BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó






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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                        SB 933|
          |Office of Senate Floor Analyses   |                              |
          |(916) 651-1520    Fax: (916)      |                              |
          |327-4478                          |                              |
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                                   THIRD READING 


          Bill No:  SB 933
          Author:   Allen (D) 
          Amended:  6/1/16  
          Vote:     21 

           SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE:  9-0, 3/16/16
           AYES:  Liu, Block, Hancock, Huff, Leyva, Mendoza, Monning, Pan,  
            Vidak

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE:  6-0, 5/27/16
           AYES:  Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza
           NO VOTE RECORDED:  Nielsen

           SUBJECT:   Teachers:  California Teacher Corps Act of 2016:   
                     teacher residency programs


          SOURCE:    Author


          DIGEST:  This bill establishes the California Teacher Corps  
          program to provide $60 million in one-time Proposition 98  
          funding for matching grants to local school districts to create  
          or expand teacher residency programs in which the funds can be  
          used to pay for master teacher stipends, stipends and tuition  
          for residents, and costs of mentoring and induction.


          ANALYSIS:
            
          Existing law:

           1) Establishes the Local Control Funding Formula which  








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             permanently consolidated the vast majority of categorical  
             programs, including the Professional Development Block Grant  
             which supported professional development activities such as  
             teacher recruitment and retention incentives, along with  
             revenue limit apportionments, into a single source of  
             funding.

           2) Eliminates the statutory and programmatic requirements for  
             almost all of these categorical programs, leaving any related  
             activities left to local school districts' discretion.  

           3) Authorizes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to issue  
             intern credentials as an alternate route to earning a  
             teaching credential.  This credential is valid for a period  
             of two years and authorizes the holder to teach in a  
             self-contained classroom while completing their teacher  
             preparation course work.  Approved intern programs are  
             sponsored by colleges, universities, school districts, or  
             county offices of education.  To qualify, an individual must  
             possess a bachelor's degree, satisfy the basic skills  
             requirements, meet subject matter competence, and obtain  
             character and identification clearance.  University intern  
             programs are cooperative teaching, counseling, school  
             psychology, and administrative programs between a university  
             and an employing school district that are administered by the  
             university.  District intern programs are for teachers only  
             and are administered by employing school districts whose  
             programs may or may not involve university course work.   
             Completion of an intern program results in the issuance of a  
             preliminary or clear credential.  (Education Code § 44325, et  
             seq.)


          This bill:

           1) Establishes the California Teacher Corps Act of 2016.

           2) Makes various findings and declarations, as specified.

           3) Makes the following definitions:

              a)    Experienced mentor teacher:  teacher who meets  
                specified requirements, including at least three years of  
                teaching experience and a clear teaching credential in the  







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                field in which he or she will be mentoring, has taught in  
                a high-need school, receives specific training for the  
                mentor teacher role, and engages in ongoing professional  
                learning and networking with other mentors.

              b)    Local educational agency (LEA):  a school district,  
                county office of education, charter school, or charter  
                management organization.

              c)    Teacher residency program:  a school-based teacher  
                preparation program that is accredited by the Commission  
                on Teacher Credentialing and in which a prospective  
                teacher meets specified conditions, including:

                 i)       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.

                 ii)      Receives instruction in specified areas,  
                   including the teaching of the content area in which the  
                   teacher will become certified to teach and the  
                   management of the classroom environment.

                 iii)     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.

           4) Provides that a teacher residency program meet specified  
             conditions, including the following:

              a)    Seeks out academically able individuals who expand the  
                racial, ethnic, gender, and linguistic diversity of the  
                teaching force and meet hiring needs of the LEA for  
                teachers in difficult-to-fill areas, such as chronic  
                teacher shortage areas, including special education and  
                bilingual teachers, and hard-to-staff schools.  Admissions  
                priorities are developed in concert with the hiring  
                objectives of the LEA, which commits to hire graduates  
                from the teacher residency program who obtain a  
                preliminary teaching credential, pass the program's  







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                teacher performance assessment if that is a condition for  
                receiving a license, and meet the standards set for  
                hiring.

              b)    Allows residents to learn to teach in the same LEA, in  
                which they will work, learning the instructional  
                initiatives and curriculum of the LEA.  

              c)    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.

