BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Alan Lowenthal, Chair
2011-12 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 941
AUTHOR: Committee on Education
AMENDED: April 25, 2011
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: May 4, 2011
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill
SUBJECT : Teacher credentialing: Technical Clean-up
SUMMARY
This bill corrects technical errors and oversights, and makes
numerous non-controversial and conforming changes to various
provisions of the Education Code relating to teacher
credentialing.
BACKGROUND
This bill is one of the annual Education Code clean up bills
that makes various non-controversial revisions to statute.
This education omnibus bill corrects errors, resolves
conflicts, and deletes obsolete references that relate to
state education agencies such as the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing (Commission).
By tradition, objection to any provision by the agency
affected, the Department of Finance, or any of the four
legislative caucuses prevents that provision from being
included in this bill.
ANALYSIS
This bill corrects technical errors and oversights, and makes
numerous non-controversial and conforming changes to various
provisions of the Education Code. Specifically, this bill:
1) Replaces the obsolete term "professional clear" with
"clear" for second level educator credentials.
2) Specifies that the Commission may waive the experience
requirement for an out-of-state applicant who applies
for a clear credential if the applicant holds a valid
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equivalent credential or certificate or has completed
equivalent requirements as determined by the Commission.
3) Deletes date references to the Standards of Quality and
Effectiveness for Beginning Teacher Support and
Assessment Programs adopted by the Commission and to the
California Standards for the Teaching Profession.
4) Authorizes a beginning teacher to "clear" his or her
credential through an approved clear credential program
when a beginning teacher induction program is not
available.
5) Deletes Education Code sections that are outdated and
duplicative of existing code sections relating to
beginning teacher support.
6) Replaces outdated language requiring the Commission to
replace the system of program approval that existed in
1970 with language requiring the Commission to implement
a system of ongoing evaluation and revision of
accreditation practices.
7) Deletes outdated language pertaining to an external
evaluation of accreditation policies in accordance with
the accreditation framework in effect in 1993 and
updates intent language referring to modification of the
framework.
8) Makes policies pertaining to National Board
Certification consistent by requiring the Commission to
issue a California credential who has earned
certification from the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards (NBPTS) in an additional single
subject content area.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Outdated terminology . SB 941 eliminates outdated
terminology that creates confusion. The term
"professional clear" denotes a credential for which
there are professional growth requirements for renewal.
SB 1209 (Scott, Chapter 517, 2006) removed the
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professional growth requirement for credential renewal.
The term "clear" credential is now the appropriate and
commonly used term.
2) Outdated references . Credential program standards for
beginning teacher induction programs and the California
Standards for the Teaching Profession have been updated
twice since 1997. By eliminating the specific date,
this bill allows the references to align with the most
current versions and allows for a continued update and
approval process without the need to update the statute.
This bill updates code sections that refer to completed work
and reports. Education Code §44371 requires the
Commission to replace the system for program approval,
as established by the Teacher Preparation and Licensing
Act of 1970. The system of program approval has been
updated several times since that date. By stating that
the system be evaluated and revised on an ongoing basis
the bill reflects the current practice of the Commission
to review and update its accreditation policies on a
cyclical basis. Education Code § 44372 refers to an
evaluation of accreditation policies to be conducted in
accordance with the accreditation framework that was in
effect in 1993. This work has long since been completed
and the framework has been updated. The current
accreditation framework was adopted in 2007 and updated
in 2008 to reflect the adoption of common standards that
apply to all credential programs.
This bill also deletes two code sections (§ 44279.5 and §
44279.6) that duplicate legislative intent language
relating to beginning teacher induction that is found in
§ 44279.1 of the Education Code and reference Education
Code sections as they read in 1992, but no longer
contain the appropriate reference.
3) Consistent credential practices . Education Code §
44274.2 requires teachers prepared out of state, who
have less than two years of teaching experience, to
complete a beginning teacher induction program for the
clear credential while serving on a preliminary
credential. Current law requires an out-of-state
teacher who is earning both a clear special education
credential and a clear multiple or single subject
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teaching credential to first hold preliminary
credentials in both areas; a requirement that does not
apply to teachers who are prepared in-state. The new
special education induction program covers all of the
competencies needed for a multiple or single subject
clear credential. This bill allows an out-of-state
credential applicants who completes a special education
induction program to add the clear multiple or single
subject clear credential without first having to "buy" a
preliminary credential.
This bill would allow teachers to add a new subject or
credential type based on the National Board for
Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Teachers
completing the process to become certified by the NBPTS
must pass a subject matter examination to demonstrate
content knowledge, and must complete a one to three year
process demonstrating their teaching skills, mastery of
subject matter, and master of subject-specific pedagogy.
Current law allows the use of National Board
Certification as a means to "clear" a credential or to
add an English Learner authorization, but does not allow
the NBPTS to provide the basis of adding a new subject
or credential type. Under current law, a teacher
certified in one subject who earns NBPTS certification
in another subject must still demonstrate subject matter
competency, usually by passing the California Subject
Examination for Teachers in the content area, creating
redundancy and extra expense for the teacher.
SUPPORT
None received.
OPPOSITION
None received.