Amended in Senate May 8, 2013

Amended in Senate April 15, 2013

Amended in Senate April 1, 2013

Senate Bill No. 368

Introduced by Senator Pavley

February 20, 2013

An act to add Section 44265.2 to the Education Code, relating to teacher credentialing.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 368, as amended, Pavley. Teachers: added authorization in special education.

Existing law establishes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, and authorizes the commission to issue teaching and service credentials, including a special education credential. Existing law also authorizes the commission to grant an added or supplementary authorization to a credentialholder who has met the requirements and standards of the commission for the added or supplementary authorization.

This bill would authorize program sponsors, as defined, to offer comparability and equivalency, as those terms are defined, for begin delete credentialholders end delete begin insert a special education credentialholder end insert seeking begin delete added authorizations for end delete begin insert to add a end insert special education begin delete credentials end delete begin insert authorization to his or her special education credential end insert in accordance with specified guidelines and criteria.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 44265.2 is added to the Education Code,
to read:

44265.2.  

(a)  begin delete Program sponsors end delete begin insert A program sponsor end insert may offer
comparability and equivalency for begin delete credentialholders end delete begin insert a special
education credentialholder end insert seeking begin delete added authorizations for special
education credentials, which shall be determined in accordance
with the following guidelines end delete begin insert to add a special education
authorization to his or her credential. The following are guidelines
for offering comparability and equivalency, subject to criteria and
guidelines issued by the commission end insert :

(1) Decisions regarding comparability are at the discretion of
the program sponsor.

(2)  begin delete Program sponsors have end delete begin insert A program sponsor has end insert a broad
range of begin delete possibilities for end delete begin insert possible end insert data begin delete in considering end delete begin insert that may be
considered as end insert evidence for comparability.

begin delete

(3) Evaluations of evidence for comparability are not required
to be based on a course-credit model. Evaluations shall be
evidence-based, and reflect the current commission-approved
standards for education specialist credentials.

end delete begin delete

(4)

end delete

begin insert (3) end insert  For begin delete candidates end delete begin insert a candidate end insert simultaneously pursuing a degree
in addition to earning a credential, begin delete approved program sponsors end delete begin insert a
program sponsor end insert may use begin delete their end delete begin insert its end insert own institutional begin delete processes and
procedures end delete begin insert process and procedure end insert for course credit evaluations.

begin delete

(5) The evaluation process shall be guided by the principles of
candidate friendliness and candidate responsibility.

(6) The burden of retrieving, organizing, and reflecting on
evidence provided for evaluation is on the candidate.

(7) The comparability evaluation process shall be rigorous and
labor intensive.

end delete

(b)  begin delete Options end delete begin insert Evidence end insert used to verify competency begin delete shall include,
but are not limited to, end delete begin insert may include end insert the following begin insert , subject to end insert begin insert criteria
and guidelines issued by the commission end insert :

(1) Examination results.

(2) Portfolio.

(3) Performance narrative.

(4) Field experience.

(5) Video.

(6) Transcript.

(7) Prior learning assessment.

(8) A review board process.

(c)  begin delete When a candidate presents end delete begin insert A program sponsor may use the
following to evaluate end insert evidence begin delete to a program sponsor end delete for
begin delete comparability, the following shall be evaluated end delete begin insert comparability
presented by a candidate, subject to criteria and guidelines issued
by the commission end insert :

(1) Whether begin insert the end insert information is based on current, adopted
California credential standards, as appropriate to the begin delete specific
credential end delete begin insert authorization end insert sought.

(2) Whether begin insert a end insert written begin delete agreements formulated end delete begin insert agreement end insert
between the candidate and program sponsor begin delete are evidence-based end delete
begin insert is evidence based end insert , as appropriate to the begin delete specific credential end delete
begin insert authorization end insert sought.

(3) Whether begin delete evaluative end delete begin insert the end insert information begin delete presented by the
candidate end delete is aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching
Profession.

(d) Flexible enrollment may be considered for begin delete candidates who
need end delete begin insert a candidate who needs end insert minimal work to complete a credential
program. begin delete Program sponsors end delete begin insert A program sponsor end insert may explore
alternatives for candidate enrollment in the program, including,
but not limited to, visitor status, concurrent enrollment, open
university, county or district programs, university extension
programs, and professional development activities.

(e)  begin delete Program sponsors end delete begin insert A program sponsor end insert may take advantage
of frequent collaborations to formalize begin insert a end insert written begin delete agreements end delete
begin insert agreement end insert concerning comparability of coursework or fieldwork.
The begin delete agreements end delete begin insert agreement end insert may be created to meet the needs of
begin insert the end insert individual begin delete programs end delete begin insert program end insert or begin insert the end insert individual begin delete candidates end delete
begin insert candidate end insert .

(f)  begin delete Prospective candidates end delete begin insert A candidate end insert may be granted
recognition and credit for begin delete their end delete begin insert his or her end insert life and learning
begin delete experiences end delete begin insert experience end insert through begin insert a end insert prior learning assessment begin delete , end delete in
which begin delete candidates have end delete begin insert the candidate has end insert the opportunity to
demonstrate how begin delete their experiences end delete begin insert his or her experience end insert and
learning are comparable to begin delete what is required by end delete the begin delete standards end delete
begin insert commission program standard end insert .

(g) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Equivalency” means the determination begin insert , through an
evaluation process, end insert that a begin delete given end delete set of knowledge, skills, and
abilities begin delete as reflected in standards have end delete begin insert required by a commission
program standard has end insert been met through coursework, fieldwork,
or prior learning begin delete experience, as determined by an evaluation
process end delete begin insert experience end insert .

(2) “Comparability” means the determination that a candidate
has demonstrated the essence of a set of knowledge, skills, begin delete or end delete begin insert and end insert
abilities required by a begin delete particular end delete commission program standard
through another route.

(3) “Prior learning assessment” means a process through which
a person develops a portfolio of life experiences, training, or
preparation experience that begin delete establish end delete begin insert establishes end insert the basis for
meeting the begin delete appropriate standards end delete begin insert commission program standard end insert .

(4) “Program sponsor” means any university-based or local
educational agency-based program approved by the commission.