Amended
IN
Senate
June 24, 2024 |
Amended
IN
Senate
June 13, 2024 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 30, 2024 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 15, 2024 |
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 01, 2024 |
Introduced by Committee on Education |
February 13, 2024 |
(2)Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, among other duties, to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the commission to issue only teaching and service credentials, with specified authorizations. Existing law authorizes the commission to issue or renew emergency teaching and specialist permits if certain conditions are met.
This bill would require the commission to authorize the holder of a general education single subject limited assignment permit that authorizes teaching in art, dance, music, or theater to extend the term of the permit, as specified, if the applicant makes certain verifications.
(3)Existing law establishes the Computer Science Supplementary Authorization Incentive Grant Program under the administration of the
commission for the purpose of providing one-time grants to local educational agencies to support the preparation of credentialed teachers to earn a supplementary authorization in computer science and provide instruction in computer science coursework in settings authorized by the underlying credential. Existing law appropriates $15,000,000 from the General Fund to the commission for the program and makes those moneys available for encumbrance until June 30, 2026.
This bill would codify the program and extend the term of encumbrance to June 30, 2030. The bill would rename the program the Computer Science and Visual and Performing Arts Supplementary Authorization Incentive Grant Program. Among other revisions to the program, the bill would provide one-time grants to local educational agencies to also support the preparation of credentialed teachers to earn a supplementary authorization in arts, dance, music, and theater. By expanding the purposes of an appropriation
and extending the term of encumbrance, the bill would make an appropriation.
(a)Commencing January 1, 1990, the commission may issue or renew emergency teaching or specialist permits in accordance with regulations adopted by the commission corresponding to the credential types specified in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 44225, provided that all of the following conditions are met:
(1)The applicant possesses a baccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited institution of higher education and has fulfilled the subject matter requirements of Section 44301.
(2)(A)The applicant passes the state basic skills proficiency test as provided for in Section 44252.
(B)Until July 1, 2024, the commission shall waive the basic skills proficiency requirement set forth in subparagraph (A) for the issuance of an emergency 30-day substitute teaching permit issued pursuant to Section 80025 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. A waiver that is issued pursuant to this subparagraph may not be used to satisfy an applicable basic skills proficiency requirement for any other teaching credential, permit, or certificate.
(3)The commission approves the justification for the emergency permit submitted by the school district in which the applicant is to be employed. The justification shall include all of the following:
(A)Annual documentation that the district has implemented in policy and practices a process for conducting a diligent search that shall include, but is not limited to, distributing job announcements, contacting college and university placement centers, advertising in local newspapers, and participating in job fairs in this state, but has been unable to recruit a sufficient number of certificated teachers, including teacher candidates pursuing full certification through internship, district internship, or other alternative routes established by the commission.
(B)A declaration of need for fully qualified educators based on the documentation set forth in subparagraph (A) and made in the form of a motion adopted by the governing board of the school district or the county board of education at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing board or the county board of education. The motion may not be part of the consent agenda and shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting.
(b)The commission may deny a request for an emergency permit that does not meet the justification set forth in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a).
(c)It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission continue to issue emergency teaching permits to individuals employed by school districts defined in regulations as remote from regionally accredited institutions of higher education.
(d)The commission may issue and reissue emergency permits corresponding to the credential types specified in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 44225. The commission shall
establish appropriate standards for each type of emergency permit specified in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 44225.
(e)The exclusive representative of certificated employees, if any, as provided under Chapter 10.7 (commencing with Section 3540) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code, may submit a written statement to the commission agreeing or disagreeing with the justification submitted to the commission pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a).
(f)A person holding an emergency teaching or specialist permit shall attend an orientation to the curriculum and to techniques of instruction and classroom management, and shall teach only with the assistance and guidance of a certificated employee of the district who has completed at
least three years of full-time teaching experience, or the equivalent thereof. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage districts to provide directed teaching experience to new emergency permitholders with no prior teaching experience.