           5) Appropriates $60 million from the General Fund to the  
             Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) on a one-time  
             basis available for the 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19 fiscal  
             years to make grants to LEAs to assist those agencies to  
             establish and maintain teacher residency programs, with first  
             priority given to LEAs or consortia of LEAs with programs  
             that target chronic teacher shortage areas, including special  
             education and bilingual teachers.  Preference may also be  
             given on the basis of their per pupil allocation of funds, as  
             specified.  Provides that these LEAs shall work with one or  
             more teacher preparation institutions, 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 LEA.

           6) Requires that to be eligible to participate in a teacher  
             residency program, a prospective participant must become  
             enrolled simultaneously in a teacher credentialing program in  
             a university or college or other eligible institution that  
             satisfies either of the following conditions:

              a)    It has entered into a written agreement relating to  
                that program with the LEA or consortia of LEAs that is the  
                recipient of a grant under this chapter.


              b)    It has been determined to meet professional  







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                preparation requirements, as specified, by the Commission  
                on Teacher Credentialing.  

           7) Requires a participant in a teacher residency program, under  
             the supervision of an experienced mentor teacher, to complete  
             not fewer than nine months of teaching a class or set of  
             classes in a school chosen by the LEA that is the recipient  
             of a grant. 

           8) Requires a participant to agree in writing to be placed,  
             after successfully completing the initial year of  
             preparation, as a teacher of record in a school within the  
             LEA.  

           9) Requires the placement to be for a period of at least four  
             school years, as specified.  Provides that once a participant  
             is licensed, he or she shall be eligible to be hired as a  
             teacher in a high-need, underserved area or in a high-need  
             area.  

           10)Provides that a participant who fails to complete the period  
             of 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.  

           11)Provides that 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 specified conditions occur, including  
             whether the participant has completed at least one-half of  
             the academic year or 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.

           12)Provides that the grants provided shall be for a period of  
             no less than three school years, and may be in an amount of  
             up to $20,000 per resident of the jurisdiction of the LEA, as  
             matched by that LEA, or up to a total of $2,000,000 over  
             three school years, as matched by that LEA.

           13)Provides that these funds may be applied to expenditures for  







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             master teachers' stipends, stipends and tuition assistance  
             for residents, teacher residency program management, and  
             costs of mentoring and induction following initial  
             preparation.

           14)Provides that the SPI may make an unspecified number of  
             grants each fiscal year, commencing with the 2016-17 fiscal  
             year until the 2018-19 fiscal year.

           15)Prohibits an LEA or consortia of LEAs from receiving more  
             than one award for an application in any fiscal year, unless  
             sufficient funds remain after awarding all other qualified  
             applicants.

           16)Requires an LEA or consortia of LEAs to submit an  
             application at a time, in a manner, and containing  
             information prescribed by the SPI.
            
           17)Requires the SPI to award grants on a competitive basis,  
             with first priority given to applicants that target chronic  
             teacher shortage areas, including special education and  
             bilingual teachers.  Preference may also be given to LEAs or  
             consortia on the basis of their federal Title II per pupil  
             allocation of funds, as specified.

           18)Requires the SPI to conduct an evaluation of the program to  
             determine its effectiveness in recruiting and retaining  
             high-quality teachers in chronic teacher shortage areas,  
             including special education and bilingual teachers, and  
             high-need schools.

           19)Requires grant recipients to provide matching funds in an  
             amount equal to 100 percent of the funds provided to the LEA  
             which may be provided by community partners, institutions of  
             higher education, or others.  


          Comments

          Need for the bill.  According to the author's office,  
          "California is ranked last in student-to-teacher ratios of the  
          50 states in the country.  The state would need 100,000  
          additional teachers just to increase that ratio to the national  
          average.  At the same time, several other factors have  







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          exacerbated the teacher shortage, including the retirement of a  
          large number of teachers, a decade of teacher layoffs, and a  
          decline in enrollment for teacher credentialing programs.  This  
          decimated teaching pool has created a teacher shortage that  
          threatens to leave our classrooms empty."

          Additionally, the author's office notes that "research indicates  
          underprepared teachers are more likely to leave the profession  
          in the first five years, experiencing frustration and a lack of  
          job satisfaction.  Studies show teachers in residency programs  
          are 50 percent more likely to stay in the profession.  Teacher  
          training and mentorship is particularly crucial to meeting the  
          needs of a student population that is increasingly diverse  
          ethnically, culturally, and socioeconomically."  

