BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 1853
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Date of Hearing: May 2, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 1853 (Bonilla) - As Amended: April 19, 2012
Policy Committee: Education
Vote:6-4
Higher Education 9-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing
(CTC) to convene a workgroup to develop program standards for
the issuance of recognition of study in transitional
kindergarten (TK) for holders of a multiple subject teaching
credential who will be teaching pupils enrolled in a TK program.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the workgroup to include, but not be limited to:
a) The Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) or his or
her representative.
b) Representatives from approved teacher preparation
programs, as specified.
c) A higher education researcher who has experience in
pupil learning.
d) A school district, county office of education, or a
charter school representative.
e) A teacher who is currently teaching pupils in
transitional kindergarten.
f) A representative of other organizations deemed
appropriate by the CTC.
2)Authorizes the CTC to add recognition of study in TK to the
multiple subject teaching credential of a teacher, as
specified.
3)Authorizes the CTC to work with the SPI to gather and post, on
an appropriate Internet website, best practices from school
districts on curriculum development and professional
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development relating to implementing and sustaining TK
programs.
4)Prohibits a teacher who receives a TK recognition of study
from teaching English learners unless he or she hold an
appropriate authorization or is employed on the basis of a
local assignment option for this purpose.
5)Prohibits a TK recognition of study to be used as a condition
of employment, replace a subject matter competence
requirement, and make employment decisions, as specified.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)One-time GF costs, likely between $125,000 and $150,000, to
the CTC to complete the requirements of this measure.
2)The CTC is projected to have a $5 million operating deficit in
the 2012-13 fiscal year. This deficit is largely attributed
to the loss of revenue generated from teacher credentialing
fees. The governor's proposed 2012-13 budget addresses this
shortfall in three actions: (a) increase the teacher
credential fee from $55 to $70, to generate an additional $3
million in revenue; (b) increase teacher testing fees for an
estimated $500,000 in additional revenue; and (c) $1.5 million
in staff reductions, which eliminates over 17 positions.
COMMENTS
1)Background . SB 1381 (Simitian), Chapter 701, Statutes of
2010, moved the kindergarten start date back one month each
year for three years, beginning in the 2011-12 school year,
until September 1 becomes the date a child is required to be
five years old to enroll in kindergarten. Chapter 701 also
required, commencing with the 2012-13 school year, a child who
would otherwise be eligible for enrollment in kindergarten to
be admitted to a TK program maintained by a school district.
According to the State Department of Education (SDE), a TK
program is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program
that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and
developmentally appropriate. A child who completes one year in
a TK program is required to continue in a kindergarten program
for one additional year.
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2)Purpose . According to the author, (SB 1381) was passed to
offer a different and appropriate curriculum for eligible
four-year olds. However, no new formal opportunities were
created or are currently available for teachers to prepare
themselves to offer an "age and developmentally appropriate"
curriculum. As educators across the state have begun TK
implementation, teachers, administrators and teacher
instructors have recognized the need for CTC to establish
standards for a TK recognition of study."
The CTC also states: "School districts and TK educators in the
field are seeking guidance for preparing to deliver age- and
developmentally appropriate curriculum that will prepare TK
students for kindergarten and beyond. By setting standards
for a recognition of study in TK, the Commission has the
opportunity to create a uniform framework for a sequenced
course of study for current and future TK teachers."
3)The 2012-13 FY January budget proposal eliminates the TK
program established pursuant to Chapter 701. The proposal
does not, however, eliminate the changes to the kindergarten
start date.
The proposed budget estimates a savings of $223.7 million
GF/98. Since January, the Department of Finance has
acknowledged the savings has eroded and may be less than half
that amount. This revised estimate is based on the
acknowledgement that school districts in declining enrollment
will receive one-year of hold harmless revenue limit funding
and some districts may grant early admission to children who
do not meet the new age requirements, but whose parents would
still like to enroll their children in kindergarten.
Both the Assembly and Senate Budget Subcommittees rejected the
governor's budget proposal.
Analysis Prepared by : Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)
319-2081