BILL NUMBER: SB 2029 CHAPTERED
BILL TEXT
CHAPTER 1087
FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 29, 2002
APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 29, 2002
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 20, 2002
PASSED THE SENATE MAY 16, 2002
AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 1, 2002
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 17, 2002
INTRODUCED BY Senator Alarcon
FEBRUARY 22, 2002
An act to amend Sections 44325, 44326, 44328, and 44830.3 of, and
to add Section 44329 to, the Education Code, relating to
credentialing.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 2029, Alarcon. Teacher certification: district interns.
Existing law authorizes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing,
as a pilot program, to issue district intern certificates authorizing
persons employed by the Los Angeles Unified School District to
provide classroom instruction to pupils with mild and moderate
disabilities in special education classes. Under existing law, prior
to assignment to teach pupils with disabilities, persons holding
district intern certificates are required to teach one complete
school year in a general education program, as specified.
This bill, instead, would authorize the commission until January
1, 2008, to issue those district intern certificates to persons
employed by any school district. The bill would eliminate the
requirement that a district intern teach one complete school year in
a general education program, and instead, would require a school
district's professional development plan for district interns
teaching in special education programs to include, among other
things, training and fieldwork in instructional practices and
procedures and pedagogy of general education programs and special
education programs.
This bill would require the commission to prepare and submit a
report to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2007, that
summarizes the regulations adopted by the commission to expand
statewide the issuance of those district intern certificates, and
that evaluates the effectiveness of persons that hold those
certificates.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 44325 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44325. (a) The Commission on Teacher Credentialing shall issue
district intern certificates authorizing persons employed by any
school district that maintains kindergarten and grades 1 to 12,
inclusive, or that maintains classes in bilingual education to
provide classroom instruction to pupils in those grades and classes
in accordance with the requirements of Section 44830.3. The
commission, until January 1, 2008, also shall issue district intern
certificates authorizing persons employed by any school district to
provide classroom instruction to pupils with mild and moderate
disabilities in special education classes, in accordance with the
requirements of Section 44830.3.
(b) Each district intern certificate shall be valid for a period
of two years. However, a certificate may be valid for three years if
the intern is participating in a program that leads to the
attainment of a specialist credential to teach pupils with mild and
moderate disabilities, or four years if the intern is participating
in a program that leads to the attainment of both a multiple subject
or single subject teaching credential and a specialist credential to
teach pupils with mild and moderate disabilities. Upon the
recommendation of the school district, the commission may grant a
one-year extension of the district intern certificate.
(c) The commission shall require each applicant for a district
intern certificate to demonstrate that he or she meets the minimum
qualifications for that certificate, including (1) the possession of
a baccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited
institution of postsecondary education, (2) the successful passage of
the state basic skills proficiency test administered under Sections
44252 and 44252.5, (3) the successful completion of the appropriate
subject matter examination administered by the commission, or a
commission-approved subject matter preparation program for the
subject areas in which the district intern is authorized to teach,
and (4) the oral language component of the assessment program leading
to the bilingual-crosscultural language and academic development
certificate for persons seeking a district intern certificate to
teach bilingual education classes.
(d) The commission shall apply the requirements of Sections 44339,
44340, and 44341 to each applicant for a district intern
certificate.
SEC. 2. Section 44326 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44326. (a) Persons holding district intern certificates issued by
the commission under Section 44325 to teach in grades 9 to 12,
inclusive, or in grades 6 to 8, inclusive, in a departmentalized
program, or in departmentalized bilingual classes, shall only be
authorized to teach in the subject areas in which they have completed
an undergraduate academic major or minor.
(b) Persons holding district intern certificates issued by the
commission under Section 44325 to teach in kindergarten and grades 1
to 8, inclusive, in a self-contained program or in self-contained
bilingual classes who have completed an academic major or minor or a
diversified or liberal arts degree that includes the subject matter
coursework prescribed in Section 44314 shall be authorized to teach
in those grades or classes.
(c) Prior to assignment to teach pupils with mild and moderate
disabilities, persons holding district intern certificates issued by
the commission under Section 44325 to teach those pupils shall meet
the requirements of either subdivision (a) or (b).
(d) Each district intern shall be required to teach with the
assistance and guidance of certificated employees of the district who
have been classified as mentor teachers under Article 4 (commencing
with Section 44490) of Chapter 3, or with the assistance and guidance
of certificated employees selected through a competitive process
adopted by the governing board after consultation with the exclusive
teacher representative unit or by personnel employed by institutions
of higher education to supervise student teachers. Mentor teachers
or other certificated employees shall possess valid certification at
the same level or of the same type of credential as the district
interns they serve.
SEC. 3. Section 44328 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44328. Unless the commission determines that substantial evidence
exists that a person is unqualified to teach, upon the completion of
successful service as a district intern pursuant to subdivision (b)
of Section 44325, and upon the recommendation of the school district
governing board, the commission shall award professional credentials
to district interns in the same manner as applicants recommended for
credentials by institutions that operate approved programs of
professional preparation.
Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of
Section 44225, paragraphs (3), (4), (5), and (6) of subdivision (b)
of Section 44259, paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) of subdivision
(c) of Section 44259, and Sections 44261, 44265, and 44335, it is the
intent of the Legislature that upon recommendation by the governing
board, district interns shall be issued professional credentials,
rather than preliminary credentials, upon the completion of
successful service as a teacher pursuant to subdivision (b) of
Section 44325 unless the governing board recommends, and the
commission finds substantial evidence that the person is not
qualified to teach. Notwithstanding Section 44261, the professional
credential awarded to any district intern holding a certificate to
teach bilingual classes shall be a basic teaching credential with a
bilingual-crosscultural language and academic development emphasis.
