Amended in Assembly June 14, 2016

Amended in Senate June 1, 2016

Amended in Senate March 29, 2016

Senate Bill No. 933

Introduced by Senator Allen

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(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Gordon)

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(Coauthor: Senator Huff)

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February 2, 2016

An act to add Chapter 3.9 (commencing with Section 44790) to Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to teachers, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 933, as amended, Allen. Teachers: California Teacher Corps Act of 2016: teacher residency programs.

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary education in this state. Existing law establishes local educational agencies, including school districts and county offices of education, throughout the state, and authorizes these agencies to provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.

This bill would enact the California Teacher Corps Act of 2016, under which the Superintendent of Public Instruction would make grants to applicant local educational agencies and consortia of local educational agencies to assist these agencies in begin delete establishing and maintaining end delete begin insert establishing, maintaining, or expanding end insert teacher residency programs, as defined. The teacher residency programs established by the bill would be defined as school-based teacher preparation programs in which a prospective teacher would teach alongside an experienced mentor teacher, as defined, while also receiving teacher training instruction in a teacher credentialing program in a qualified institution of higher education. The bill would establish eligibility standards for persons who apply for participation in the teacher residency programs established by the bill.

This bill would appropriate the sum of $60,000,000 from the General Fund to the Superintendent on a one-time basis, available for the 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19 fiscal years, to make grants to applicant local educational agencies and consortia of local educational agencies, as described above.

Funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts for the 2015-16 fiscal year imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.

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

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

SECTION 1.  

Chapter 3.9 (commencing with Section 44790)
is added to Part 25 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Education Code,
to read:

 

Chapter  3.9. California Teacher Corps

 

44790.  

This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the
California Teacher Corps Act of 2016.

44791.  

The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(a) The shortage of qualified teachers in California is reaching
critical levels in a number of teaching areas.

(b) Education experts agree that shortages of effective teachers
in high-poverty schools and in specific teaching fields create a
need for high-quality teachers who will enter, stay in, and be
effective in, these areas.

(c) At least 30 percent of new teachers leave the profession in
the first five years, and the proportions are generally higher in
low-income communities.

(d) Teacher shortages and high teacher turnover rates have a
negative impact on pupil achievement and the quality of education.

(e) Successful teacher preparation programs, and providing
ongoing support, can make novice teachers effective more rapidly
and can reduce teacher attrition.

(f) Many new teachers lack such support, and, as a result, leave
the profession.

(g) Teacher candidates must see expert practices modeled, and
must then practice them with ongoing mentoring support. Teacher
preparation often lacks adequate or sufficient opportunities to learn
under the direct supervision of expert teachers working in schools
that effectively serve begin delete high-need end delete pupils.

(h) It is critical to develop programs that increase the probability
that recruits will succeed and stay in the begin delete high-need end delete classrooms
where they are needed. Because many teacher candidates choose
to teach where they grew up or went to college, it is important to
have strong programs in hard-to-staff urban and rural locations.
Teacher residency programs effectively build teacher supply, since
they recruit and prepare candidates in the school districts that
sponsor them, in partnership with local preparation programs.
Teacher residency programs have demonstrated the capacity to
recruit, prepare, retain, and provide effective support for teachers
in begin delete high-need end delete begin insert hard-to-staff end insert schools.

44792.  

For purposes of this chapter, the following terms have
the following meanings:

(a) “Experienced mentor teacher” means a teacher who meets
all of the following requirements:

(1) Has at least three years of teaching experience and a clear
teaching credential in the field in which he or she will be
mentoring.

(2) Has taught in a begin delete high-need end delete begin insert hard-to-staff end insert school.

(3) Has a record of successful teaching.

(4) Receives specific training for the mentor teacher role, and
engages in ongoing professional learning and networking with
other mentors. Compensation shall be ongoing as long as the
mentor continues to serve in the role prescribed by the program.

(5) Receives compensation or appropriate release time, or both,
to serve as a mentor in the initial preparation or induction
component of the teacher residency program.

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(b) “Hard-to-staff schools” shall be determined by the governing
board or body of the local educational agency.

end insert begin delete

(b)

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begin insert (c) end insert  “Local educational agency” includes, but is not necessarily
limited to, a school district, county office of education, charter
school, or charter management organization.

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(c)

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begin insert (d) end insert  (1) “Teacher residency program” means a school-based
teacher preparation program that is accredited by the Commission
on Teacher Credentialing and in which a prospective teacher does
all of the following:

(A) Teaches at least one-half time alongside a teacher of record,
who is designated as the mentor teacher, for at least one full
academic year while engaging in initial preparation coursework.

(B) Receives instruction in all of the following:

(i) The teaching of the content area or areas in which the teacher
will become certified to teach.

