BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 933
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Date of Hearing: June 29, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
SB 933
(Allen) - As Amended June 14, 2016
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
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. Grant funding can be used for master
teacher stipends, stipends and tuition for residents, and costs
of mentoring and induction. Specifically, this bill:
1)Defines a teacher residency program as a school-based teacher
preparation program, accredited by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing, where prospective teachers teach at least half
the time alongside a teacher of record; receive instruction in
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the content area being taught and in classroom management;
receive a stipend; and receive mentorship, as specified.
2) 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 with
the establishment, maintenance and expansion of teacher
residency programs. Priority for grant funding is given to
programs that target chronic teacher shortage areas,
including special education and bilingual teachers. Requires
grants to provide $20,000 per resident of the jurisdiction of
the LEA, matched by that LEA.
3) Sets forth various program requirements, including requiring
the participant to teach no fewer than nine months in a
school chosen by the LEA that is the recipient of a grant.
After completing an initial year of preparation, the bill
requires the participant to agree to be placed as a teacher
of record in a hard-to-staff school within the LEA for at
least four years. If these conditions are not met, the
participant is required to pay back the cost of the training
on a pro rata basis, as specified.
4) 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.
FISCAL EFFECT:
1)One-time appropriation of $60 million (Proposition 98/GF).
2)General Fund administrative costs to the California Department
of Education (CDE) of $275,000 for each year of the three year
grant program ($825,000 total) to develop the competitive
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application process and provide ongoing technical assistance.
The CDE also estimates General Fund costs of approximately
$300,000 to complete the program evaluation.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. 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. 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
student population that is increasingly diverse."
2)Comments. This bill includes an appropriation for $60 million
(Proposition 98/GF) to be appropriated beginning with the
2016-17 fiscal year. This appropriation was not included in
the 2016-17 Budget approved by the Legislature in June,
currently pending signature by the Governor.
The CDE has expressed concerns with the implantation dates in
the bill. According to CDE, they would not be ready to
allocate funds during the 2016-17 fiscal year, given the work
involved in the development of the application for the first
round of funding. The CDE indicates awards, and effective
dates, would not be feasible until the 2017-18 school year, or
the year following the appropriation.
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Analysis Prepared by:Misty Feusahrens / APPR. / (916)
319-2081