervention techniques.
(v) Guided practice in a clinical setting.
(B) For purposes of this section, "direct, systematic, explicit
phonics" means phonemic awareness, spelling patterns, the direct
instruction of sound/symbol codes and practice in connected text, and
the relationship of direct, systematic, explicit phonics to the
components set forth in clauses (i) to (v), inclusive, of
subparagraph (A).
A program for the multiple subjects credential also shall include
the study of integrated methods of teaching language arts.
(5) Completion of a subject matter program that has been approved
by the commission on the basis of standards of program quality and
effectiveness pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 44310)
or passage of a subject matter examination pursuant to Article 5
(commencing with Section 44280). The commission shall ensure that
subject matter standards and examinations are aligned with the
academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the
state board pursuant to Section 60605.
(6) Demonstration of a knowledge of the principles and provisions
of the Constitution of the United States pursuant to Section 44335.
(7) Commencing January 1, 2000, demonstration, in accordance with
the commission's standards of program quality and effectiveness, of
basic competency in the use of computers in the classroom as
determined by one of the following:
(A) Successful completion of a commission-approved program or
course.
(B) Successful passage of an assessment that is developed,
approved, and administered by the commission.
(c) The minimum requirements for the clear multiple or single
subject teaching credential shall include all of the following
requirements:
(1) Possession of a valid preliminary teaching credential, as
prescribed in subdivision (b), possession of a valid equivalent
credential or certificate, or completion of equivalent requirements
as determined by the commission.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), completion of a program
of beginning teacher induction, including one of the following:
(A) (i) A program of beginning teacher induction approved by the
commission and the Superintendent.
(ii) (I) Commencing with hiring for the 2016-17 school year, and
each school year thereafter, a school district, county office of
education, or charter school shall not charge a fee to a beginning
teacher to participate in a beginning teacher induction program.
(II) For purposes of subclause (I), a beginning teacher includes a
teacher with a preliminary multiple or single subject teaching
credential, or a preliminary education specialist credential.
(B) (i) An alternative program of beginning teacher induction that
is provided by one or more local educational agencies and has been
approved by the commission and the Superintendent on the basis of
initial review and periodic evaluations of the program in relation to
appropriate standards of credential program quality and
effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission, the
Superintendent, and the state board pursuant to this subdivision. The
standards for alternative programs shall encourage innovation and
experimentation in the continuous preparation and induction of
beginning teachers. An alternative program of beginning teacher
induction that has met state standards pursuant to this subdivision
may apply for state funding pursuant to Sections 44279.1 and 44279.2.
(ii) A local educational agency shall not charge a fee to a
beginning teacher to participate in an alternative program of
beginning teacher induction that is provided pursuant to this
subparagraph.
(C) (i) An alternative program of beginning teacher induction that
is sponsored by a regionally accredited college or university, in
cooperation with one or more local school districts, that addresses
the individual professional needs of beginning teachers and meets the
commission's standards of induction. The commission shall ensure
that preparation and induction programs that qualify candidates for
professional credentials extend and refine each beginning teacher's
professional skills in relation to the California Standards for the
Teaching Profession and the academic content and performance
standards for pupils adopted by the state board pursuant to Section
60605.
(ii) A school district shall not charge a beginning teacher a fee
to participate in an alternative program of beginning teacher
induction that is provided pursuant to this subparagraph.
(3) (A) If a candidate satisfies the requirements of subdivision
(b), including completion of an accredited internship program of
professional preparation, and if that internship program fulfills
induction standards and is approved as set forth in this subdivision,
the commission shall determine that the candidate has fulfilled the
requirements of paragraph (2).
(B) If an approved induction program is verified as unavailable to
a beginning teacher, or if the beginning teacher is required under
the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et
seq.) to complete subject matter coursework to be qualified for a
teaching assignment, the commission shall accept completion of an
approved clear credential program after completion of a baccalaureate
degree at a regionally accredited institution as fulfilling the
requirements of paragraph (2). The commission shall adopt regulations
to implement this subparagraph.
(4) Experience that includes the application of knowledge and
skills previously acquired in a preliminary credential program, in
accordance with commission standards, that addresses the following:
(A) Health education, including study of nutrition,
cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the physiological and sociological
effects of abuse of alcohol, narcotics, and drugs and the use of
tobacco. Training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation shall also meet
the standards established by the American Heart Association or the
American Red Cross.
(B) Field experience in methods of delivering appropriate
educational services to pupils with exceptional needs in regular
educational programs.
(C) Advanced computer-based technology, including the uses of
technology in educational settings.
(d) The commission shall develop and implement standards of
program quality and effectiveness that provide for the areas of
application listed in subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive, of
paragraph (4) of subdivision (c), starting in professional
preparation and continuing through induction.
(e) A credential that was issued before January 1, 1993, shall
remain in force as long as it is valid under the laws and regulations
that were in effect on the date it was issued. The commission shall
not, by regulation, invalidate an otherwise valid credential, unless
it issues to the holder of the credential, in substitution, a new
credential authorized by another provision in this chapter that is no
more restrictive than the credential for which it was substituted
with respect to the kind of service authorized and the grades,
classes, or types of schools in which it authorizes service.
(f) A credential program that is approved by the commission shall
not deny an individual access to that program solely on the grounds
that the individual obtained a teaching credential through completion
of an internship program when that internship program has been
accredited by the commission.
(g) Notwithstanding this section, persons who were performing
teaching services as of January 1, 1999, pursuant to the language of
this section that was in effect before that date, may continue to
perform those services without complying with any requirements that
may be added by the amendments adding this subdivision.
(h) Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b)
do not apply to any person who, as of January 1, 1997, holds a
multiple or single subject teaching credential, or to any person
enrolled in a program of professional preparation for a multiple or
single subject teaching credential as of January 1, 1997, who
subsequently completes that program. It is the intent of the
Legislature that the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of
paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) be applied only to persons who enter
a program of professional preparation on or after January 1, 1997.