(ii) Planning, curriculum development, and assessment.

(iii) Learning and child development.

(iv) Management of the classroom environment.

(v) The use of culturally responsive practices, supports for
language development, and supports for serving pupils with
disabilities.

(vi) Professional responsibilities, including interaction with
families and colleagues.

(C) Receives begin delete tuition end delete begin insert financial end insert assistance and provides a begin delete living end delete
stipend.

(D) Attains a preliminary teaching credential upon completion
of the program.

(E) Receives mentoring and induction support following the
completion of the initial credential program necessary to obtain a
clear credential and ongoing professional development and
networking opportunities during his or her first years of teaching.

(F) Has the option of completing a master’s degree before
completion of the program.

(2) A “teacher residency program” does all of the following:

(A) Seeks out begin delete academically able end delete individuals who begin delete expand the
racial, ethnic, gender, and linguistic diversity of the teaching force end delete
begin insert meet the Teaching Performance Expectations of the end insert begin insert Commission
on Teacher Credentialing end insert and meet hiring needs of the local
educational agency for begin delete teachers in end delete difficult-to-fill areas, such as
chronic teacher shortage areas, including special education and
bilingual teachers, and hard-to-staff schools. begin delete Admissions priorities
are developed in concert with the hiring objectives of the local
educational agency, which commits to hire graduates from the
teacher residency program who obtain a preliminary teaching
credential, pass the program’s teacher performance assessment if
that is a condition for receiving a license, and meet the standards
set for hiring. end delete

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(B) Produces culturally responsive teachers who address
specific pupil populations, local district initiatives and priorities,
and teacher preparation emphasis while maintaining high
state-established standards for credentials.

end insert begin delete

(B)

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begin insert (C) end insert  Allows residents to learn to teach in the same local
educational agency in which they will work, learning the
instructional initiatives and curriculum of the local educational
agency.

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(C)

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begin insert (D) end insert  Groups teacher candidates in cohorts to facilitate
professional collaboration among residents, and places them in
teaching schools or professional development programs that are
organized to support a high-quality teacher learning experience in
a supportive work environment.

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(D)

end delete

begin insert (E) end insert  Assigns a high priority to the recruiting of mid-career
professionals, military veterans, and recent college graduates as
prospective participants in the teacher residency program.

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(E)

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begin insert (F) end insert  Builds coursework for residents and mentors around the
classroom experience in ways that are aligned to pupil needs.

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(F)

end delete

begin insert (G) end insert  Offers structured feedback and coaching systems organized
around the California Standards for the Teaching Profession to
ensure that participants engage in a meaningful classroom teaching
experience.

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(G)

end delete

begin insert (H) end insert  Ensures that candidates are prepared to pass a teacher
performance assessment if that is required by the state as a
condition of the initial license.

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(H)

end delete

begin insert (I) end insert  Maintains a program evaluation system that focuses on
continual improvement for residents, mentors, teacher education
faculty, and the teacher residency program itself.

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(I)

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begin insert (J) end insert  Is developed collaboratively with begin insert the certified exclusive
bargaining representative, or if none exists, end insert teacher representatives
within the local educational agency.

44793.  

(a) The sum of sixty million dollars ($60,000,000) is
hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Superintendent
on a one-time basis, available for the 2016-17, 2017-18, and
2018-19 fiscal years, to make grants to local educational agencies
or consortia of local educational agencies to assist those agencies
to begin delete establish and maintain end delete begin insert establish, maintain, or expand end insert teacher
residency programs, with first priority given to local educational
agencies or consortia of local educational agencies with programs
that target chronic teacher shortage areas, including special
education and bilingual teachers. Preference may also be given to
local educational agencies or consortia of local educational
agencies on the basis of their per pupil allocation of funds begin delete as
high-need local educational agencies defined in Section 2102 of end delete
begin insert pursuant to end insert Part A of Title II of the federal begin delete Elementary and
Secondary Education end delete begin insert Every Student Succeeds end insert Act (Public Law
begin delete 107-110) end delete begin insert 114-95) end insert for the most recent school year. These local
educational agencies shall work with one or more begin delete teacher
preparation institutions, end delete begin insert institutions of higher education providing
teacher preparation, end insert and may work with other community partners
or nonprofit organizations to develop and implement teacher
residency programs of preparation and mentoring for prospective
teachers who will be supported through teacher residency program
funds and subsequently employed by the sponsoring local
educational agency.

(b) For purposes of making the computations required by Section
8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the appropriations
made by subdivision (a) shall be deemed to be “General Fund
revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in
subdivision (c) of Section 41202, for the 2015-16 fiscal year, and
included within the “total allocations to school districts and
community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes
appropriated pursuant to Article XIII B,” as defined in subdivision
(e) of Section 41202, for the 2015-16 fiscal year.