(g)The holder of an emergency permit shall participate in ongoing training, coursework, or seminars designed to prepare the individual to become a fully credentialed teacher or other educator in the subject area or areas in which the individual is assigned to teach or serve. The employing agency shall verify that employees applying to renew their emergency permits are meeting these ongoing training requirements.
(h)Emergency permits for pupil personnel services shall not be valid for the purpose of determining pupil eligibility for placement
in a special education class or program.
(i)This section shall not apply to the issuance of an emergency substitute teaching permit, or of an emergency permit to a teacher who has consented to teach temporarily outside of their field of certification, for which the commission shall establish minimum requirements.
(j)The commission may issue a one-year emergency specialist teaching permit in early childhood education that authorizes teaching all subjects in a self-contained transitional kindergarten general education classroom, as defined in Section 48000, provided that all of the following conditions are met:
(1)The applicant possesses a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a regionally accredited institution of higher education and holds a valid commission-issued child development permit at the teacher or higher level.
(2)The applicant satisfies the subject matter requirement by one of the following options:
(A)Commencing July 1, 2022, completes 24 semester units of coursework in child development or early childhood education at a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
(B)Commencing July 1, 2022, holds a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a regionally accredited institution of higher education where the major is in child development, or early childhood education, or a similar major.
(C)Commencing July 1, 2023, has three or more years of full-time teaching experience in a transitional kindergarten setting, or preschool age early childhood or child development program, or a combination thereof. Experience may include, but shall not be limited to, teaching experience in a public or private preschool or transitional kindergarten setting, Head Start program, or state-funded preschool program. For the purposes of this subparagraph, “teaching” shall mean the lead or primary classroom teacher, and not teaching done in support of another lead or primary classroom teacher.
(3)The commission approves the justification for the emergency permit submitted by the local employing agency in which the applicant is to be employed. The justification shall include all of the following:
(A)Annual documentation that the local employing agency has implemented in policy and practices a process for conducting a diligent search that shall include, but is not limited to, distributing job announcements, contacting college and university placement centers, advertising in local newspapers or online web pages, and participating in job fairs in this state, but has been unable to recruit a sufficient number of certificated teachers, including teacher candidates pursuing full certification through internship, district internship, or other alternative routes established by the commission.
(B)A declaration of need for fully qualified educators based on the documentation set forth in subparagraph (A) and made in the form of a motion adopted by the governing body of the charter school, the governing board of the school district, or the county board of education at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body or board or the county board of education. The motion may not be part of the consent agenda and shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting.
(C)(i)Verification that the employing charter school, school district, or county shall provide the required orientation, mentoring, and support to the applicant.
(ii)The local employing agency shall report to the governing body of the charter school, the governing board of the school district, or the county board of education at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body or board or the county board of education on the required orientation, mentoring, and support provided to the applicants.
(k)The
commission may renew an emergency specialist teaching permit in early childhood education for one additional year, provided all of the following conditions are met:
(1)The applicant verifies current enrollment in a commission-approved teacher preparation program that will result in a credential authorizing teaching transitional kindergarten.
(2)The local employing agency submits a subsequent declaration of need for fully qualified educators based on the documentation set forth in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (j) made in the form of a motion adopted by the governing body of the charter school, the governing board of the school district, or the county board of education at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body or board or the county board of education. The motion may not be part of the consent agenda and shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting.
(3)The local employing agency verifies that the applicant continues to successfully serve in the assignment on the basis of the emergency permit.
(4)(A)The local employing agency verifies that continued orientation, mentoring, and support shall be provided to the applicant.
(B)The local employing agency shall report to the governing body of the charter school, the governing board of the school district, or the county board of education at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body or board or the county board of education on the required orientation, mentoring, and support provided to the applicant.
(l)The commission shall authorize the holder of a general education single subject limited assignment permit authorizing teaching in art, music, theater, or dance an extension of time pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 80523 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations, as it read on January 1, 2024, if the applicant verifies both of the following:
(1)Enrollment in a minimum of six units of coursework at a regionally accredited institution of higher education that meets the subject matter requirements for a supplementary authorization in the subject area of the permit.
