California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1756

Introduced by Assembly Member Bonilla

February 2, 2016

An act to amend Section 44259.1 of the Education Code, relating to teacher credentialing.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1756, as introduced, Bonilla. Teacher credentialing: integrated programs of professional preparation: field experiences: student teaching.

Existing law establishes minimum requirements for the issuance of a preliminary multiple or single subject teaching credential by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Among other requirements, existing law requires satisfactory completion of a program of professional preparation accredited by the Committee on Accreditation, but specifies that the program shall not include more than two years of full-time study, except for certain programs, including for integrated programs of subject matter and professional preparation. Existing law requires an integrated program of professional preparation to enable candidates for teaching credentials to engage in professional preparation, concurrently with subject matter preparation, while completing baccalaureate degrees at regionally accredited postsecondary institutions, and to provide opportunities for candidates to complete intensive field experiences in public elementary and secondary schools early in the undergraduate sequence.

This bill would require those intensive field experiences to include student teaching.

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 44259.1 of the Education Code is
amended to read:

44259.1.  

(a) (1) An integrated program of professional
preparation shall enable candidates for teaching credentials to
engage in professional preparation, concurrently with subject matter
preparation, while completing baccalaureate degrees at regionally
accredited postsecondary begin insert educational end insert institutions. An integrated
program shall provide opportunities for candidates to complete
intensive field begin delete experiences end delete begin insert experiences, including student teaching, end insert
in public elementary and secondary schools early in the
undergraduate sequence. The development and implementation of
an integrated program shall be based on intensive collaboration
among subject matter departments and education units within
postsecondary begin insert educational end insert institutions and local public elementary
and secondary school districts.

(2) The commission shall encourage postsecondary begin insert educational end insert
institutions to offer integrated programs of professional preparation
that follow the guidelines developed pursuant to this section. In
approving integrated programs, the commission shall not
compromise or reduce its standards of subject matter preparation
pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 44310) or its
standards of professional preparation pursuant to paragraph (3) of
subdivision (b) of Section 44259.

(b) (1) Commencing with the 2005-06 school year, an
integrated program offered by the California State University shall
be designed to concurrently lead to a preliminary multiple subject
or single subject teaching credential, and a baccalaureate degree.
Recommendation for each shall be contingent upon satisfactory
completion of the requirements for each.

(2) By July 1, 2004, the Chancellor of the California State
University, in consultation with California State University faculty
members, shall develop a framework defining appropriate balance
for an integrated program of general education, subject matter
preparation, and professional education courses, for both lower
division and upper division students, including an appropriate
range of units to be taken in professional education courses. In
developing the framework, the Chancellor of the California State
University and California State University faculty members shall
consult with the Academic Senate for the California Community
Colleges on matters related to the effective and efficient use of,
and appropriate role for, lower division coursework in an integrated
program.

(c) (1) By January 1, 2005, the Chancellor of the California
State University and the Chancellor of the California Community
Colleges shall collaboratively ensure that both of the following
occur:

(A) Lower division coursework completed by a community
college student transferring to a California State University
integrated program is articulated with the corresponding
coursework of the California State University.

(B) The articulated community college lower division
coursework is accepted as the equivalent to the coursework offered
to students who enter that integrated program as freshman students.

(2) Commencing with the 2005-06 school year, each campus
of the California State University shall invite the community
colleges in its region that send significant numbers of transfer
students to that campus to enter into articulation agreements. These
articulation agreements shall be based on a fully transferable
education curriculum that is developed pursuant to the framework
developed under paragraph (2) of subdivision (b). Approval of one
or more of the articulation agreements will enable the coursework
of a community college student to be accepted as the equivalent
to the coursework offered to students who enter that integrated
program as freshman students.

(d) A postbaccalaureate program of professional preparation
shall enable candidates for teaching credentials to commence and
complete professional preparation after they have completed
baccalaureate degrees at regionally accredited institutions. The
development and implementation of a postbaccalaureate program
of professional preparation shall be based on intensive collaboration
among the postsecondary begin insert educational end insert institution and local public
elementary and secondary school districts.