BILL NUMBER: SB 2029 CHAPTERED 09/29/02 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.