BILL NUMBER: SB 573 CHAPTERED 09/30/00 CHAPTER 986 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 30, 2000 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 26, 2000 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 31, 2000 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 28, 2000 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 25, 2000 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 6, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE JANUARY 26, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 28, 1999 AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 5, 1999 INTRODUCED BY Senator Alarcon FEBRUARY 23, 1999 An act to amend Sections 406, 99220, 99221, 99222, 99224, 99225, and 99225.5 of, and to add and repeal Article 5.7 (commencing with Section 44309) of Chapter 2 of Part 25 of, the Education Code, relating to teachers, and making an appropriation therefor. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 573, Alarcon. Teachers. (1) Existing law requests the Regents of the University of California to jointly develop with the Trustees of the California State University and the independent colleges and universities, the California Professional Development Institutes. Existing law requires the institutes to be offered at sites widely distributed throughout the state in order to provide maximum access. This bill would provide that the sites for the institutes shall include programs offered through instructor-led, interactive online courses, in accordance with existing state law. The bill would require each institute to accommodate at least 5% of the participants through existing state approved, online instructor-led courses, programs, or both. (2) Existing law authorizes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to issue or renew emergency teaching or specialist permits if the applicant possesses a baccalaureate degree, fulfills certain subject matter requirements, and passes the state basic skills proficiency test and the commission approves the justification for the emergency permit submitted by the school district in which the applicant is to be employed. Existing law requires the holder of an emergency permit to participate in ongoing training, coursework, or seminars designed to prepare the individual to become a fully credentialed teacher or other educator in the subject area in which he or she is assigned to teach or serve. Existing law, the California Pre-Internship Teaching Program, authorizes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, as resources are available to school districts, to issue a pre-intern teaching certificate instead of an emergency multiple subjects permit to an individual who meets the minimum requirements set by the commission and, when resources remain after funding pre-interns pursuing a multiple subject emergency credential, to issue a pre-intern teaching certificate instead of an emergency single subject permit to an individual who is employed by a school district approved by the commission and meets the minimum requirements set by the commission. Existing law establishes the California Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment System for, among other purposes, providing an effective transition into the teaching career for first-year and second-year teachers, improving the educational performance of pupils through improved training, information, and assistance for new teachers, ensuring the professional success and retention of new teachers, and ensuring that an individual induction plan is in place for each participating beginning teacher and is based on an ongoing assessment of the development of the beginning teacher. This bill would authorize the Los Angeles County Office of Education to design and implement a one-year telecommunications-based pilot project for the purpose of offering an intensive professional growth program for teachers in hard to staff schools. The pilot project would demonstrate the efficacy of using an interactive, online, telecommunications-based learning model that supports the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program and the California Pre-Internship Teaching Program. The bill would provide that first-year and second-year elementary school teachers who are employed in hard to staff schools and eligible to participate in the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program or the California Pre-Internship Teaching Program are eligible to apply to participate in the pilot project. Participants would receive academic credit. If the county office designs and implements the project, the bill would require the Los Angeles County Office of Education, in partnership with the California State University system, to develop the content of the professional development offered by the pilot project. The bill would similarly require the Los Angeles County Office of Education if it implements the project, to contract for an independent extensive evaluation of the pilot project and to submit a report of the evaluation to the Legislature before continuing or expanding the program. The bill would appropriate $1,000,000 to the Los Angeles County Office of Education for the purposes of implementing the one-year telecommunications-based pilot project. Appropriation: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (1) There is a shortage of experienced qualified teachers in schools that have been deemed hard to staff schools. (2) Large numbers of the teachers at these schools currently have temporary or emergency credentials. (3) The pupils in these schools will benefit most from qualified veteran credentialed teachers who bring the wisdom of years of practical experience. (b) Therefore, it is the intent of the Legislature in enacting the act adding this section to accomplish all of the following: (1) Enhance the ability of candidates for teaching credentials to successfully complete their credentialing program. (2) Train teachers for more effective service in hard to staff schools. (3) Retain teachers employed in hard to staff schools. (4) Place special emphasis on teaching English