BILL NUMBER: AB 2560	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bonilla

                        FEBRUARY 21, 2014

   An act to amend Section 44252 of the Education Code, relating to
teacher credentialing.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2560, as introduced, Bonilla. Teacher credentialing: renewal:
child abuse reporting.
   Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to
establish standards and procedures for the initial issuance and
renewal of teaching credentials.
   Existing law, the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, requires
a mandated reporter, as defined to include a teacher, to report
whenever he or she, in his or her professional capacity or within the
scope of his or her employment, has knowledge of or observes a child
whom the mandated reporter knows or reasonably suspects has been the
victim of child abuse or neglect.
   This bill would require the commission, as part of its standards
and procedures for renewal of teaching credentials, to require an
applicant who renews his or her credential online to read and attest
by an electronic signature a statement that the applicant understands
the duties imposed on a teacher by the act, as provided. The bill
would also make nonsubstantive changes.
   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.  Section 44252 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   44252.  (a)  (1)    The commission shall
establish standards and procedures for the initial issuance and
renewal of credentials. 
   (2) The commission shall require an applicant who renews his or
her credential online, as part of the renewal process, to read and
attest by electronic signature a statement that the applicant for
renewal understands the duties imposed on a teacher pursuant to the
Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (Article. 2.5 (commencing with
Section 11164) of Chapter 2 of Title 1 of Part 4 of the Penal Code),
including, but not limited to, the duty of a teacher to report to any
police department, sheriff's department, county probation department
authorized to receive reports, or county welfare department,
whenever he or she, in his or her professional capacity or within the
scope of his or her employment, has knowledge of or observes a child
whom the teacher knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of
child abuse or neglect. 
   (b) The commission shall not issue initially a credential, permit,
certificate, or renewal of an emergency credential to a person to
serve in the public schools unless the person has demonstrated
proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the
English language as provided in Section 44252.5 or Section 44252.7.
The commission shall exempt the following persons from the basic
skills proficiency test requirement:
   (1) A person credentialed solely for the purpose of teaching
adults in an apprenticeship program.
   (2) An applicant for an adult education designated subject
credential for other than an academic subject.
   (3) A person credentialed in another state who is an applicant for
employment in a school district in this state who has passed a basic
skills proficiency examination administered by the state where the
person is credentialed.
   (4) A person credentialed in another state who is an applicant for
employment in a school district in this state who has passed a basic
skills proficiency examination that has been developed and
administered by the school district offering that person employment,
by cooperating school districts, or by the appropriate county office
of education. School districts administering a basic skills
proficiency examination under this paragraph shall comply with the
requirements of subdivision (h) of Section 44830. The applicant shall
be granted a nonrenewable credential, valid for not longer than one
year, pending fulfillment of the basic skills proficiency requirement
pursuant to Section 44252.5.
   (5) An applicant for a child care center permit or a permit
authorizing service in a development center for the handicapped, so
long as the holder of the permit is not required to have a
baccalaureate degree.
   (6) The holder of a credential, permit, or certificate to teach,
other than an emergency permit, who seeks an additional authorization
to teach.
   (7) An applicant for a credential to provide service in the health
profession.
   (8) An applicant who achieves scores on the writing, reading, and
mathematics sections of the College Board SAT Reasoning Test, the
enhanced ACT Test, or the California State University Early
Assessment Program that are sufficient to waive the English placement
test and the entry level mathematics examination administered by the
California State University.
   (9) An applicant for an eminence credential to be issued pursuant
to Section 44262.
   (c)  (1)   The Superintendent shall adopt an
appropriate state test to measure proficiency in these basic skills.
In adopting the test, the Superintendent shall seek assistance from
the commission and an advisory board. A majority of the members of
the advisory board shall be classroom teachers. The  advisory
 board also shall include representatives of school boards,
school administrators, parents, and postsecondary educational
institutions. 
   The 
    (2)     The  Superintendent shall
adopt a normed test that the Superintendent determines will
sufficiently test basic skills for purposes of this section. 

   The 
    (3)     The Superintendent, in
conjunction with the commission and approved teacher training
institutions, shall take steps necessary to ensure the effective
implementation of this section.
   (d) This section does not require the holders of, or applicants
for, a designated subjects special subjects credential to pass the
state basic skills proficiency test unless the requirements for the
specific credential required the possession of a baccalaureate
degree. The governing board of  each   
 a  school district, or  each   the
 governing board of a consortium of school districts, or
 each   the  governing board involved in a
joint powers agreement, which employs a holder of a designated
subjects special subjects credential shall establish its own basic
skills proficiency criteria for the holders of these credentials and
shall arrange for those individuals to be assessed. The basic skills
proficiency criteria established by the governing board shall be at
least equivalent to the test required by the district, or in the case
of a consortium or a joint powers agreement, by any of the
participating districts, for graduation from high school. The
governing board or boards may charge a fee to individuals being
tested to cover the costs of the test, including the costs of
developing, administering, and grading the test.
   (e) The commission shall compile data regarding the rate of
passing the state basic skills proficiency test by persons who have
been trained in various institutions of higher education. The data
shall be available to members of the public, including to persons who
intend to enroll in teacher education programs.
   (f)  (1)    Each applicant to an approved
credential program, unless exempted by subdivision (b), shall take
the state basic skills proficiency test in order to provide both the
prospective applicant and the program with information regarding the
proficiency level of the applicant. Test results shall be forwarded
to each California postsecondary educational institution to which the
applicant has applied. The program shall use test results to ensure
that, upon admission, each applicant receives appropriate academic
assistance necessary to pass the state basic skills proficiency test.
Persons residing outside the state shall take the test no later than
the second available administration following their enrollment in a
credential program. 
   It 
    (2)     It  is the intent of the
Legislature that applicants for admission to teacher preparation
programs not be denied admission on the basis of state basic skills
proficiency test results.