BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2160
Page 1
Date of Hearing: March 24, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Julia Brownley, Chair
AB 2160 (Bass) - As Introduced: February 18, 2010
SUBJECT : Teacher credentialing: instruction to pupils with
autism
SUMMARY : Extends by two years the inoperative and repeal dates
of existing provisions currently allowing a local educational
agency (LEA) or school to assign a teacher that holds specified
credentials to provide instruction to pupils with autism if the
teacher consents to the assignment and meets one of two
specified criteria. Specifically, this bill :
1)Makes these existing provisions inoperative on October 1, 2013
and repeals them on January 1, 2014, unless a later enacted
statute deletes or extends these dates.
2)Deletes the requirement for a report to be developed by the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), and be submitted to
the Legislature and the Governor by December 1, 2007 relative
to the existing process and requirements for obtaining a
specialist credential in special education and recommendations
for modifications to enhance and expedite those procedures.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Authorizes a LEA or school to assign a teacher who holds a
level 1 education specialist credential or a credential with
an authorization to teach individuals with mild and moderate
disabilities to provide instruction to pupils with autism if
the teacher consents to the assignment and satisfies either of
the following:
a) Has provided full-time instruction for at least one year
prior to September 1, 2007, in a special education program
that serves pupils with autism pursuant to their
individualized education programs and received a favorable
evaluation or recommendation to teach pupils with autism
from the local educational agency or school.
b) Has completed a minimum of three semester units of
coursework in the subject of autism offered by a regionally
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accredited institution of higher education. The local
educational agency or school shall maintain the certificate
or other verification of completion of the coursework on
file in its office.
2)Makes the provisions noted above inoperative two years after
the CTC adopts regulations relating to the requirements for
obtaining a specialist credential in special education, or on
August 31, 2011, whichever occurs first, and repeals those
provisions on January 1, 2012.
3)Requires the CTC, by December 1, 2007, to report to the
Legislature and the Governor on the current existing process
and requirements for obtaining a specialist credential in
special education and recommend modifications to enhance and
expedite those procedures.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : SB 1209 (Scott) Chapter 517 Statutes of 2006,
required the CTC to convene a workgroup to examine the needs of
special education programs and make recommendations to the
Legislature to streamline the credentialing process of special
education teachers. In December 2007, the workgroup issued
their findings and recommendations.
Amongst the findings, the CTC report noted that the demand for
services for students with autism had steadily increased over
the recent years but the authorization to teach children with
autism was limited to teachers holding a moderate/severe
disabilities specialist credential. To address this need, the
working group recommended expanding authorization for the
mild/moderate disabilities education specialist credential to
serve students with autism and to redesign higher education
programs so that all education specialist credential candidates
are prepared to teach pupils with autism.
The CTC recently implemented regulations pertaining to the
issuance of an added authorization in autism and to the issuance
of a Special Education Limited Assignment Teaching permit (SELAT
permit) to allow a current special education credential holder
to be assigned to serve outside of their specialty area while
they are completing the coursework for an added authorization.
The added authorization in autism, assures that students
identified with autism will be served in all environments with
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educators who possess the skills to do so effectively.
During the time that these standards and regulations were being
developed, AB 2302 (Bass), Chapter 41, Statutes of 2008, was
enacted to create a temporary alternate process for assigning
veteran teachers that hold a mild/moderate disabilities
credential to provide special education instructional services
to students with autism in California public schools. This
temporary solution was to be in place to address an urgent and
immediate need and only until the permanent more adequate
standards were developed by the CTC. At the time when AB 2302
was enacted, there were no mechanisms in place for veteran
teachers that hold a mild/moderate credential to obtain an
authorization to teach pupils with autism.
This bill extends the operative date of what was intended to be
a short-term solution to allow mild/moderate credential holders
to legally teach pupils with autism so long as they meet the
minimal criteria established by AB 2302. The provisions of AB
2302 authorize a LEA or school to assign a teacher who holds a
level 1 education specialist credential or a credential with an
authorization to teach individuals with mild and moderate
disabilities to provide instruction to pupils with autism if the
teacher consents to the assignment and that teacher either :
a) Has provided full-time instruction for at least one year
prior to September 1, 2007, in a special education program
that serves pupils with autism pursuant to their
individualized education programs and received a favorable
evaluation or recommendation to teach pupils with autism
from the local educational agency or school; or,
b) Has completed a minimum of three semester units of
coursework in the subject of autism offered by a regionally
accredited institution of higher education. The local
educational agency or school shall maintain the certificate
or other verification of completion of the coursework on
file in its office.