learners. (5) Utilize new technologies and distance learning techniques to demonstrate program and cost-efficiencies in teacher training. SEC. 2. Section 406 of the Education Code is amended to read: 406. (a) The Regents of the University of California are requested to authorize the President of the University of California or his or her designee to jointly develop English Language Development Professional Institutes with the Chancellor of the California State University, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, the independent colleges and universities, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction, or their designees. In order to provide maximum access, the institutes shall be offered at sites widely distributed throughout the state, which shall include programs offered through instructor-led, interactive online courses, in accordance with existing state law. In order to maximize access to teachers and administrators who may be precluded from participating in an onsite institute due to geographical, physical, or time constraints, each institute shall be required to accommodate at least 5 percent of the participants through existing state approved online instructor-led courses, programs, or both. The California subject matter projects, an intersegmental, discipline-based professional development network administered by the University of California, is requested to be the organizing entity for the institutes and follow-up programs. (b) (1) Commencing in the 1999-2000 academic year, the institutes shall provide instruction for school teams from each school participating in the program established pursuant to this chapter. Commencing in the 2000-01 academic year, the institutes may provide instruction for school teams serving English language learners in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. A school team shall include teachers who do not hold cross-cultural or bilingual cross-cultural certificates or their equivalents, teachers who hold those certificates or their equivalents, and a schoolsite administrator. The majority of the team shall be teachers who do not hold those cross-cultural certificates or their equivalents. If the participating school team employs instructional assistants who provide instructional services to English language learners, the team may include these instructional assistants. (2) Commencing in July 2000, the English Language Development Institutes shall provide instruction to an additional 10,000 participants. These participants shall be in addition to the 5,000 participants authorized as of January 1, 2000. Commencing July 2001, and each fiscal year thereafter, the number of participants receiving instruction through the English Language Development Institutes shall be specified in the annual Budget Act. (3) Criteria and priority for selection of participating school teams shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following: (A) Schools whose pupils' reading scores are at or below the 40th percentile on the English language arts portion of the achievement test authorized by Section 60640. (B) Schools in which a high percentage of pupils score below grade level on the English language development assessment authorized by Section 60810, when it is developed. (C) Schools with a high number of new, underprepared, and noncredentialed teachers. Underprepared teachers shall be defined as teachers who do not possess a cross-cultural or bilingual cross-cultural certificate, or their equivalents. (D) Schools in which the enrollment of English language learners exceeds 25 percent of the total school enrollment. (E) Schools with a full complement of team members as described in paragraph (1). (3) In any fiscal year, if funding is inadequate to accommodate the participation of all eligible school teams, first priority shall be given to schools meeting the criteria set forth in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2). (c) Each team member who satisfactorily completes an institute authorized by this section shall receive a stipend, commensurate with the duration of the institute, of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), as determined by the University of California. (d) Instruction provided by the institutes shall be consistent with state-adopted academic content standards and with the English language development standards adopted pursuant to Section 60811. (e) (1) Instruction at the institutes shall consist of an intensive, sustained training period of no less than 40 hours nor more than 80 hours during the summer or during an intersession break or an equivalent instructor-led, online course and shall be supplemented during the following school year with no fewer than 80 hours nor more than 120 hours of instruction and schoolsite meetings, held on at least a monthly basis, to focus on the academic progress of English language learners at that school. (2) Instruction at the institutes shall be of sufficient scope, depth, and duration to fully equip instructional personnel to offer a comprehensive and rigorous instructional program for English language learners and to assess pupil progress so these pupils can meet the academic content and performance standards adopted by the State Board of Education. The instruction shall be designed to increase the capacity of teachers and other school personnel to provide and assess standards-based instruction for English language learners. (3) The instruction shall be multidisciplinary and focus on instruction in disciplines for which the State Board of Education has adopted academic content standards. The instruction shall also be research-based and provide effective models of professional development in order to ensure that instructional personnel increase their skills, at a minimum, in all of the following: (A) Literacy instruction and assessment for diverse pupil populations, including instruction in the teaching of reading that is research-based and consistent with the balanced, comprehensive strategies required under Section 44757. (B) English language development and second language acquisition