BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 1223
AUTHOR: Block
AMENDED: June 10, 2010
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 23, 2010
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill
NOTE: This measure failed passage at our June 16 hearing;
reconsideration was granted and the bill is now back for vote
only .
SUBJECT : Career Technical Education: Linked Learning.
SUMMARY
This bill defines linked learning to mean multiple pathway
programs and authorizes the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing to convene a workgroup to develop standards for
programs that prepare candidates to teach in linked learning
programs.
BACKGROUND
Existing law establishes the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing and vests with the Commission the power and
duty to, among other things, establish professional
standards, assessments, and examinations for entry and
advancement in the education profession. (Education Code
44225)
Existing law defines multiple pathway programs as multiyear,
comprehensive high school programs of integrated academic and
technical study that are organized around a broad theme,
interest area, or industry sector, and provide curriculum
choices that prepare participating pupils for a range of
postsecondary options, including two and four-year colleges,
apprenticeships, and formal employment training. Current law
specifies that multiple pathway programs are comprised, among
other things, of an integrated core curriculum that meets the
eligibility requirements for admission to the University of
California and the California State University and is
delivered through project-based learning and other engaging
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instructional strategies. (EC 52372.5)
Existing law establishes the minimum requirements for
preliminary and clear teaching credentials for single
subjects and for designated subjects career technical
education (DSCTE). (EC 44260 et. seq.)
Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public
Instruction (SPI) to develop, in conjunction with specified
entities, a report that explores the feasibility of expanding
and establishing multiple pathway programs; and requires the
report to include specified components, including, but not
limited to, methods for developing and sharing models of
integrated curriculum and instruction, strategies for
increasing the course options and instructional time for
pupils in high school, and recommendations for supporting
regional coalitions in planning and developing the programs.
The SPI released this report on May 12, 2010. (EC 52372.5)
Existing law establishes California Partnership Academies
(CPAs) for the purpose of providing academic and occupational
training to high school students in grades 10-12 inclusive
who present a high risk of dropping out of school. CPAs
function as a school within a school and provide
career-themed educational programs that integrate core
academic content and technical education. (EC 54690 et.
seq.)
ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Defines linked learning as multiple pathway programs and
specifies linked learning programs may include
California Partnership Academies.
2) Authorizes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)
to convene a workgroup to develop standards for the
issuance of a "recognition of study in linked learning"
statement that will recognize single subject credential
candidates who have been prepared to teach linked
learning programs. Requires the workgroup to include
but not be limited to representatives from:
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The California Department of Education (CDE).
CTC-approved teacher preparation programs from
the California State University (CSU), University
of California, and independent institutions of
higher education.
The business community and local chambers of
commerce.
School districts, county offices of education,
and charter schools that have implemented linked
learning programs.
Other organizations as deemed appropriate by
the CTC.
1) States the intent of the Legislature that candidates for
the recognition of study statement demonstrate
appropriate knowledge and competencies, as specified.
2) Encourages the CSU and other teacher preparation
institutions to establish goals for increasing the
number of teachers prepared through linked learning
programs.
3) Encourages Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment
programs to provide appropriate support, mentoring, and
assistance to beginning teachers who are teaching in
linked learning programs.
4) Authorizes the CTC and the SPI to gather and post on an
appropriate Internet Web site, best practices from
school districts and schools on
curriculum development and professional development
relating to implementing and sustaining multiple pathway
programs.
5) Specifies that an individual who has a recognition of
study in linked learning designation is not authorized
to teach subject matter content unless they hold an
appropriate authorization or are employed on the basis
of a legal assignment option.
6) Makes findings and declarations pertaining to the
benefits of preparing pupils for academic and career
choices after high school and the value of preparing
teachers to learn pedagogical strategies used in linked
learning programs.
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STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill . According to the author's office, a
growing number of schools are providing students with
coursework and programs that integrate academic content
and technical education through project-based learning
or through career-themed learning opportunities. These
programs often involve both academic teachers and
technical education teachers. While the academic
teachers who teach in these programs possess the same
essential teaching skills and content knowledge as
teachers who teach traditional academic courses,
researchers have found that they also need skills and
proficiencies not commonly taught in a traditional
teacher preparation program, such as knowledge and
ability to collaborate in the design and delivery of
interdisciplinary, project-based curriculum; knowledge
and skills to create a curriculum that centers on a
business or industry sector; competency in developing
and maintaining partnerships with local industry and
postsecondary institutions; and knowledge about how to
incorporate work-based learning into the curriculum.
The sponsor of this measure, the Los Angeles Area
Chamber of Commerce, hopes that the development of
program standards and the credential designation
authorized by this bill will help increase the pool of
academic teachers who possess skills and competencies
for successful teaching in linked learning programs.