(2)(A)Satisfactory performance at the employing local educational agency that requested the permit during the period that the permit is valid.
(B)Subparagraph (A) may be satisfied by a statement from the employing local educational agency’s human resources office, the school principal, or the superintendent of the local educational agency, or by performance evaluations.
This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the Computer Science and Visual and Performing Arts Supplementary Authorization Incentive Grant Program.
(a)For the 2021–22 fiscal year, the sum of fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the commission for the Computer Science and Visual and Performing Arts Supplementary Authorization Incentive Grant Program. This funding shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2030.
(b)The Computer Science and Visual and Performing Arts Supplementary Authorization Incentive Grant Program is hereby established for the purpose of providing one-time grants to local educational agencies to support the preparation of credentialed teachers to earn a supplementary authorization in computer science, art, dance, music, and
theater, and provide instruction in computer science and visual and performing arts coursework in settings authorized by the underlying credential.
(c)The commission shall approve applications submitted by local educational agencies that meet the criteria established by the commission pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (e). To the extent that funds are available, the commission shall allocate funds to participating local educational agencies for each approved application.
(d)A participating teacher is eligible to receive an award of up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) from the Computer Science and Visual and Performing Arts Supplementary Authorization Incentive Grant Program.
(e)The commission shall do all
of the following:
(1)Establish grant criteria for local educational agencies.
(2)Issue a request for proposal to all local educational agencies to solicit applications for funding.
(3)Accept grant applications from participating local educational agencies until funds are fully expended.
(4)Review applications and verify that each proposed participant teacher holds a valid credential.
(5)Allocate grants to participating local educational agencies for the purpose of paying the teacher costs of coursework, books, fees, and tuition, as applicable.
(6)Give priority to grant applications for teachers that provide instruction at either of the following:
(A)A school operating within a rural district.
(B)A school with a higher share than other applicants of unduplicated pupils, as defined in Section 42238.02.
(f)In selecting grant recipients, the commission shall require each applicant to, at a minimum, do all of the following:
(1)Identify the teachers employed by the local educational agency who have been selected to participate in the incentive grant program.
(2)Identify the number of coursework credits required for each selected teacher to earn a supplementary authorization in computer science, art, dance, music, or theater.
(3)Provide an estimated cost for the required coursework, books, fees, tuition, and release time, as applicable.
(4)Provide an in-kind match of release time or substitute teacher costs for the participating teacher.
(5)Report to the commission on or before August 30 of the second year after receiving a grant award the number of new computer science and visual and performing arts courses offered at the school being taught by a teacher who participated in the incentive grant program.
(g)The awards allocated pursuant to this section shall not be subject to local
educational agency indirect costs.
(h)(1)On or before April 1 of each year until the fiscal year following final disbursement of the grant funds, the commission shall report to the fiscal committees of the Legislature, the Legislative Analyst’s Office, and the Department of Finance on the program, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(A)The number of participating local educational agencies.
(B)The number of grants issued.
(C)The number of computer science, art, dance, music, or theater supplementary authorizations issued.
(D)The number of new computer science and visual and performing arts courses reported by grant recipients.
(2)A report submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(i)For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, county superintendent of schools, state-operated education program, including a state special school, an education program providing instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that is offered by a state agency, including the Department of Youth and Community Restoration and the State Department of Developmental Services, or a regional occupational center or program operated by a joint powers authority or county office of education.
(j)The department shall update the department’s internet website regarding the Arts and Music in Schools--Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act (Chapter 5.1 (commencing with Section 8820) of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1) to provide guidance and clarification regarding the existing credential pathways and grant funding available for teaching visual and performing arts.
(k)For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriation made by subdivision (a) shall be deemed to be “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202 of the Education Code, for the 2020–21 fiscal year, and included within the “total allocations to school districts and community
college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B,” as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202 of the Education Code, for the 2020–21 fiscal year.