BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Gloria Romero, Chair
2009-2010 Regular Session
BILL NO: AB 2160
AUTHOR: Bass
AMENDED: April 6, 2010
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: June 16, 2010
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Beth Graybill
SUBJECT : Teacher credentialing: Instruction to pupils with
autism.
SUMMARY
This bill extends until October 1, 2013, employment options
that allow teachers who hold a credential authorizing them to
teach students with mild to moderate disabilities to also
serve students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
BACKGROUND
Existing law authorizes the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing (CTC) to issue credentials for teaching
specialties, including bilingual education, early childhood
education, and special education. Education specialist
credentials authorize a holder to teach special education
students in various areas of specialization such as
mild/moderate disabilities, moderate/severe disabilities,
deaf and hard of hearing, visual impairments, physical and
health impairments, and early childhood special education.
(Education Code 44225)
Existing law requires the CTC to report to the Legislature
and the Governor by December 1, 2007, on the current existing
process and requirements for obtaining a specialist
credential in special education and recommend modifications
to enhance and expedite these procedures. (EC 44265.1)
Existing law, AB 2302 (Bass, Chapter 41, 2008), outlines
temporary options authorizing local education agencies and
schools to assign teachers who hold a Level 1 Education
Specialist Credential authorizing the instruction of students
with mild/moderate disabilities to serve students with ASD.
Existing law makes this employment option inoperative on
August 31, 2011, or two years after the CTC adopts
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regulations to implement the recommendations in the 2007
report, whichever occurs first and is repealed on January 1,
2012, unless a later enacted statute extends or deletes the
sunset date. (EC 44265.1)
To be assigned under these options, a teacher must have
either:
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
Completed a minimum of three semester units of
coursework in the subject of autism offered by a
regionally accredited institution of higher education.
ANALYSIS
This bill :
1) Extends to October 1, 2013, the options authorizing
local education agencies and schools to assign teachers
with a mild/moderate education specialist credential to
teach pupils with ASD.
2) Repeals the December 2007 reporting requirement because
the CTC satisfied the requirement.
3) Removes the Level 1 limitation on the options, thus
allowing Level II education specialist credential
holders who meet the specified requirements to be
assigned to teach children with ASD.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Need for the bill : Historically, students with autism
were placed in classroom settings taught by special
education teachers authorized to provide instruction to
students with moderate/severe disabilities. Today,
autism is considered to be part of a group of disorders
known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) that cause a
range of difficulties including language delays,
communication problems, limited social skills, and
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repetitive and other unusual behaviors. According to
the California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on
Autism, schools in California have seen a doubling of
students with ASD in the past five years, exacerbating
the existing shortage of special education teachers.
In its 2007 report, the CTC found that while pupils with
milder forms of ASD may be appropriately placed in
classrooms with other students who have mild to moderate
disabilities, districts experience challenges in placing
students in these classrooms because the mild/moderate
education specialist credential did not authorize
teaching pupils with ASD.
Although the CTC has adopted regulations that enable existing
special education teachers to add an authorization for
autism spectrum disorders to their credential, the
author maintains that the 2011 sunset date specified in
current law may not provide sufficient time for these
teachers to complete the training required for the added
authorization. By extending the sunset date to October
1, 2013, the author hopes AB 2160 will maintain the
bridge that is enabling special education teachers to
work with ASD pupils while they complete requirements
and coursework necessary for the added authorization.
2) New regulations . The 2007 report the CTC submitted to
the Legislature and the Governor included various
recommendations to enhance the requirements and process
for education specialist credentials. Key
recommendations included the need to ensure that that
all future special education credential candidates
receive appropriate training to provide instructional
services to pupils with ASD and the need to provide
routes for existing special education teachers to become
authorized to provide services to ASD pupils. Based on
recommendations contained in the report, the CTC
approved new pathways for existing special education
teachers to voluntarily become authorized to teach
students with ASD. The following authorizations were
approved by the Office of Administrative Law on July 3,
2009.
a) Added Authorization for Autism Spectrum
Disorders: This authorization allows any existing
special education credential holder who completes a
Commission-approved program for this authorization
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to teach students with ASD.
b) Special Education Limited Assignment Permit:
This permit, which establishes requirements that
mirror the employment options authorized by AB
2302, allows a special education teacher to teach
pupils with ASD while they are completing the
requirements for the ASD added authorization or
completing requirements for the moderate/severe
education specialist credential.
3) Related and prior legislation .
AB 2302 (Bass, Chapter 41, 2008) authorizes
until August 31, 2011, local education agencies to
assign special education teachers with a Level
credential for mild/moderate disabilities to teach
ASD pupils.
SB 51 (Perata, Chapter 124, Statutes of 2005)
established a sixteen-member California Blue Ribbon
Commission on Autism. The Commission submitted its
finding and recommendations to the Governor and the
Legislature in September 2007.
SUPPORT
California Association of School Psychologists
California School Boards Association
Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Los Angeles County Office of Education
OPPOSITION
None received.