BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 916| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- THIRD READING Bill No: SB 916 Author: Allen (D), et al. Amended: 4/27/16 Vote: 21 SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 9-0, 4/20/16 AYES: Liu, Block, Hancock, Huff, Leyva, Mendoza, Monning, Pan, Vidak SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 5/27/16 AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza, Nielsen SUBJECT: Teacher credentialing SOURCE: California Alliance for Arts Education DIGEST: This bill adds dance and theatre credentials to the existing list of 13 single subject credentials the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) is authorized to issue. ANALYSIS: Existing law: 1) Authorizes the CTC to issue single subject teaching credentials in the following 13 subjects: agriculture, art, business, English, foreign language, health science, home economics, industrial and technology education, mathematics, music, physical education, science, and social science. The CTC is authorized to issue the single subject credential in foreign language with an authorization to teach Chinese, French, German, Russian, Spanish, or any other language that SB 916 Page 2 the CTC determines is appropriate. (Education Code § 44257) 2) Authorizes the CTC to issue a multiple or single subject teaching credential with a specified concentration in a particular subject based upon the depth of an applicant's preparation in an important subject of the school curriculum in order to ensure excellence in teaching in specific subjects. (Education Code § 44257.2) 3) Authorizes the CTC to issue credentials for teaching specialties, including bilingual education, early childhood education, and special education. Education specialist teaching credentials are to be based upon a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, completion of a program of professional preparation, and standards that the CTC may establish. (Education Code § 44265) 4) Specifies that school districts maintaining grades 7-12 must offer, among other courses, visual and performing arts, including art, music, theatre, or dance, with emphasis upon development of aesthetic appreciation and the skills of creative expression. (Education Code § 51220) This bill: 1)Adds dance and theatre credentials to the existing list of 13 single subject credentials the CTC is authorized to issue. 2)Provides that a person issued a single subject teaching credential in English before the establishment of a single subject teaching credential in theatre is authorized to teach theatre. Provides that a person pursuing a single subject teaching credential in English before the establishment of a single subject teaching credential in theatre shall not become subject to additional requirements as a result of the authorization of a theatre credential. 3)Provides that a person issued a single subject teaching credential in physical education before the establishment of a single subject teaching credential in dance is authorized to teach dance. Provides that a person pursuing a single subject teaching credential in physical education before the SB 916 Page 3 establishment of a single subject teaching credential in dance shall not become subject to additional requirements as a result of the authorization of a dance credential. 4)Provides that nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a school district from employing a person who holds a single subject teaching credential in another subject with an authorization to teach theatre from teaching theatre, or a person who holds a single subject teaching credential in another subject with an authorization to teach dance from teaching dance. Comments Need for the bill. According to the author's office, "in order to teach dance, a teacher must obtain a credential in physical education, even though the standards for teaching dance are separate from the standards for teaching physical education. Similarly, to teach theatre, an instructor must obtain an English credential, even though an English credential provides no training in theatre instruction. Dance and theatre are the only two subject areas with discrete subject standards that are not taught under their own single-subject credential." The author's office indicates that dance and theatre undergraduate majors are prevalent in California with 73 public and private colleges and universities offering dance majors, and 131 colleges offering theatre majors. These students earning degrees in dance or theatre are unable to teach in their respective fields unless they get a credential in physical education or English. Visual and performing arts framework. Existing law specifies that school districts maintaining grades 7-12 must offer courses in visual and performing arts, including art, music, theatre, or dance, with emphasis upon development if aesthetic appreciation and the skills of creative expression. Additionally, the framework and content standards for visual and performing arts adopted by the State Board of Education include the four disciplines of dance, music, theater, and visual arts. Two of these content areas, art and music, have single subject credential authorizations. However, the other two content areas SB 916 Page 4 of dance and theatre do not have single subject credentials despite having discrete content standards. Current options for teaching theatre and dance. Single subject credentials in dance or theatre do not currently exist in the state and are subsumed within the physical education and English single subject credentials. There are subject matter authorizations which may be added to single subject, multiple subject, standard elementary, standard secondary, and special secondary teaching credentials. This enables the credential holder to teach an authorized subject at any grade level, including an authorization to teach dance as part of the physical education department or theatre as part of the English department. The subject matter authorization typically requires completion of 32 semester units of non-remedial coursework in the subject or major directly related to the subject listed on the credential. Additionally, a supplementary authorization may be added to the various teaching credentials for any grade level. Similarly, dance courses may be found within the physical education department while theatre courses may be found as part of the English department. A supplementary authorization typically requires completion of 20 semester units of collegiate coursework in the subject or 10 upper division and graduate coursework in the specific subject of the authorization. Impact on the existing authorizations? While this bill adds the authority for the CTC to issue single subject credentials in dance and theatre, it does not appear to expressly prohibit the continued use of the existing authorizations to teach dance and theatre courses. To the extent that there is ambiguity on this bill's implications, the author may wish to consider addressing this as the bill moves forward. FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.:YesLocal: No According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the CTC anticipates the cost to implement this bill will be between $400,000 and $500,000 to develop credential standards and develop both the dance and theater exams for certification. To SB 916 Page 5 the extent the intent of this bill is to no longer allow future physical education and English teachers to be authorized to teach dance and theater respectively, the CTC would incur additional costs to redevelop those exams. SUPPORT: (Verified5/27/16) California Alliance for Arts Education (source) Arts for LA Arts Orange County California Arts Advocates California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance California Educational Theatre Association California Federation of Teachers California Music Educators Association California State PTA California Teachers Association City of Santa Monica Common Sense Kids Action Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Los Angeles Unified School District National Art Education Association National Association for Music Education National Dance Education Organization National Educational Theatre Association Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Teaching Artists Guild United Teachers Los Angeles Several individuals OPPOSITION: (Verified5/27/16) SB 916 Page 6 None received Prepared by:Lenin DelCastillo / ED. / (916) 651-4105 5/28/16 16:45:54 **** END ****