BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 933
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Date of Hearing: June 22, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Patrick O'Donnell, Chair
SB
933 (Allen) - As Amended June 14, 2016
SENATE VOTE: 37-0
SUBJECT: Teachers: California Teacher Corps Act of 2016:
teacher residency programs
SUMMARY: 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. Specifically, this bill:
1) Establishes the California Teacher Corps Act of 2016.
2) Makes various findings and declarations about the importance
of developing programs that increase the probability that
teacher recruits will succeed and stay in the profession and
stay where they are most needed.
3) Defines the following terms:
a) Experienced mentor teacher: teacher who meets
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specified requirements, including at least three years of
teaching experience and a clear teaching credential in the
field in which he or she will be mentoring, has taught in
a hard to staff school, has a record of successful
teaching, receives specific training for the mentor
teacher role, engages in ongoing professional learning and
networking with other mentors, and receives compensation
or appropriate release time, or both, to serve as a
mentor.
b) Local educational agency (LEA): includes but is not
limited to 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 financial assistance that provides a
stipend.
iv) 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.
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4) Specifies that a teacher residency program meet the
following conditions, among others:
a) Seeks out individuals who meet the Teaching Performing
Expectations of the California Commission on Teacher
Credentialing and meet hiring needs of the LEA for
difficult-to-fill-areas, such as chronic teacher shortage
areas, including special education and bilingual teachers,
and hard-to-staff schools. Produces culturally responsive
teachers who address specific student populations, local
district initiatives and priorities, and teacher
preparation emphasis while maintaining high
state-established standards for credentials.
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, maintain and expand 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
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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 in a teacher credentialing program in a university
or college 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.
b) It has been determined to meet professional
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 hard-to-staff 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 hard-to-staff, underserved area or in a
difficult-to-fill subject 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,
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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, or the participant was not able to teach due
to the financial circumstances of the LEA, including decision
to not reelect the employee for the next succeeding school
year.
12)Provides that the grants provided shall be in an amount of
$20,000 per resident of the jurisdiction of the LEA, as
matched by that LEA.
13)Provides that these funds may be applied to expenditures for
master teachers' stipends, living stipends and tuition
assistance for residents, teacher residency program
management, and costs of mentoring and induction following
initial preparation.
14)Provides that the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI)
may make 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.
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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 hard
to staff 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.
EXISTING LAW 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.)
FISCAL EFFECT: According to 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)
COMMENTS: This bill will provide school districts funding to
create, maintain, or expand teacher residency programs. Grants
will fund a new teacher seeking a credential for up to $20,000
over three years. Residents will apprentice alongside a mentor
in a classroom serving students for one academic year, while
taking coursework from a partnering university, and earning a
stipend. Residents will be required to commit to teach in the
district for four years beyond their residency.
According to the author, "California is ranked last in
student-to-teacher ratios out of all states. The state would
need 135,000 additional teachers just to increase its ratio to
the national average. At the same time, several other factors
have 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 classrooms empty. 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% more likely to stay in the profession. Teacher training
and mentorship is particularly crucial to meeting the needs of a
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student population that is increasingly diverse."
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.
Teacher shortage. According to the Learning Policy Institute
(LPI), the supply of new teachers in California is at a 12-year
low. Enrollment in educator preparation programs has dropped by
more than 70 percent over the last decade, and has fallen below
the number of estimated hires by school districts around the
state. The LPI notes:
In mid-October, two months after the school year
started, EdJoin, the statewide educator job portal, still
listed more than 3,900 open teaching positions. This is
double the number listed at the same time in 2013.
Estimated teacher hires for the 2015-16 school year
increased by 25 percent from 2014-15, while the number of
preliminary credentials issued increased by less than 1
percent from the previous year. Enrollment in UC and CSU
teacher preparation programs increased by only about 3.8
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percent.
In 2014-15, provisional and short-term permits nearly
tripled from the number issued two years earlier, growing
from about 850 to more than 2,400.
The number of teachers hired on substandard permits and
credentials nearly doubled in the last two years, to more
than 7,700, comprising a third of all the new credentials
issued in 2014-15.
Bilingual teacher shortage. In addition to the overall shortage
of credentialed teachers in the state, there are chronic and
severe shortages in certain areas, such as math, science, and
special education. California annually reports shortage areas
to the U.S. Department of Education for the purpose of federal
loan and grant deferral or forgiveness for teachers. According
to the U.S. Department of Education, California reported a
shortage of bilingual teachers from 1990-1991 to 1999-2000, but
has not done so since.
However, there is growing evidence that the state is facing a
shortage of bilingual teachers. According to testimony provided
at an information hearing of this Committee in December, 2015,
the number of bilingual authorizations issued by the CCTC
declined from 2,195 in 2003-04 to 733 in 2013-14. At the same
time, language immersion and dual language immersion programs
have gained in popularity, increasing the demand for certified
bilingual teachers.
Demand for bilingual teachers may increase significantly if an
initiative on the November ballot is approved by the voters at
the November, 2016 election. A measure was placed on the ballot
by the Legislature through its approval of SB 1174 (Lara,
Chapter 753, Statutes of 2014) would amend and repeal various
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provisions of Proposition 227 of 1998, including repealing the
requirement that all children be taught English by being taught
in English, and instead would allow LEAs, in consultation with
language experts in the field and parents, to determine the best
language instruction methods and language acquisition programs
to implement.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
Advancement Project
Association of California School Administrators
California Catholic Conference, Inc.
California Federation of Teachers
California State PTA
Children Now
Common Sense Kids Action
EdVoice
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Future is Now
San Francisco Unified School District
Santa Clara County Office of Education
Small School Districts' Association
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916)
319-2087