strategies. (C) Specially designed instruction and assessment in English. (D) Application of appropriate assessment instruments to assess language proficiency and utilization of benchmarks for reclassification of pupils from English language learners to fully English proficient. (E) Examination of pupil work as a basis for the alignment of standards, instruction, and assessment. (F) Use of appropriate instructional materials to assist English language learners to attain academic content standards. (G) Instructional technology and its integration into the school curriculum for English language learners. (H) Parent involvement and effective practices for building partnerships with parents. (f) It is the intent of the Legislature that a local educational agency or postsecondary institution that offers an accredited program of professional preparation consider providing partial and proportional credit toward satisfaction of the course requirements to an enrolled candidate who satisfactorily completes a California English Language Development Institute program if the program has been certified by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing as meeting preparation standards. (g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a team member from attending an institute authorized by this section in more than one academic year. (h) This section shall not apply to the University of California unless and until the Regents of the University of California act, by resolution, to make it applicable. SEC. 3. Article 5.7 (commencing with Section 44309) is added to Chapter 2 of Part 25 of the Education Code, to read: Article 5.7. Telecommunications-Based Professional Development Pilot Project for Teachers in Hard to Staff Schools 44309. (a) The Los Angeles County Office of Education may design and implement a one-year telecommunications-based pilot project for the purpose of offering an intensive professional growth program for teachers in hard to staff schools. (b) The pilot project shall demonstrate the efficacy of using an interactive, online, telecommunications-based learning model that supports the professional development component of the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program set forth in Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 44279.1) and the California Pre-Internship Teaching Program set forth in Article 5.6 (commencing with Section 44305). (c) The pilot project shall use the technologies of telecommunications-based distance learning, satellites for showing promising practices and overcoming time and space barriers, and videoconferencing for interactive group work and materials sharing. (d) First-year and second-year elementary school teachers who are currently employed in a hard to staff school and eligible to participate in the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program set forth in Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 44279.1) or the California Pre-Internship Teaching Program set forth in Article 5.6 (commencing with Section 44305) are eligible to apply to participate in the pilot project, for which they shall receive academic credit towards a preliminary teaching credential. (e) The Los Angeles County Office of Education, in partnership with the California State University system, shall develop the content of the professional development offered by the pilot project, which shall be aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession and the academic content standards for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. (f) The Los Angeles County Office of Education shall contract for an independent extensive evaluation of the pilot project to determine the extent to which the project helped to retain participants in the teaching profession, reduced costs of providing core content based professional development to new teachers assigned to hard to staff schools, improved the classroom management skills of new teachers, and improved pupil learning. The Los Angeles County Office of Education shall submit a report of the evaluation to the Legislature before continuing or expanding the program. (g) For purposes of this article, a "hard to staff school" is a school in which 20 percent or more of the teachers assigned to provide instructional services at the school are serving under an internship credential, emergency permit, or waiver granted by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing or have served less than two years. (h) This article shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2003, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2003, deletes or extends that date. SEC. 4. Section 99220 of the Education Code is amended to read: 99220. The Regents of the University of California are requested to jointly develop with the Trustees of California State University and the independent colleges and universities, the California Reading Professional Development Institutes, to be administered by the university, in partnership with the California State University and with private, independent universities in California, in accordance with all of the following criteria: (a) (1) In June 1999, the University of California and its institutes' partners shall commence instruction for 6,000 participants who either provide direct instruction in reading to pupils in kindergarten or in grade 1, 2, or 3, or who supervise beginning teachers of reading. Commencing in July 2000, the institutes shall provide instruction for an additional 14,000 participants who either provide direct instruction in reading to pupils, including special education pupils, in prekindergarten, kindergarten or in grade 1, 2, or 3, or supervise beginning teachers of reading. Of the 14,000 new positions, at least 2,000 shall be reserved for prekindergarten teachers who teach in state preschool programs located in the attendance area of low-performing schools in order to link prekindergarten literacy development and reading readiness to the state's reading goals for pupils enrolled in kindergarten and grades 1 to 3, inclusive. If there are not enough applicants