At least seven CSU campuses, including San Diego State
University have implemented or are in the process of
implementing a "linked learning lens" in their existing
teacher preparation programs. While nothing in CTC's
existing standards for single subject credential
programs precludes institutions from incorporating the
competencies identified in this bill into their teacher
preparation programs, the author hopes AB 1223 will lead
to greater
uniformity across programs and provide guidance for the
development of new "linked learning lens" programs by
authorizing the CTC to develop standards for these
training programs.
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2) Is the "recognition of study" designation necessary ?
This measure does not authorize the establishment of a
new type of teaching credential, rather it allows for
the CTC to include a statement on a teacher's credential
that indicates the candidate has completed a preparation
program that centered on linked learning and included
student teaching experiences in linked learning
programs. While it is possible that individual
institutions offering these programs could provide
candidates with certificates of recognition, including
the statement on a teacher's credential will signal
prospective employers that a teacher has received
special, standardized training in the teaching
strategies used in linked learning programs. Although
the recognition statement authorized by this bill would
not specifically authorize teaching in a career pathway
program, school districts could conceivably establish
the designation as a local requirement for teaching
positions in a linked learning program.
3) Recognition vs. authorization . Opponents argue that
this measure does not address the erosion of career
technical (CTE) education courses and have expressed
concern that the recognition of study designation could
enable core academic instructors to teach vocational
themes. As specified in the measure, the "recognition
of study in linked learning" will not authorize a
teacher to teach content subjects (including career
technical education) that is not specified on his or her
single subject credential or by an assignment option
authorized by the employing school district.
4) What's in a name ? ConnectEd, the California Center for
College and Career (ConnectEd), together with a
coalition of education, community organizations, and
industry have promoted the concept of expanding access
to multiple pathways programs that connect learning in
the classroom with real-world applications outside of
school. These programs integrate academic instruction
with technical curriculum and work-based learning within
the context of industry sectors identified in the model
curriculum standards for career technical education
adopted by the State Board of Education. AB 2648 (Bass,
Chapter 681, Statutes of 2008), established a statutory
definition for multiple pathway programs and required
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the SPI to report on the feasibility of expanding the
availability of these programs in California high
schools.
In 2009, ConnectEd, members of the Multiple Pathways
Coalition, and the James Irvine Foundation, began
discussing the need to transition away from the term
"multiple pathways" in order to avoid confusion with
programs in other states that provide alternative
education routes for out-of-school youth and students
who are at most risk of failing to graduate from high
school. According to the sponsors of this bill, that
concept also dominates perceptions of "multiple
pathways" in Washington D.C. and many parts of the
national philanthropic community. The sponsors of this
measure maintain that the name "Linked Learning" more
clearly conveys the attributes of an educational
approach that helps students link what they learn in the
classroom with real-world experiences and career
preparation.
5) Staffing implications . Current law requires local
education agencies, when reducing their teaching
workforce, to terminate or lay off teachers according to
seniority, in the inverse of the order in which they
were employed. Current law authorizes local education
agencies to deviate from the seniority requirement if
the LEA demonstrates 1) a specific need for personnel to
teach a specific course or course of study, and 2) the
certificated employee has special training and
experience necessary to teach that course or course of
study, which other teachers with more seniority do not
possess. This bill could conceivably enable a school
district to "skip" single subject teachers who have the
"recognition of study" designation, which could help
districts maintain stable staffing in their linked
learning career pathways programs.
6) Prior and related legislation .
SB 974 (Steinberg) establishes Career Pathways
Investment Credit beginning on or after January 1,
2011, to be administered by the California Tax
Credit Allocation Committee and to be allocated to
local education agencies (LEAs) for distribution to
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business entities that enter into contracts or
memoranda of understanding with LEAs to provide
career technical education through the creation of
career pathway programs. The bill was passed by
this Committee on April 21, 2010 on a 8-0 vote.
AB 2172 (Carter) requires the SPI to convene
an advisory group to review the recommendations of
the Multiple Pathway feasibility report and to
advise on the implementation of those
recommendations. This bill was held by the
Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 2445 (Furutani) requires, until December
31, 2015, the Superintendent to annually report to
the Legislature on the status of an advisory board
AB 2172 would create. This bill was held by the
Assembly Appropriations Committee.
AB 2648 (Bass, Chapter 681, Statutes of 2008)
established in statute a definition for multiple
pathway programs and required the Superintendent of
Public Instruction to develop, in conjunction with
specified entities, a report on the feasibility of
establishing and expanding additional multiple
pathway programs in California.
SUPPORT
California School Boards Association
California State University
Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Contra Costa Council
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Los Angeles Unified School District
Regional Economic Association Leaders of California
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
San Diego State University
OPPOSITION
California Agricultural Teachers Association
California Business Education Association
California Farm Bureau Federation