SB 368, as amended, Pavley. Teachers: added authorization in special education.
Existing law establishes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and authorizes the commission to issue teaching and service credentials, including a special education credential. Existing law also authorizes the commission to grant an added or supplementary authorization to a credentialholder who has met the requirements and standards of the commission for the added or supplementary authorization.
This bill would authorize program sponsors, as defined, to offer comparability and equivalency, as those terms are defined,begin delete forend deletebegin insert toend insert a special education credentialholder seeking to add a special education authorization to his or her special education credential
in accordance with specified guidelines and criteria.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 44265.2 is added to the Education Code,
2to read:
(a) A program sponsor may offer comparability and
4equivalencybegin delete forend deletebegin insert toend insert a special education credentialholder seeking to
5add a special education authorization to his or her credential. The
6following are guidelines for offering comparability and
7equivalency, subject to criteria and guidelines issued by the
8commission:
9(1) Decisions regarding comparability are at the discretion of
10the program sponsor.
11(2) A program sponsor has a broad range of
possible data that
12may be considered as evidence for comparability.
13(3) For a candidate simultaneously pursuing a degree in addition
14to earning a credential, a program sponsor may use its own
15institutional process and procedure for course credit evaluations.
16(b) Evidence used to verify competency may include the
17following, subject to criteria and guidelines issued by the
18commission:
19(1) Examination results.
20(2) A portfolio.
21(3) A performance narrative.
22(4) Field experience.
23(5) Video.
24(6) Transcripts.
25(7) Prior learning assessment.
26(8) A review board process.
27(c) A program sponsor may use the following to evaluate
28evidence for comparability presented by a candidate, subject to
29criteria and guidelines issued by the commission:
30(1) Whether the information is based on current, adopted
31California credential standards, as appropriate to the authorization
32sought.
P3 1(2) Whether a written agreement between the candidate and
2program sponsor is evidence based, as appropriate to the
3authorization
sought.
4(3) Whether the information is aligned with the California
5Standards for the Teaching Profession.
6(d) Flexible enrollment may be considered for a candidate who
7needs minimal work to complete a credential program. A program
8sponsor may explore alternatives for candidate enrollment in the
9program, including, but not limited to, visitor status, concurrent
10enrollment, open university, county or district programs, university
11extension programs, and professional development activities.
12(e) A program sponsor may take advantage of frequent
13collaborations to formalize a written agreement concerning
14comparability of coursework or fieldwork. The agreement may be
15created to meet the needs of the individual program or the
16individual
candidate.
17(f) A candidate may be granted recognition and credit for his
18or her life and learning experience through a prior learning
19assessment in which the candidate has the opportunity to
20demonstrate how his or her experience and learning are comparable
21to the commission program standard.
22(g) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
23(1) “Equivalency” means the determination, through an
24evaluation process, that a set of knowledge, skills, and abilities
25required by a commission program standard has been met through
26coursework, fieldwork, or prior learning experience.
27(2) “Comparability” means the determination that a candidate
28has
demonstrated the essence of a set of knowledge, skills, and
29abilities required by a commission program standard through
30another route.
31(3) “Prior learning assessment” means a process through which
32a person develops a portfolio of life experiences, training, or
33preparation experience that establishes the basis for meeting the
34commission program standard.
35(4) “Program sponsor” meansbegin delete anyend deletebegin insert aend insert university-based or local
36educational agency-based program approved by the commission.
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