to fill the 2,000 positions, the remaining positions may be filled by teachers of pupils enrolled in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 3, inclusive. (2) Ongoing support for second-year participants shall include a second-year institute focusing on the use of instructional materials, leveraging of school district resources, and the development of teacher leadership within the school district to improve pupil achievement in reading. (b) (1) The institutes shall provide instruction for school teams from each participating school. These school teams may include both beginning and experienced teachers and the schoolsite administrator, with the majority of the team composed of beginning teachers. (2) Criteria and priority for selection of participating school teams shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following: (A) Schools whose pupils' reading scores are at or below the 40th percentile on the reading portion of the achievement test authorized by Section 60640. (B) Schools with a high number of beginning and noncredentialed teachers. (C) Schools with high poverty levels, as determined by the percentage of pupils eligible for free or reduced price meals. (D) Schools with a full complement of team members as outlined above. (E) School teams committed to participate in the Elementary School Intensive Reading Program established pursuant to Article 1 (commencing with Section 53025) of Chapter 16 of Part 28 for a minimum of three years. (F) Schools that have adopted standards-based materials approved by the State Board of Education. (3) In any fiscal year, if funding is inadequate to accommodate the participation of all eligible school teams, first priority shall be given to schools meeting the criteria set forth in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2). (c) (1) The institutes shall provide instruction in the teaching of reading in a manner consistent with the standard for a comprehensive reading instruction program that is research-based, as described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259, and shall include all of the following components: (A) The study of organized, systematic, explicit skills including phonemic awareness, direct, systematic explicit phonics, and decoding skills. (B) A strong literature, language and comprehension component with a balance of oral and written language. (C) Ongoing diagnostic techniques that inform teaching and assessment. (D) Early intervention techniques. (2) Instruction provided pursuant to this section shall be consistent with state-adopted academic content standards and with the curriculum framework on reading/language arts adopted by the State Board of Education. (d) (1) Each participant who satisfactorily completes an institute authorized by this section shall receive a stipend, commensurate with the duration of the institute, of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), as determined by the University of California. (2) A participant in an institute authorized by this section who satisfactorily completes additional institute activities or leadership and mentoring responsibilities in his or her school in subsequent years in accordance with institute guidelines shall receive a stipend, commensurate with the participant's responsibilities, of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) and not more than two thousand dollars ($2,000), as determined by the University of California. It is the intent of the Legislature that stipends paid to participants under this paragraph average approximately one thousand dollars ($1,000) per stipend recipient per year. (e) In order to provide maximum access, the institutes shall be offered through multiple university and college campuses that are widely distributed throughout the state or in a regionally accredited program offered through instructor-led, interactive online courses. In order to maximize access to teachers and administrators who may be precluded from participating in an onsite institute due to geographical, physical, or time constraints, each institute shall be required to accommodate at least 5 percent of the participants through state-approved instructor-led, interactive online courses. Instruction at the institutes shall consist of an intensive, sustained training period of no less than 40 hours nor more than 120 hours during the summer or during an intersession break or an equivalent instructor-led, online course, and shall be supplemented, during the following school year, with no fewer than 80 additional hours nor more than 120 additional hours of instruction and schoolsite meetings, held on at least a monthly basis, to focus on the academic progress of that school's pupils in reading. (f) It is the intent of the Legislature that a local education agency or postsecondary institution that offers an accredited program of professional preparation consider providing partial and proportional credit toward satisfaction of reading course requirements to an enrolled candidate who satisfactorily completes a California Reading Professional Development Institute program if the institute has been certified by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing as meeting reading preparation standards. (g) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a participant from attending an institute authorized by this section in more than one academic year. (h) "Beginning teachers," for purposes of this article, are teachers with three or fewer years of teaching experience. SEC. 5. Section 99221 of the Education Code is amended to read: 99221. The Regents of the University of California are requested to develop jointly with the Trustees of the California State University and the independent colleges and universities, the High School English Professional Development Institutes, to be administered by the university, in partnership with the California State University and with private, independent universities in California, in accordance with all of the following criteria: (a) In July 2000, the University of California and its institutes' partners shall commence