Amended in Assembly March 7, 2016

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 amended, Bonilla. Teacher credentialing: integrated programs of professional begin delete preparation: field experiences: student teaching. end delete begin insert preparation. end insert

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.

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This bill would authorize a postsecondary institution to offer a 4-year integrated program of professional preparation that allows a student to earn a baccalaureate degree and a preliminary multiple- or single-subject teaching credential, including student teaching requirements, concurrently and within 4 years of study.

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This bill would, contingent upon appropriation of funds in the annual Budget Act or another statute, require the commission to develop and implement a program to award 40 grants of $250,000 each to postsecondary institutions for the development of transition plans to guide the creation of 4-year integrated programs of professional preparation, as provided.

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This bill would make findings and declarations relating to teachers and teacher credentialing.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

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begin insert The Legislature finds and declares all of the
following: end insert

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(a) In mid-October 2015, after the school year had begun, there
were more than 3,900 open teaching positions available in
California.

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(b) During the last decade, enrollment in teacher credentialing
programs has dropped more than 70 percent.

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(c) Most students who would like to become teachers are
required to pay for a fifth year of school in order to earn their
teaching credentials.

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(d) This fifth year in school costs these students an additional
year of tuition and living expenses and delays their entrance into
the workforce.

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(e) These students must also complete their student teaching
requirements, and, during the period of student teaching, they have
no earning potential because they work full time without
compensation.

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(f) Ensuring that a student can earn a baccalaureate degree
and teaching credential and complete the required student teaching
within four years will decrease the amount of debt students must
take on in order to complete their teacher training.

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(g) Creating four-year, integrated programs of professional
preparation will support students in a sustainable manner and for
decades into the future.

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begin delete SECTION 1. end delete
begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

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 educational institutions. An integrated
program shall provide opportunities for candidates to complete
intensive field experiences, including student teaching, 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
educational institutions and local public elementary and secondary
school districts.

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(2) A postsecondary institution may offer a four-year integrated
program of professional preparation that allows a student to earn
a baccalaureate degree and a preliminary multiple- or
single-subject teaching credential, including student teaching
requirements, concurrently and within four years of study.

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(2)

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begin insert (3) end insert  The commission shall encourage postsecondary educational
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 educational institution and local public
elementary and secondary school districts.

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(e) The commission shall develop and implement a program to
award 40 one-year grants of two hundred fifty thousand dollars
($250,000) each to postsecondary institutions for the development
of transition plans to guide the creation four-year integrated
programs of professional preparation.

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(1) A postsecondary institution awarded a grant under this
subdivision may use the transition plan to create a new four-year
integrated program of professional preparation or to adapt an
existing integrated program of professional preparation.

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(2) A postsecondary institution awarded a grant under this
section may partner with a California Community College to create
a four-year integrated program of professional preparation.

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(3) A postsecondary institution awarded a grant under this
section may use grant funds for any proper purpose in support of
planning for a four-year integrated program of professional
preparation, including, but not limited to any of the following:

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(A) To provide faculty release time to redesign existing courses.

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(B) To provide program coordinators to assist in collaboration
with subject-matter professors and pedagogy professors.

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(C) To create summer courses for students in a four-year
integrated program of professional preparation.

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(4) The commission may reserve some of the 40 grants to
provide a second grant to some or all of the postsecondary
institutions awarded grants pursuant to this subdivision for the
subsequent fiscal year.

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(5) The requirements of this subdivision are contingent upon
appropriation of funds for purposes of this subdivision in the
annual Budget Act or another statute.

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