          SB 933 is part of a legislative package along with SB 915 (Liu)  
          and SB 62 (Pavley) to help address the looming teacher shortage.  
           Specifically, SB 933 is intended to address the demand for  
          trained and credentialed teachers by providing local school  
          districts funds to recruit, train, mentor, and retain teachers  
          through residency programs.  The author believes this will also  
          help ensure that a new generation of teachers will be trained  
          for success and establish a pipeline for those teachers to serve  
          in high need districts where the teacher shortage is most  
          severe.    

          Teacher shortage.  The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) recently  
          released a report, "Addressing California's Emerging Teacher  
          Shortage:  An Analysis of Sources and Solutions."  In this  
          report, the LPI included the following summary:   "After many  
          years of teacher layoffs in California, school districts around  
          the state are hiring again.  With the influx of new K-12  
          funding, districts are looking to lower student-teacher ratios  
          and reinstate classes and programs that were reduced or  
          eliminated during the Great Recession.  However, mounting  
          evidence indicates that teacher supply has not kept pace with  
          the increased demand."  

          LPI recommendations.  The LPI report offered several policy  
          recommendations for consideration.  These recommendations  
          include the establishment of incentives to attract diverse,  
          talented individuals to teach in high-need locations and fields.  
           This can be accomplished through programs that provide funding  
          for candidates who prepare and teach in such schools and subject  







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          areas, e.g. the Assumption Program of Loans for Education, which  
          is the focus of SB 62 (Pavley).  The report also recommends the  
          creation of more innovative pipelines into teaching, such as  
          high school career pathways or teacher preparation models that  
          encourage and support young people and others to go into  
          teaching in their own communities.  Additionally, the report  
          indicates that programs which allow novice teachers to teach in  
          classrooms under the direction of a mentor teacher are linked to  
          successful teachers who stay in the profession.  

          The LPI notes several findings regarding the teacher residency  
          model and the long-term benefits for school districts and the  
          students they serve.  Specifically, "initial research suggests  
          that residencies bring greater gender and racial diversity in  
          the teaching workforce" and that "rigorous studies of teacher  
          residency programs have found significantly higher retention  
          rates for graduates of these programs."

          Differences between teacher residencies and internships.   
          Teacher intern credentials authorize the credential holder to be  
          the teacher of record in a classroom while completing and paying  
          for his or her teacher preparation course work.  To qualify, an  
          individual must possess a bachelor's degree, satisfy the basic  
          skills requirements, meet subject matter competence, and obtain  
          character and identification clearance.  Completion of an intern  
          program results in the issuance of a preliminary or clear  
          credential.

          While teacher residency programs have many similarities, there  
          are several noteworthy differences.  Typically, there is up to a  
          full-year of teaching alongside an expert mentor teacher rather  
          than being the teacher of record.  There is also added financial  
          incentive for candidates under teacher residency programs.  This  
          bill allows the grants to be used for a resident's tuition at  
          his or her teacher preparation program, unlike the existing  
          intern model whereby the teacher is responsible.     


          FISCAL EFFECT:   Appropriation:    Yes         Fiscal  
          Com.:YesLocal:   No


          According to the Senate Appropriations Committee:








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           Grant program: $60 million one-time Proposition 98 funding.   
            Staff notes that some grant funding may eventually be  
            recovered both at the state and local level if participants  
            fail to meet the terms of the placement period and are  
            required to pay back the proportion of training costs  
            incurred.  

           Administrative costs: The California Department of Education  
            (CDE) estimates that administering this program would cost  
            about $100,000 in the first year and $158,000 ongoing, for as  
            long as the program operates.  Additionally, the CDE estimates  
            that it would need $300,000 to complete the program  
            evaluation.  (General Fund)


          SUPPORT:   (Verified5/31/16)


          Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
          California Association of Suburban School Districts
          California Catholic Conference, Inc.
          California Chamber of Commerce
          California Federation of Teachers
          Common Sense Kids Action
          EdVoice
          Public Advocates
          Sacramento City Unified School District
          StudentsFirst
          Students Matter


          OPPOSITION:   (Verified5/31/16)


          None received


          Prepared by:Lenin DelCastillo / ED. / (916) 651-4105
          6/1/16 18:41:37


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