BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 941
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Date of Hearing: June 22, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
SB 941 (Committee on Education) - As Amended: June 14, 2011
SENATE VOTE : 39-0
SUBJECT : Teachers: credentialing.
SUMMARY : Makes numerous non-controversial and conforming
changes to various provisions of the Education Code relating to
teacher credentialing. Specifically, this bill :
1) Replaces the obsolete term "professional clear credential"
with "clear credential."
2) Authorizes an out of state dually-certified teacher
credential applicant who has earned a clear special
education credential to also earn a clear general education
credential without first obtaining and paying for a
preliminary general education credential.
3) Deletes references to the date of adoption of the Standards
of Quality and Effectiveness for Beginning Teacher Support
and Assessment Programs adopted by the CTC and to the
California Standards for the Teaching Profession.
4) Authorizes the CTC to waive the beginning teacher induction
program for a teacher when a beginning teacher induction
program is not available, if the teacher completes an
approved clear credential program.
5) Deletes Education Code sections that are outdated and
duplicative of existing code sections relating to beginning
teacher support.
6) Deletes outdated language requiring the CTC to replace the
system of program approval that existed in 1970.
7) Deletes outdated language pertaining to an external
evaluation of accreditation policies in accordance with the
accreditation framework in effect in 1993 and the need to
modify the framework based on this evaluation.
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8) Clarifies National Board Certification and makes the
program consistent by requiring the CTC to issue a
California credential to a teacher who has earned
certification from the National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards (NBPTS) in an additional single subject
content area.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Assigns various duties to the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing.
2)Requires the CTC to replace the system of program approval
that existed in 1970.
3)Requires an external evaluation of accreditation policies in
accordance with the accreditation framework in effect in 1993
and requires modification of the framework based on this
evaluation.
4)Authorizes a teacher who attains National Board Certification
to earn a clear credential when they possess a preliminary
credential.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : 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 the
CTC.
Outdated Terminology . This bill eliminates outdated terminology
such as "professional clear" teaching credential. The term
"professional clear" denotes a credential for which there are
professional growth requirements for renewal. SB 1209 (Scott,
Chapter 517, 2006) removed the professional growth requirement
for credential renewal. The term "clear" credential is now the
appropriate and commonly used term.
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 references to the specific adoption year, this bill
allows statute to align with the most current versions and
allows for a continued update and approval process without the
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need to update the statute.
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.
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 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
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subject matter competency, usually by passing the California
Subject Examination for Teachers in the content area, creating
redundancy and extra expense for the teacher.
Committee Amendment : To correct a drafting error, staff
recommends the bill be amended to clarify Section 44274.2 (d)(1)
as follows: However, an out-of-state prepared applicant in both
special education and general education, or both, who has earned
a clear California education specialist credential, shall be
granted a clear multiple subject or clear single subject
teaching credential without first holding a preliminary multiple
subject or single subject teaching credential, unless the
commission determines that the applicant does not meet the other
requirements of this subdivision.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
None on file.
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087