instruction for 12,000 participants who either provide direct instruction in reading and writing to California public high school pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, or supervise beginning teachers of high school reading and writing. (b) (1) The institutes shall provide instruction for school teams from each participating school. These school teams may include both beginning and experienced teachers and the schoolsite administrator. (2) Criteria and priority for selection of participating school teams shall include, but is not limited to, all of the following: (A) Schools whose pupils' scores on the English language arts portion of the achievement test authorized by Section 60640 are at or below the 40th percentile. (B) Teams composed of a large percentage of the members of their schools' English departments, which may include the chair of that department. (C) Schools with high poverty levels, as determined by the percentage of pupils eligible for free or reduced price meals. (D) Teams of teachers from various departments within a school. (E) Schools with a high number of beginning and noncredentialed teachers. (F) Schools that have adopted standards-based materials approved by the State Board of Education. (3) In any fiscal year, if funding is inadequate to accommodate the participation of all eligible school teams, first priority shall be given to schools meeting the criteria set forth in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (2). (c) (1) The institutes shall provide instruction in the teaching of reading and writing in a manner consistent with the standard for a comprehensive reading and writing instruction program that is research-based, as described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259. (2) Instruction provided pursuant to this section shall be consistent with state-adopted academic content standards and with the curriculum frameworks on reading/language arts for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that are adopted by the State Board of Education. (d) In order to provide maximum access, the institutes shall be offered through multiple university and college campuses that are widely distributed throughout the state or in a regionally accredited program offered through instructor-led, interactive online courses. In order to maximize access to teachers and administrators who may be precluded from participating in an onsite institute due to geographical, physical, or time constraints, each institute shall be required to accommodate at least 5 percent of the participants through state-approved instructor-led, interactive online courses. Instruction at the institutes shall consist of an intensive, sustained training period of no less than 40 hours nor more than 120 hours during the summer or during an intersession break or an equivalent instructor-led, online course and shall be supplemented, during the following school year, with no fewer than 80 additional hours nor more than 120 additional hours of instruction and schoolsite meetings, held on at least a monthly basis, to focus on the academic progress of that school's pupils in English language arts. (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that a local education agency or postsecondary institution that offers an accredited program of professional preparation consider providing partial and proportional credit toward satisfaction of English language arts requirements to an enrolled candidate who satisfactorily completes a High School English Professional Development Institute if the institute has been certified by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing as meeting English language arts standards. SEC. 6. Section 99222 of the Education Code is amended to read: 99222. The Regents of the University of California are requested to develop jointly with the Trustees of California State University and the independent colleges and universities, the High School Mathematics Professional Development Institutes, to be administered by the university, in partnership with the California State University and with private, independent universities in California, in accordance with all of the following criteria: (a) In July 2000, the University of California and its institutes' partners shall commence instruction for 5,500 participants who either provide direct instruction in mathematics to California public high school pupils in grades 9 to 12, inclusive, or supervise beginning teachers of high school mathematics. (b) (1) The institutes shall provide instruction for school teams from each participating school. The school teams may include both beginning and experienced teachers and the schoolsite administrator. (2) Criteria and priority for selection of participating school teams shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following: (A) Schools whose pupils' scores on the mathematics portion of the achievement test authorized by Section 60640 are at or below the 40th percentile. (B) Teams composed of a large percentage of members of their schools' mathematics departments, which may include the chair of that department. (C) Schools with high poverty levels, as determined by the percentage of pupils eligible for free or reduced price meals. (D) Schools with a high number of beginning and noncredentialed teachers. (E) Schools that have adopted standards-based materials approved by the State Board of Education. (3) In any fiscal year, if funding is inadequate to accommodate the participation of all eligible school teams, first priority shall be given to schools meeting the criteria set forth in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2). (c) (1) The institutes shall provide instruction in the teaching of mathematics in a manner consistent with the standard for a comprehensive mathematics instruction program that is research-based and shall include all of the following components: (A) Instruction in topics commonly found in high school mathematics courses, including, but not limited to, geometry, algebra II, trigonometry, and calculus, that will enhance the ability of teachers to prepare