BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2353
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Date of Hearing: April 20 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:
1)Provides for a Crosscultural, Language, and Academic
Development (CLAD) Certificate, which requires preparation in
culture and cultural diversity.
2)Requires coursework in culturally responsive education to be
included in teacher and school administrator preparation
programs.
3)Requires beginning teachers to complete an induction program
prior to receiving a clear credential, and requires induction
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programs to include culturally responsive instruction.
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
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
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another curriculum. Moreover, a curriculum, by itself, has
limited value unless it is by a qualified provider.
An alternative approach. 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 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 further 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.
Access to existing funding. The education trailer bill to the
2015-16 budget (AB 104, Chapter 13, Statutes of 2015)
appropriated $500 million for educator improvement, of which
$490 million may be used by local education agencies (LEAs) for
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professional development for teachers and school administrators,
including, but not limited to, induction programs for beginning
teachers and administrators and mentoring and support for
teachers who have been identified as needing improvement. LEAs
may spend the funds over a three-year period, ending in 2017-18.
Staff recommends that the bill be amended to specify that the
educator improvement funds may also be used for professional
development programs in culturally responsive instruction.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
American Civil Liberties Union
Association of California School Administrators
California Federation of Teachers
California Immigrant Policy Center
Children Now
Los Angeles Unified School District
Public Advocates
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Opposition
None received
Analysis Prepared by:Rick Pratt / ED. / (916) 319-2087