BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 100
AUTHOR: Correa
INTRODUCED: January 27, 2009
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: April 1, 2009
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT: Lynn Lorber
SUBJECT : Gifted and Talented Pupils
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing
and the California Department of Education to ensure that
specified programs include training for staff to identify
gifted and talented pupils from traditionally
underrepresented populations.
BACKGROUND
Gifted and talented education (GATE) provides
differentiated curriculum for gifted and talented pupils,
defined as those who have been identified as having
demonstrated or potential abilities that give evidence of
high performance capability. These abilities are defined
by each school district in accordance with regulations
adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE). Current law
requires each district to use one or more of the following
categories in defining the capability: intellectual,
creative, specific academic or leadership ability, high
achievement, performing and visual arts talent, or other
criterion that meets standards set by the SBE.
School districts are authorized to establish programs for
gifted and talented pupils and have the responsibility for
the development of a method for the identification of
pupils as gifted and talented. The method of
identification must be included in the district's
application to operate the program submitted to the
Superintendent of Public Instruction, and must conform to
specified general principles, including, methods to seek
out and identify gifted and talented students from varying
linguistic, economic, and cultural backgrounds.
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There are approximately 530,000 identified GATE students in
California.
The GATE funding formula is based on the average daily
attendance for all students in a school district. Schools
receive about $9 per student for GATE.
The 2009-10 Budget appropriated $50,885,000 for GATE, with
an additional $4,294,000 deferred to the 2010-11 fiscal
year. GATE funding is included in the categorical program
flexibility (Tier III), allowing school districts to use
GATE funding for any educational purpose for the 2008-09
fiscal year to the 2012-13 fiscal year. GATE funding was
reduced by 15.38% in 2008-09, and faces an additional 4.46%
reduction in 2009-10.
ANALYSIS
This bill requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing
and the California Department of Education to ensure that
specified programs include training for staff to identify
gifted and talented pupils from traditionally
underrepresented populations. Specifically, this bill:
1) Requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)
to review its criteria for the approval of teacher and
administrator preparation programs to ensure that
those programs include training on the identification
and appropriate instruction of gifted and talented
pupils.
2) Requires the California Department of Education (CDE)
to ensure that each staff person providing or
receiving services within any of the programs listed
below is trained to allow and encourage the staff
person to identify gifted and talented pupils from
traditionally underrepresented populations.
3) Requires the CDE to consult, in the development of any
training provided pursuant to this bill, with
professional organizations representing teachers,
administrators and parents.
4) Affects the following programs:
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a) After school.
b) Pupil retention block grant.
c) Professional development block grant.
d) Beginning teacher support and assessment
system.
e) Administrator training.
f) High priority schools grant.
g) Mathematics and reading professional
development.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) After school program staff . This bill requires the
California Department of Education (CDE) to ensure
that each staff person working in an after school
program is trained to identify gifted and talented
pupils. After school staff are not teachers and may
provide tutoring but do not provide
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instruction. Is it appropriate to require all after
school staff to be trained to identify gifted and
talented pupils? Staff recommends an amendment to
delete reference to after school programs from this
bill.
2) Fiscal impact . The Commission on Teacher
Credentialing (CTC) and CDE are likely to incur
significant costs to review and modify teacher
preparation and training programs.
3) Categorical flexibility . As mentioned in the
Background section of this analysis, gifted and
talented education (GATE) funding is included in the
Tier III categorical flexibility provided by the
2009-10 Budget Act (subject to cuts and flexibility).
All of the other programs listed in this bill, with
the exception of after school programs, are in Tier
III. It is unclear how this will affect programs
included in that flexibility.
4) Prior legislation . SB 736 (Correa, 2007) was very
similar to this bill. SB 736 passed this
Committee on a 9-0 vote on April 26, 2007. SB 736 was
held on the Assembly Appropriations Committee's
suspense file.
SUPPORT
American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
Los Angeles County Office of Education
OPPOSITION
California Federation of Teachers