BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2353
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Date of Hearing: April 13, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Patrick O'Donnell, Chair
AB 2353
(McCarty) - As Introduced February 18, 2016
SUBJECT: Teacher professional development: culturally
responsive instruction
SUMMARY: Requires the California Department of Education (CDE)
to develop a curriculum for professional development in covering
culturally responsive instruction and make this curriculum
available as part of the department's continuing education and
professional development programs for teachers.
EXISTING LAW: Requires training in culturally responsive
instruction to be a part of preservice preparation programs for
teachers and school administrators and a part of induction
programs for beginning teachers.
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: California policy has recognized the value and
importance of culturally responsive instruction for many years,
in particular (but not exclusively) as it applies to English
learners. In 1994, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing
(CTC) began awarding the Crosscultural, Language, and Academic
Development (CLAD) Certificate, which requires preparation in
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culture and cultural diversity. In 2006, the standards for CLAD
certification were updated and now require teachers to pass the
California Teachers of English Learners (CETL) Examination. The
CETL exam assesses several domains, including "Culture and
Cultural Diversity and Their Relationship to Academic
Achievement," and "Culturally Inclusive Instruction."
In addition to CLAD certification, all teacher and administrator
preparation programs in California include required coursework
in cultural competency. Beginning teachers are required to
complete an induction program, which provides further
development in cultural competency.
In addition to required coursework and professional development
in cultural competency, professional associations and academic
institutions have provided frameworks and curricula in this
area. These include the Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, the National Education Association, and
Edutopia.
Given the existence of preservice and inservice training
requirements and the availability of professional development
curricula from other sources, it is not clear what gap would be
filled by requiring the CDE to develop and post on its website
another curriculum. Moreover, a curriculum, by itself, has
limited value unless it is delivered by a qualified provider.
The CDE currently maintains a web site that contains links to
professional development programs in 43 different subject areas,
such as English learners, visual and performing arts, and
technology. Staff recommends that this bill be amended to
delete its current requirements and instead require the CDE to
include a link to professional development programs related to
culturally responsive instruction among the other links it
already provides. This would eliminate the need for the CDE to
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create another curriculum (when others already exist) and would
be more useful to teachers and other educators than a
stand-alone curriculum that has no provider.
Linkage to Local Control and Accountability Plans. Culturally
responsive instruction has been shown to be positively
correlated with higher levels of academic achievement. Having
staff trained in culturally responsive instruction can also lead
to improvements in overall school climate, and school climate
is, itself, related to improved academic outcomes. That is why
it is one of the eight state priorities schools are required to
address in their Local Control and Accountability Plans (LCAPs).
In recognition of this, and to encourage school districts and
county offices of education to offer professional development in
culturally responsive instruction, staff recommends that the
bill to be amended to specify that one measure of school
climate, for purposes of the LCAP, may be the extent to which
teachers and other school staff, as appropriate, have received
or are receiving professional development in culturally
responsive instruction.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
American Civil Liberties Union
California Federation of Teachers
AB 2353
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Opposition
None received
Analysis Prepared by:Rick Pratt / ED. / (916) 319-2087