Bill Text: CA AB1410 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended

California Assembly Bill 1410 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Teachers: Computer Science Access Initiative.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-08-30 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB1410 Detail]

Download: California-2019-AB1410-Amended.html

Amended IN Assembly May 16, 2019

Amended IN Assembly April 02, 2019

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 1410

Introduced by Assembly Members Quirk-Silva and O’Donnell

February 22, 2019

An act to add Article 15.5 (commencing with Section 44410) to Chapter 2 of Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to teachers.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1410, as amended, Quirk-Silva. Teachers: Computer Science Access Initiative.

Existing law establishes the State Department of Education, under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and assigns to the department numerous duties relating to the financing, governance, and guidance of the public elementary and secondary schools in this state. Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, among other duties, to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits.

This bill would establish the Computer Science Access Initiative, to be administered by the department, in consultation with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The bill would require the department to award grants, on or before July 1, 2020, to eligible entities for the purpose of increasing the number of teachers authorized and trained to instruct pupils in computer science, as specified. The bill would require a grant recipient to submit to the department, in a form and manner determined by the department, a report containing certain information measuring the results of the use of grant funds. The bill would provide that the operation of these provisions is contingent on an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or another statute for these purposes. The bill would express the intent of the Legislature to later enact legislation that would appropriate the sum of $10,000,000 on a one-time basis from the General Fund to the department for purposes of the initiative.

Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
It is the intent of the Legislature to later enact legislation that would appropriate the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) on a one-time basis from the General Fund to the State Department of Education for purposes of the Computer Science Access Initiative established by Article 15.5 (commencing with Section 44410) of Chapter 2 of Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code.

SEC. 2.SECTION 1.

Article 15.5 (commencing with Section 44410) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:

Article 15.5. Computer Science Access Initiative

44410.

(a) This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the Computer Science Access Initiative.

(b) The purpose of this initiative is to increase California pupils’ access to instruction in computer science by increasing the number of teachers who are authorized and trained to provide computer science instruction in California public schools.

44411.

(a) The Computer Science Access Initiative shall be administered by the department in consultation with the commission.

(b) On or before July 1, 2020, and subject to a one-time appropriation, the department shall award grants under this initiative for the purpose of increasing the number of teachers authorized and trained to instruct pupils in computer science. Grants awarded by the department through this initiative shall be used for one or both of the following purposes:

(1) Increasing the number of single subject credentialholders who obtain supplemental authorizations to teach computer science.

(2) (A) Providing professional development to teachers who hold multiple subject or education specialist credentials so that they are able to teach computer science at the elementary level.

(B) Professional development pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be aligned to the computer science content standards developed pursuant to Section 60605.4 and adopted by the state board.

(1) A school district.

(2) A county office of education.

(3) A charter school.

(4) A consortium made up of any combination of the above entities.

(d) Applicants for grants under this initiative shall be required to submit an application in a form and manner determined by the department that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1) A demonstration of the applicant’s capacity to carry out the activities necessary to meet the objectives of the initiative.

(2) A plan detailing how the applicant will meet one or both of the purposes specified in subdivision (b).

(3) An estimate of the number of computer science supplemental authorizations the grant is expected to produce, or the number of multiple subject or education specialist credentialholders expected to be trained, or both of those, through the use of grant funding.

(4) Identification of any matching funds, in-kind matching resources, or outside funding expected to be leveraged in support of the proposed activities.

(e) In awarding grants, the department shall do both of the following:

(1) Ensure that at least one-half of the funds awarded are for the purpose stated in paragraph (1) of subdivision (b).

(2) Give priority to applications that seek to improve the availability of computer science instruction to pupils who at the time of the application have limited opportunity to study computer science, who are traditionally underrepresented in the study of computer science, or who live in geographic areas that have limited access to the study of computer science.

(f) A grant recipient shall submit to the department, in a form and manner determined by the department, a report on all of the following:

(1) The number of multiple subject teachers trained and the number of authorizations in computer science produced as a result of the grant.

(2) The number of additional classes or amount of instruction planned as a result of the grant.

(3) The demographics of the pupils served or expected to be served by the teachers who have earned an authorization in computer science or who have received professional development as a result of the grant.