BILL NUMBER: SB 751 INTRODUCED
BILL TEXT
INTRODUCED BY Senator Romero
FEBRUARY 27, 2009
An act to amend Section 44275.4 of, and to add Article 14
(commencing with Section 44401) to Chapter 2 of Part 25 of Division 3
of Title 2 of, the Education Code, relating to teachers.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 751, as introduced, Romero. Teacher credentials.
(1) Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing
to issue a California teaching credential, including a 5-year
preliminary multiple subject teaching credential, a 5-year
preliminary single subject credential, or a 5-year preliminary
education specialist credential, to a teacher prepared in a country
other than the United States who meets specified requirements.
This bill would authorize the commission to issue a multiple
subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential
to a teacher prepared in a country other than the United States who
has earned a valid corresponding elementary, secondary, or special
education teaching credential in another state and who meets
specified requirements. The bill would also make various
nonsubstantive conforming changes.
(2) Existing law requires the commission to select, administer,
and interpret subject matter examinations, and provides that the
adequacy of subject matter preparation and the basis for assignment
of certified personnel is determined by the successful passage of a
subject matter examination, except as specifically waived pursuant to
specified provisions.
This bill would require a school district, county office of
education, or charter school that provides intensive examination
preparation courses for the purposes of preparing credentialholders
to demonstrate subject matter knowledge in mathematics or the
sciences to meet specified requirements. The bill would authorize
those local educational entities to contract with other specified
entities for services to provide intensive examination preparation
courses to assist teacher participants to prepare for taking
commission-approved subject matter examinations.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares as follows:
(1) High-quality mathematics and science education for all pupils
is essential to ensure that California remains a national and world
leader in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
(2) California's chronic shortage of credentialed mathematics and
science teachers prevents too many pupils from successfully acquiring
math and science skills necessary for postsecondary studies and
employment.
(3) In spite of gains in pupil achievement on the California
Standards Test in 2008, fewer than one-half of all pupils scored at
least proficient in mathematics, with far lower achievement scores
for Latino and African American pupils.
(b) It is the intent of the Legislature to increase the number of
credentialed mathematics and science teachers in California
classrooms to plant the seeds for increasing pupil achievement in
these critical content areas, and enhance the state's ability to
maintain economic competitiveness in the science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics fields.
SEC. 2. Section 44275.4 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44275.4. Notwithstanding any other provision of law:
(a) It is the intent of the Legislature that both of the following
occur:
(1) That this section provide flexibility to enable school
districts to recruit credentialed elementary, secondary, and special
education teachers prepared in countries other than the United States
to relocate temporarily or permanently to this state.
(2) That any and all teachers prepared in countries other than the
United States who are granted a California teaching credential
pursuant to this section fully meet the requirements of this state.
(b) Coursework, programs, or degrees completed at an institution
of higher education outside of the United States are acceptable
toward certification when the Commission on Teacher Credentialing or
an evaluating agency approved by the commission has determined that
the institution's coursework, programs, or degrees are equivalent to
those offered by a regionally accredited institution in the United
States. The commission reserves the right to accept or reject an
approved evaluating agency's determination. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this chapter, the commission shall issue a five-year
preliminary multiple subject teaching credential authorizing
instruction in a self-contained classroom , a five-year
preliminary single subject teaching credential authorizing
instruction in a departmentalized classroom , or a five-year
preliminary education specialist credential authorizing
instruction of special education pupils to a teacher prepared
in a country other than the United States who meets all of the
following requirements:
(1) The teacher holds or is eligible for a credential from another
country that required a baccalaureate or higher degree determined to
be equivalent to those offered by a regionally accredited
institution in the United States and completion of a professional
preparation program approved by the appropriate agency in the country
where the program was completed that requires the teacher to meet
requirements equivalent to the multiple or single subject teaching
credential requirements in Section 44259 or the special education
credential requirements described in Section 44265. The commission
shall determine the area of concentration for the California
education specialist credential based on the special education
program completed out of country.
(2) The teacher successfully completes a criminal background check
conducted pursuant to Sections 44339, 44340, and 44341 for
credentialing purposes.
(c) A teacher prepared in a country other than the United States
who has been issued by the commission a five-year preliminary
multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching
credential shall pass the state basic skills proficiency test,
administered by the commission pursuant to Section 44252, within one
year of the issuance date of the credential in order to be eligible
to continue teaching pursuant to this section.
(d) The commission shall issue a professional
clear multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist
teaching credential to a teacher prepared in a country other
than the United States who has met the requirements in subdivisions
(b) and (c) and who meets the following requirements:
(1) Demonstration of subject matter competence pursuant to
paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259.
(2) Completion of a course, or for multiple subject and education
specialist credentials, a course or an examination, on the various
methods of teaching reading pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision
(b) of Section 44259. Completion of coursework in another state or
country determined by the commission to be comparable and equivalent
shall meet this requirement.
(3) Completion of a course or examination on the provisions and
principles of the United States Constitution pursuant to paragraph
(6) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259. Completion of coursework in
another state or country determined by the commission to be
comparable and equivalent shall meet this requirement.
(4) Completion of the study of health education pursuant to
subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section
44259. Completion of coursework in another state or country
determined by the commission to be comparable and equivalent shall
meet this requirement.
(5) With the exception of the education specialist credential,
completion of study and field experience in methods of delivering
appropriate educational services to pupils with exceptional needs in
regular education programs. Completion of coursework in another state
or country determined by the commission to be comparable and
equivalent shall meet this requirement.
(6) Completion of the study of computer-based technology through
demonstration by course or examination of basic competence in the use
of computers in the classroom, and study of advanced computer-based
technology including the uses of technology in educational settings
pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 44259.
Completion of coursework in another state or country determined by
the commission as comparable and equivalent shall meet this
requirement.
(7) Completion of a beginning teacher induction program pursuant
to paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) of Section 44259.
(8) A teacher holding a specialist credential pursuant to this
section shall complete the requirements for nonspecial education
pedagogy and a supervised field experience program in general
education pursuant to Section 44265.
(9) A teacher holding a specialist credential pursuant to this
section shall complete a program for the Professional Level II
credential accredited by the commission.
(e) Notwithstanding subdivisions (b), (c), and (d), the commission
shall issue a multiple subject, single subject, or education
specialist teaching credential to a teacher prepared in a country
other than the United States who has earned a valid corresponding
elementary, secondary, or special education teaching credential in
another state and who meets the requirements set forth in Section
44274.2. A corresponding elementary, secondary, or special education
teaching credential earned in another state shall be deemed to
satisfy the teacher preparation program requirements specified in
paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 44274.2.
SEC. 3. Article 14 (commencing with Section 44401) is added to
Chapter 2 of Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code,
to read:
Article 14. Preparation Courses for Subject Matter Knowledge
in Mathematics and the Sciences
44401. (a) A school district, county office of education, or
charter school that provides intensive examination preparation
courses for the purpose of preparing multiple or single subject
credentialholders or education specialist credentialholders to
demonstrate subject matter knowledge in mathematics or the sciences
by a subject matter examination approved by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing shall do all of the following:
(1) Ensure that the program meets the domains for subject matter
understanding and skill adopted by the commission in the content
area.
(2) Provide guidance and information to each teacher participant
on the requirements for adding a new credential type.
(3) Monitor the progress of each teacher participant toward
meeting credential requirements for teaching mathematics and science,
and report annually to its governing board.
(b) A school district, county office of education, or charter
school may contract with other entities, including the California
subject matter projects administered by the University of California,
for services to provide intensive examination preparation courses to
assist teacher participants to prepare for taking
commission-approved subject matter examinations.