44794.  

(a) To be eligible to participate in a teacher residency
program under this chapter, a prospective participant shall become
enrolled begin delete simultaneously end delete in a teacher credentialing program in a
university or college begin delete or other eligible institution end delete that satisfies either
of the following conditions:

(1) It has entered into a written agreement relating to that
program with the local educational agency or consortia of local
educational agencies that is the recipient of a grant under this
chapter.

(2) It has been determined to meet the requirements of Article
7 (commencing with Section 44320) of Chapter 2 by the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

(b) A participant in a teacher residency program under this
chapter shall, under the supervision of an experienced mentor
teacher, complete not fewer than nine months of teaching a class
or set of classes in a school chosen by the local educational agency
that is the recipient of a grant under this chapter.

(c) (1) A participant in a teacher residency program under this
chapter shall agree in writing to be placed, after successfully
completing the initial year of preparation, as a teacher of record
in a school within the begin delete high-need end delete local educational agency.

(2) Placement under this subdivision shall be for a period of at
least four school years beginning with the school year that begins
after the participant successfully completes the initial year of
preparation and obtains a preliminary teaching credential. Once
licensed, a participant shall be eligible to be hired as a teacher in
a begin delete high-need, end delete begin insert hard-to-staff, end insert underserved area or in a begin delete high-need end delete
begin insert difficult-to-fill subject end insert area. A participant who fails to complete
the period of the placement, or the first four school years of the
placement if the period is more than four school years, is required
to pay back the cost of the training on a pro rata basis, relative to
the amount of time served in proportion to the total pledged.

(d) If a participant is unable to complete an academic year of
teaching, that academic year may still be counted toward the
required four complete and consecutive academic years if any of
the following occur:

(1) The participant has completed at least one-half of the
academic year.

(2) The employer deems the participant to have fulfilled his or
her contract requirements for the academic year for the purposes
of salary increases, tenure, and retirement.

(3) The participant was not able to teach due to the financial
circumstances of the local educational begin delete agency. end delete begin insert agency, including
a decision to not reelect the employee for the next succeeding
school year. end insert

(4) The participant has a condition covered under the Family
and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) (Section 230.8 of the
Labor Code) or similar state law.

(5) The participant was called or ordered to active duty status
for more than 30 days as a member of a reserve component of the
Armed Forces of the United States.

44795.  

(a) A grant under this chapter shall be in an amount of
twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) per resident of the jurisdiction
of the local educational agency, as matched by that local
educational begin delete agency, or a total of up to two million dollars
($2,000,000) over three school years, as matched by that local
educational end delete agency. Funding may be applied to expenditures for
any of the begin delete following: end delete begin insert following in accordance with any relevant
collective bargaining agreement: end insert master teachers’ stipends, begin delete living end delete
stipends and tuition assistance for residents, teacher residency
program management, and costs of mentoring and induction
following initial preparation.

(b) The Superintendent may make grants under this chapter
each fiscal year, commencing with the 2016-17 fiscal year until
the 2018-19 fiscal year. A local educational agency or consortia
of local educational agencies shall not receive more than one award
for an application under this chapter in any fiscal year, unless
sufficient funds remain after awarding all other qualified applicants.

(c) To receive a grant under this chapter, a begin delete high-need end delete local
educational agency or begin delete high-need end delete consortia of local educational
agencies shall submit to the Superintendent an application at a
time, in a manner, and containing information, prescribed by the
Superintendent.

(d) The Superintendent shall award grants under this chapter
on a competitive basis, with first priority given to applicants that
target chronic teacher shortage areas, including special education
and bilingual teachers. Preferences may also be given to local
educational agencies or consortia of local educational agencies on
the basis of their per pupil allocation of funds begin delete as high-need local
educational agencies defined in Section 2102 of end delete begin insert pursuant to end insert Part
A of Title II of the federal begin delete Elementary and Secondary Education end delete
begin insert Every Student Succeeds end insert Act (Public Law begin delete 107-110) end delete begin insert 114-95) end insert for the
most recent school year.

(e) The Superintendent shall conduct an evaluation of the
program established under this chapter to determine its
effectiveness in recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers in
chronic teacher shortage areas, including special education and
bilingual teachers, and begin delete high-need end delete begin insert hard-to-staff end insert schools.

(f) A local educational agency or consortia of local educational
agencies that receives a grant under this chapter shall provide
matching funds in an amount equal to 100 percent of grant funds
provided to the local educational agency under this chapter to carry
out the activities supported by the grant, which may be provided
by community partners, institutions of higher education, or others.