Credential holders have to meet the criteria of AB 2302 one time
only and there is no requirement for the credential holder to
continue taking coursework or be evaluated at any time after he
or she has been authorized to provide instructional services to
pupils with autism pursuant to the provisions of AB 2302. This
bill extends the time frame during which a teacher can use this
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option until October 1, 2010.
It can be estimated that for the 2008-09 school year,
approximately 180 assignments were made pursuant to AB 2302.
County offices of education are required to monitor of teacher
assignments in their districts each year and 45 such assignments
were reported to the CTC for the 2008-09, thus it can be
estimated that approximately 180 teachers holding a
mild/moderate credential were assigned to teach pupils with
autism using this option.
According to the author, "Without changing the inoperative date
established by AB 2302, many teachers currently teaching this
population would no longer be allowed to teach students with ASD
[Autism Spectrum Disorders] because they would no longer hold a
valid credential."
Under current law, however, and pursuant to AB 2302, a school
district may continue to employ and assign a mild/moderate
credential holder to teach pupils with autism through August of
2011 as long as that teacher meets one of the two criteria in AB
2302. After that date, a mild/moderate credential holder can
now obtain a SELAT permit which is valid for one year and may be
reissued twice in any one specific subject, thus potentially
giving teachers that currently serve under the AB 2302 option
over 4 years to complete the added authorization. An argument
can be made that current law and the recently enacted CTC
regulations provide adequate time for teachers to acquire this
added authorization. Furthermore, the CTC recently released a
guide for programs to use in accepting experience and
professional development in lieu of coursework for the
completion of special education teacher preparation programs.
Thus there are adequate avenues in place for veteran teachers to
acquire the appropriate preparation for the added authorization.
According to the CTC, there are currently six programs approved
to provide the courses for the added authorization in autism and
six more programs in the pipeline for approval. The approved
programs are sponsored by:
1)Brandman University
2)Azusa Pacific University
3)California State University, Dominguez Hills
4)University of California, Riverside Extension
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5)Project Impact, San Joaquin County Office of Education
6)National University
According to the California Department of Education, in the
2007-08 school year, 46,196 pupils were identified as autistic
and 53,183 pupils in 2008-09. It is clear that the demand for
teachers that are able to serve this population of students
continues to increase and as such, it is important to ensure
that teachers are adequately trained and prepared to provide the
appropriate instructional services to pupils with autism.
Suggested technical amendments : Staff recommends the following
technical amendments:
On page 3, line 9, strike out "(c)" and insert "(b)"
On page 3, line 12, strike out "(b)" and insert "(a)"
Strike out "level 1" on page 3, line 3 so as to not to exclude
holders of an education specialist level II clear credential.
Additionally, the Legislative findings and declarations language
speaks to the new standards for new credential candidates. This
language is not relevant to the provisions of this bill, as they
only apply to veteran teachers who hold a mild/moderate
specialist credential and want to be authorized to teach pupils
with autism. Staff recommends the bill be amended to delete
language in the legislative findings and declarations relative
to the new standards for the mild/moderate specialist
credential.
Arguments in Support : The California School Boards Association
writes, "AB 2160 would extend the inoperative date for this
statute from 2011 to 2013, and the expiration date from 2012 to
2014. This will allow local educational agencies to continue
meeting the needs of their students with autism while teacher
candidates complete the permanent certificate requirements being
implemented by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing."
Previous legislation : SB 1209 (Scott) Chapter 517 Statutes of
2006 requires the CTC to convene a workgroup to examine the
needs of special education programs and make recommendations to
the Legislature to streamline the credentialing process of
special education teachers.
AB 2302 (Bass), Chapter 41, Statutes of 2008, authorizes, as an
urgency measure, teachers with a level 1 education specialist
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credential for mild to moderate disabilities to provide
instruction to pupils with autism, if the teacher meets certain
competency criteria, until the CTC adopts relevant regulations;
and, specifies the bill shall remain in effect for 2 years
following adoption of the regulations but not later than August
31, 2011.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Alliance of Child and Family Services
California Association of Private Special Education School
California School Boards Association
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Marisol Avi?a / ED. / (916) 319-2087