pupils for the achievement test authorized pursuant to Section 60640 and the high school exit examination authorized pursuant to Section 60850 and to prepare pupils for advanced placement and college coursework. (B) Ongoing diagnostic techniques that inform teaching and assessment. (C) Early intervention techniques for pupils experiencing difficulty in mathematics. (2) Instruction provided pursuant to this section shall be consistent with state-adopted academic content standards and with the curriculum frameworks on mathematics for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that are adopted by the State Board of Education. (d) In order to provide maximum access, the institutes shall be offered through multiple university and college campuses that are widely distributed throughout the state or in a regionally accredited program offered through instructor-led, interactive online courses. In order to maximize access to teachers and administrators who may be precluded from participating in an onsite institute due to geographical, physical, or time constraints, each institute shall be required to accommodate at least 5 percent of the participants through state-approved instructor-led, interactive online courses. Instruction at the institutes shall consist of an intensive, sustained training period of no less than 40 hours nor more than 120 hours during the summer or during an intersession break or an equivalent instructor-led, online course and shall be supplemented, during the following school year, with no fewer than 80 additional hours nor more than 120 additional hours of instruction and schoolsite meetings, held on at least a monthly basis, to focus on the academic progress of that school's pupils in mathematics. (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that a local education agency or postsecondary institution that offers an accredited program of professional preparation consider providing partial and proportional credit toward satisfaction of mathematics course requirements to an enrolled candidate who satisfactorily completes a High School Mathematics Professional Development Institute if the institute has been certified by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing as meeting mathematics standards. SEC. 7. Section 99224 of the Education Code is amended to read: 99224. The Regents of the University of California are requested to develop jointly with the Trustees of the California State University and the independent colleges and universities, the Algebra Professional Development Institutes, to be administered by the university, in partnership with the California State University and with private, independent universities in California, in accordance with all of the following criteria: (a) In July 2000, the University of California and its institutes' partners shall commence instruction for 5,000 participants who either provide direct instruction in algebra or the coursework in the two years leading to algebra to pupils enrolled in a public school in grades 6 to 12, inclusive, or supervise beginning teachers of algebra. (b) (1) The institutes shall provide instruction for school teams from each participating school. These school teams may include both beginning and experienced teachers and the schoolsite administrator. (2) Criteria and priority for selection of participating school teams shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following: (A) Schools whose pupils' scores on the mathematics portion of the achievement examination authorized by Section 60640 are at or below the 40th percentile. (B) Teams composed of a large percentage of members of their schools' mathematics departments, which may include the chair of that department. (C) Schools with high poverty levels, as determined by the percentage of pupils eligible for free or reduced price meals. (D) Schools with a high number of beginning and noncredentialed teachers. (E) Schools that have adopted standards-based materials approved by the State Board of Education. (3) In any fiscal year, if funding is inadequate to accommodate the participation of all eligible school teams, first priority shall be given to schools meeting the criteria set forth in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (2). (c) (1) The institutes shall provide instruction in the teaching of prealgebra and algebra in a manner consistent with the standard for a comprehensive mathematics instruction program that is research-based, and shall include all of the following components: (A) Instruction in prealgebra and algebra that will enhance the ability of teachers to prepare pupils for the achievement test authorized pursuant to Section 60640 and the high school exit examination authorized pursuant to Section 60850. (B) Ongoing diagnostic techniques that inform teaching and assessment. (C) Intervention techniques for pupils experiencing difficulty in prealgebra and algebra. (2) Instruction provided pursuant to this section shall be consistent with state-adopted academic content standards and with the curriculum frameworks on mathematics for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that are adopted by the State Board of Education. (d) In order to provide maximum access, the institutes shall be offered through multiple university and college campuses that are widely distributed throughout the state or in a regionally accredited program offered through instructor-led, interactive online courses. In order to maximize access to teachers and administrators who may be precluded from participating in an onsite institute due to geographical, physical, or time constraints, each institute shall be required to accommodate at least 5 percent of the participants through state-approved instructor-led, interactive online courses. Instruction at the institutes shall consist of an intensive, sustained training period of no less than 40 hours nor more than 120 hours during the summer or during an intersession break or an equivalent instructor-led, online course and shall be supplemented, during the following school year, with no fewer than 80 additional hours