BILL NUMBER: SB 57 CHAPTERED 09/10/01 CHAPTER 269 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 10, 2001 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 8, 2001 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 30, 2001 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 27, 2001 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 23, 2001 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 16, 2001 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 25, 2001 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JUNE 11, 2001 AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 2, 2001 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 17, 2001 AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 12, 2001 INTRODUCED BY Senator Scott JANUARY 4, 2001 An act to add Sections 44259.2 and 44468 to the Education Code, relating to teacher credentialing. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 57, Scott. Teacher credentialing. (1) Existing law requires the commission to ensure that each candidate has demonstrated ability and sets forth programs for professional preparation that satisfy this requirement. This bill would require the commission to waive components of these requirements for individuals meeting prescribed criteria regarding private school teaching experience. (2) Existing law, the Teacher Education Internship Act of 1967, authorizes school districts, in cooperation with an approved college or university, to establish teacher education internship programs. Existing law also authorizes school districts, in consultation with an approved program of pedagogical teacher preparation to employ persons authorized by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to provide service as district interns and requires these school districts to develop and implement a professional development plan for district interns. This bill would authorize an intern to choose an early program completion option if the intern passes certain assessments and meets the requirements for teacher fitness. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. It is the intent of the Legislature to provide quality standards-based alternative options to teacher credentialing to address the acute shortage of qualified teachers in California's public schools. In order to enable interested candidates with teaching experience, including those who have experience in a private school setting, to serve in the public schools, Section 44468, as added to the Education Code by this act, provides an expedited, standards-based credential option for candidates with demonstrated skills, knowledge, and ability equivalent to those typically acquired in a teacher preparation program. Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature that internship programs for multiple subject teaching credentials and single subject teaching credentials provide the opportunity to candidates, including those with experience in a private school setting, to challenge teacher preparation coursework based on demonstrated competence through assessments and observations. SEC. 2. Section 44259.2 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 44259, to read: 44259.2. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, including, but not limited to, paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259, the commission shall waive the requirements for completion of a program of professional preparation for any individual with a minimum of six years of full-time teaching experience in an accredited private school, as determined by the commission, in the subject and level of the credential sought, who complies with all of the following: (1) The individual submits evidence of two years of rigorous performance evaluations while teaching in an accredited private school, based on criteria determined by the commission, on which the applicant received ratings of satisfactory or better. (2) The individual meets the California requirements for teacher fitness pursuant to Sections 44339, 44340, and 44341. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, including, but not limited to, paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259, the commission shall waive the requirements for completion of the professional field experience component of a program of professional preparation for any individual with a minimum of three years of full-time teaching experience in an accredited private school, as determined by the commission, in the subject and level of the credential sought, who complies with all of the following: (1) The individual submits evidence of two years of rigorous performance evaluations while teaching in an accredited private school, based on criteria determined by the commission, on which the applicant received ratings of satisfactory or better. (2) The individual meets the California requirements for teacher fitness pursuant to Sections 44339, 44340, and 44341. SEC. 3. Section 44468 is added to the Education Code, to read: 44468. (a) An internship program, established pursuant to Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 44325) of Chapter 2 or this article, that is accredited by the commission shall provide interns who meet entrance criteria and are accepted to a multiple subject teaching credential program or a single subject teaching credential program the opportunity to choose an early program completion option, culminating in a five-year preliminary teaching credential. The early completion option shall be made available to interns who meet the following requirements: (1) Pass a written assessment that assesses knowledge of teaching foundations, is adopted for this purpose by the commission, and includes all of the following: (A) Human development as it relates to teaching and learning aligned with the state content and performance standards for pupils adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 60605. (B) Techniques to address learning differences including working with pupils with special needs. (C) Techniques to address working with English learners to provide access to the curriculum. (D) Reading instruction as set forth in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259. (E) The assessment of pupil progress based upon the state content and performance standards for pupils adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 60605 and planning intervention based on the assessment. (F) Classroom management techniques. (G) Methods of teaching the subject fields. (2) Pass the teaching performance assessment as set forth in Section 44320.2. (A) An intern participating in the early completion option may take the teaching performance assessment one time only as part of the early completion option. An intern who takes the teaching performance assessment but is not successful may complete his or her internship program. Scores on this assessment shall be used by the internship programs in providing the individualized professional development plan for interns that emphasizes preparation in areas where additional growth is warranted and waiving preparation in areas where the candidate has demonstrated competence. The intern must retake and pass the teaching performance assessment at the end of the internship in order to be considered for recommendation by the internship program to the commission. (B) Pending implementation of the teaching performance assessment, an internship program shall provide for early recommendation of an intern for a preliminary multiple subject teaching credential or single subject teaching credential based upon demonstrated competence of the field experience component of the internship program. (3) Pass the reading instruction competence assessment described in Section 44283, unless the written assessment adopted by the commission pursuant to paragraph (1) is validated as covering content equivalent to the reading assessment. (4) Meet the requirements for teacher fitness as set forth in Sections 44339, 44340, and 44341. (b) An intern who chooses the early completion option must first pass the assessment required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) in order to qualify to take the teaching performance assessment required pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a). Individuals who have passed the written assessment may receive individualized support within the cohort group of like individuals in preparations for the teaching performance assessment. (c) An intern who challenges the teacher preparation coursework by taking the assessment described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) but is not successful in passing the assessment may complete his or her full internship program. Scores on this assessment shall be used by the internship program in providing the individualized professional development plan for interns that emphasizes preparation in areas where additional growth is warranted and waiving preparation areas where the intern has demonstrated competence. (d) An intern who passes the assessments described in subdivision (a) and is recommended by the internship program to the commission is eligible for a five-year preliminary multiple subject teaching credential or single subject teaching credential. (e) The commission shall issue a professional clear multiple or single subject teaching credential to an applicant whose employing public school district documents, in a manner prescribed by the commission, that he or she has fulfilled the following requirements: (1) Holds a preliminary five-year teaching credential issued by the commission. (2) Completes one of the following in accordance with the determination of the employing public school district based upon the experience and individual needs of the applicant: (A) A program of beginning teacher support and assessment established pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 44279.1) of Chapter 2 of Part 24, including the California formative assessment and support system for teachers. (B) An alternative program of beginning teacher induction that the commission determines, in conjunction with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, meets state standards for teacher induction and includes the California formative assessment and support system for teachers or an alternative assessment deemed to meet the standards. (3) As an alternative to the requirements in paragraph (2), an applicant may choose to complete the California formative assessment and support system for teachers or the equivalent at a faster pace as determined by the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment System program.