BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 916|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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)
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None received
Prepared by:Lenin DelCastillo / ED. / (916) 651-4105
5/28/16 16:45:54
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