BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    






                          SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
                               Gloria Romero, Chair
                            2009-2010 Regular Session
                                         

          BILL NO:       AB 2160
          AUTHOR:        Bass
          AMENDED:       April 6, 2010
          FISCAL COMM:   Yes            HEARING DATE:  June 16, 2010
          URGENCY:       No             CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill

          SUBJECT  :  Teacher credentialing:  Instruction to pupils with  
          autism.
          
           SUMMARY  

          This bill extends until October 1, 2013, employment options  
          that allow teachers who hold a credential authorizing them to  
          teach students with mild to moderate disabilities to also  
          serve students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).  

           BACKGROUND  

          Existing law authorizes the Commission on Teacher  
          Credentialing (CTC) to issue credentials for teaching  
          specialties, including bilingual education, early childhood  
          education, and special education.  Education specialist  
          credentials authorize a holder to teach special education  
          students in various areas of specialization such as  
          mild/moderate disabilities, moderate/severe disabilities,  
          deaf and hard of hearing, visual impairments, physical and  
          health impairments, and early childhood special education.   
          (Education Code  44225)  

          Existing law requires the CTC to report to the Legislature  
          and the Governor by December 1, 2007, on the current existing  
          process and requirements for obtaining a specialist  
          credential in special education and recommend modifications  
          to enhance and expedite these procedures.  (EC  44265.1)  

          Existing law, AB 2302 (Bass, Chapter 41, 2008), outlines  
          temporary options authorizing local education agencies and  
          schools to assign teachers who hold a Level 1 Education  
          Specialist Credential authorizing the instruction of students  
          with mild/moderate disabilities to serve students with ASD.   
          Existing law makes this employment option inoperative on  
          August 31, 2011, or two years after the CTC adopts  



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          regulations to implement the recommendations in the 2007  
          report, whichever occurs first and is repealed on January 1,  
          2012, unless a later enacted statute extends or deletes the  
          sunset date.  (EC  44265.1)

          To be assigned under these options, a teacher must have  
          either:  

              Provided full-time instruction for at least one year  
               prior to September 1, 2007, in a special education  
               program that serves pupils with autism pursuant to their  
               individualized education programs and received a  
               favorable evaluation or recommendation to teach pupils  
               with autism from the local educational agency or school;  
               or 

              Completed a minimum of three semester units of  
               coursework in the subject of autism offered by a  
               regionally accredited institution of higher education.  

           ANALYSIS  

           This bill  :

          1)   Extends to October 1, 2013, the options authorizing  
               local education agencies and schools to assign teachers  
               with a mild/moderate education specialist credential to  
               teach pupils with ASD.  

          2)   Repeals the December 2007 reporting requirement because  
               the CTC satisfied the requirement.  

          3)   Removes the Level 1 limitation on the options, thus  
               allowing Level II education specialist credential  
               holders who meet the specified requirements to be  
               assigned to teach children with ASD.  

           STAFF COMMENTS  

           1)   Need for the bill  :  Historically, students with autism  
               were placed in classroom settings taught by special  
               education teachers authorized to provide instruction to  
               students with moderate/severe disabilities.  Today,  
               autism is considered to be part of a group of disorders  
               known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that cause a  
               range of difficulties including language delays,  
               communication problems, limited social skills, and  



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               repetitive and other unusual behaviors.  According to  
               the California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on  
               Autism, schools in California have seen a doubling of  
               students with ASD in the past five years, exacerbating  
               the existing shortage of special education teachers.  

          In its 2007 report, the CTC found that while pupils with  
               milder forms of ASD may be appropriately placed in  
               classrooms with other students who have mild to moderate  
               disabilities, districts experience challenges in placing  
               students in these classrooms because the mild/moderate  
               education specialist credential did not authorize  
               teaching pupils with ASD.  

          Although the CTC has adopted regulations that enable existing  
               special education teachers to add an authorization for  
               autism spectrum disorders to their credential, the  
               author maintains that the 2011 sunset date specified in  
               current law may not provide sufficient time for these  
               teachers to complete the training required for the added  
               authorization.  By extending the sunset date to October  
               1, 2013, the author hopes AB 2160 will maintain the  
               bridge that is enabling special education teachers to  
               work with ASD pupils while they complete requirements  
               and coursework necessary for the added authorization.  

           2)   New regulations  .  The 2007 report the CTC submitted to  
               the Legislature and the Governor included various  
               recommendations to enhance the requirements and process  
               for education specialist credentials.  Key  
               recommendations included the need to ensure that that  
               all future special education credential candidates  
               receive appropriate training to provide instructional  
               services to pupils with ASD and the need to provide  
               routes for existing special education teachers to become  
               authorized to provide services to ASD pupils.  Based on  
               recommendations contained in the report, the CTC  
               approved new pathways for existing special education  
               teachers to voluntarily become authorized to teach  
               students with ASD.  The following authorizations were  
               approved by the Office of Administrative Law on July 3,  
               2009.  

               a)        Added Authorization for Autism Spectrum  
                    Disorders:  This authorization allows any existing  
                    special education credential holder who completes a  
                    Commission-approved program for this authorization  



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                    to teach students with ASD.  

               b)        Special Education Limited Assignment Permit:   
                    This permit, which establishes requirements that  
                    mirror the employment options authorized by AB  
                    2302, allows a special education teacher to teach  
                    pupils with ASD while they are completing the  
                    requirements for the ASD added authorization or  
                    completing requirements for the moderate/severe  
                    education specialist credential.  

           3)   Related and prior legislation  .  

                        AB 2302 (Bass, Chapter 41, 2008) authorizes  
                    until August 31, 2011, local education agencies to  
                    assign special education teachers with a Level  
                    credential for mild/moderate disabilities to teach  
                    ASD pupils.  

                        SB 51 (Perata, Chapter 124, Statutes of 2005)  
                    established a sixteen-member California Blue Ribbon  
                    Commission on Autism.  The Commission submitted its  
                    finding and recommendations to the Governor and the  
                    Legislature in September 2007.  

           SUPPORT
           
          California Association of School Psychologists
          California School Boards Association
          Commission on Teacher Credentialing
          Los Angeles County Office of Education

           OPPOSITION
           
          None received.