Notwithstanding Section 44265, the professional credential awarded to
any district intern who holds a certificate to teach special
education pupils with mild and moderate disabilities shall be a
special education specialist instruction credential that authorizes
the holder to teach special education pupils with mild and moderate
disabilities.
It is the intent of the Legislature that institutions of higher
education that operate approved programs of professional preparation
work cooperatively with school districts that offer district intern
programs for a special education specialist credential to apply the
regular education coursework and fieldwork from the special education
district intern program toward earning a multiple or single subject
teaching credential through the institution.
SEC. 4. Section 44329 is added to the Education Code, to read:
44329. On or before January 1, 2007, the commission shall prepare
and submit a report to the Legislature that summarizes the
regulations adopted by the commission to expand statewide the
issuance of district intern certificates that authorize classroom
instruction to pupils with mild and moderate disabilities. The
report shall also analyze the effectiveness of persons who hold those
certificates.
SEC. 5. Section 44830.3 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44830.3. (a) The governing board of any school district that
maintains kindergarten or grades 1 to 12, inclusive, or that
maintains classes in bilingual education or special education
programs for pupils with mild and moderate disabilities, may in
consultation with an accredited institution of higher education
offering an approved program of pedagogical teacher preparation
employ persons authorized by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing
to provide service as district interns to provide instruction to
pupils in those grades or classes as a classroom teacher. The
governing board shall require that each district intern be assisted
and guided by a certificated employee of the school district who has
been designated by the governing board as a mentor teacher pursuant
to Article 4 (commencing with Section 44490) of Chapter 3 or by
certificated employees selected through a competitive process adopted
by the governing board after consultation with the exclusive teacher
representative unit or by personnel employed by institutions of
higher education to supervise student teachers. Mentor teachers or
other certificated employees shall possess valid certification at the
same level, or of the same type, of credential as the district
interns they serve.
(b) The governing board of each school district employing district
interns shall develop and implement a professional development plan
for district interns in consultation with an accredited institution
of higher education offering an approved program of pedagogical
preparation. The professional development plan shall include all of
the following:
(1) Provisions for an annual evaluation of the district intern.
(2) As the governing board determines necessary, a description of
courses to be completed by the district intern, if any, and a plan
for the completion of preservice or other clinical training, if any,
including student teaching.
(3) Mandatory preservice training for district interns tailored to
the grade level or class to be taught, through either of the
following options:
(A) One hundred twenty clock hours of preservice training and
orientation in the aspects of child development, classroom
organization and management, pedagogy, and methods of teaching the
subject field or fields in which the district intern will be
assigned, which training and orientation period shall be under the
direct supervision of an experienced permanent teacher. In addition,
persons holding district intern certificates issued by the
commission pursuant to Section 44325 shall receive orientation in
methods of teaching pupils with mild and moderate disabilities. At
the conclusion of the preservice training period, the permanent
teacher shall provide the district with information regarding the
area that should be emphasized in the future training of the district
intern.
(B) The successful completion, prior to service by the intern in
any classroom, of six semester units of coursework from a regionally
accredited college or university, designed in cooperation with the
school district to provide instruction and orientation in the aspects
of child development and the methods of teaching the subject field
or fields in which the district intern will be assigned.
(4) Instruction in child development and the methods of teaching
during the first semester of service for district interns teaching in
kindergarten or grades 1 to 6, inclusive, including bilingual
classes and, for person holding district intern certificates issued
by the commission pursuant to Section 44325, special education
programs for pupils with mild and moderate disabilities at those
levels.
(5) Instruction in the culture and methods of teaching bilingual
children during the first year of service for district interns
teaching children in bilingual classes and, for persons holding
district intern certificates issued by the commission pursuant to
Section 44325, instruction in the etiology and methods of teaching
children with mild and moderate disabilities.
(6) Any other criteria that may be required by the governing
board.
(7) In addition to the requirements set forth in paragraphs (1) to
(6), inclusive, the professional development plan for district
interns teaching in special education programs for pupils with mild
and moderate disabilities also shall include 120 clock hours of
mandatory training and supervised fieldwork that shall include, but
not be limited to, instructional practices, and the procedures and
pedagogy of both general education programs and special education
programs that teach pupils with disabilities.
(8) In addition to the requirements set forth in paragraphs (1) to
(6), inclusive, the professional development plan for district
interns teaching bilingual classes shall also include 120 clock hours
of mandatory training and orientation, which shall include, but not
be limited to, instruction in subject matter relating to
bilingual-crosscultural language and academic development.
(9) The professional development plan for district interns
teaching in special education programs for pupils with mild and
moderate disabilities shall be based on the standards adopted by the
commission as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 44327.
(c) Each district intern and each district teacher assigned to
supervise the district intern during the preservice period, shall be
compensated for the preservice period pursuant to subparagraph (A) or
(B) of paragraph (3). The compensation shall be that which is
normally provided by each district for staff development or
in-service activity.
(d) Upon completion of two years of service, or three years of
service for interns participating in a program that leads to the
attainment of a specialist credential to teach pupils with mild and
moderate disabilities, or four years if the intern is participating
in a program that leads to the attainment of both a multiple subject
or single subject teaching credential and a specialist credential to
teach pupils with mild and moderate disabilities, the governing board
may recommend to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing that the
district intern be credentialed in the manner prescribed by Section
44328.