nor more than 120 additional hours of instruction and schoolsite meetings, held on at least a monthly basis, to focus on the academic progress of that school's pupils in prealgebra and algebra. (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that a local education agency or postsecondary institution that offers an accredited program of professional preparation consider providing partial and proportional credit toward satisfaction of mathematics course requirements to an enrolled candidate who satisfactorily completes a High School Algebra Professional Development Institute if the institute has been certified by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing as meeting mathematics standards. SEC. 8. Section 99225 of the Education Code is amended to read: 99225. The Regents of the University of California are requested to develop collaboratively with the Trustees of the California State University, the independent colleges and universities, and the county offices of education, the Elementary Mathematics Professional Development Institutes, to be administered by the university, in partnership with the California State University and with private, independent universities in California, in accordance with all of the following criteria: (a) In July 2000, the University of California and its institutes' partners shall commence instruction for 5,000 participants who either provide direct instruction in elementary mathematics to pupils in grades 4 to 6, inclusive, or supervise beginning teachers of elementary mathematics. (b) (1) The institutes shall provide instruction for school teams from each participating school. These school teams may include both beginning and experienced teachers and the schoolsite administrator. (2) Criteria and priority for selection of participating school teams shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, all of the following: (A) Schools whose pupils' scores on the mathematics portion of the achievement test authorized by Section 60640 are at or below the 40th percentile. (B) Schools with high poverty levels, as determined by the percentage of pupils eligible for free or reduced price meals. (C) Schools with a high number of beginning and noncredentialed teachers. (D) Schools that have adopted standards-based materials approved by the State Board of Education. (3) In any fiscal year, if funding is inadequate to accommodate the participation of all eligible school teams, first priority shall be given to schools meeting the criteria set forth in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2). (c) (1) The institutes shall provide instruction in the teaching of elementary mathematics in a manner consistent with the standard for a comprehensive mathematics instruction program that is research-based, and shall include all of the following components: (A) Instruction in elementary mathematics that will enhance the ability of teachers to prepare pupils for the achievement test authorized pursuant to Section 60640 and the high school exit examination authorized pursuant to Section 60850. (B) Instruction that will prepare teachers as mathematics specialists and to become teacher trainers at their schools, assuming more of the responsibility for mathematics instruction. (C) Ongoing diagnostic techniques that inform teaching and assessment. (D) Early and continuing intervention techniques for pupils experiencing difficulty in elementary mathematics. (2) Instruction provided pursuant to this section shall be consistent with state-adopted academic content standards and with the curriculum frameworks on mathematics for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that are adopted by the State Board of Education. (d) In order to provide maximum access, the institutes shall be offered through multiple university and college campuses that are widely distributed throughout the state or in a regionally accredited program offered through instructor-led, interactive online courses. In order to maximize access to teachers and administrators who may be precluded from participating in an onsite institute due to geographical, physical, or time constraints, each institute shall be required to accommodate at least 5 percent of the participants through state-approved instructor-led, interactive online courses. Instruction at the institutes shall consist of an intensive, sustained training period of no less than 40 hours nor more than 120 hours during the summer or during an intersession break or an equivalent instructor-led, online course, and shall be supplemented, during the following school year, with no fewer than 40 additional hours nor more than 120 additional hours of instruction and schoolsite meetings, held on at least a monthly basis, to focus on the academic progress of that school's pupils in elementary mathematics. (e) It is the intent of the Legislature that a local education agency or postsecondary institution that offers an accredited program of professional preparation consider providing partial and proportional credit toward satisfaction of mathematics course requirements to an enrolled candidate who satisfactorily completes an Algebra Professional Development Institute if the institute has been certified by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing as meeting mathematics standards. SEC. 9. Section 99225.5 of the Education Code is amended to read: 99225.5. In addition to providing the Legislature with quarterly enrollment and completion reports, the University of California and its partners in administering professional development institutes under this article shall annually contract for an independent evaluation of the professional development institutes authorized by Sections 406, 99220, 99221, 99222, 99224, and 99225. The results of this evaluation shall be reported, in writing, to the Legislature no later than January 1, 2002, and annually thereafter. SEC. 10. The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the Los Angeles County Office of Education to implement Article 5.7 (commencing with Section 44309) of Chapter 2 of Part 25 of the Education Code.