Amended in Assembly June 26, 2013

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

begin insert

(Coauthors: Senators Beall and Padilla)

end insert begin insert

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Gonzalez)

end insert

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 a special education credentialholder seeking to add a special education authorization to his or her special education credential 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) A program sponsor may offer comparability and
equivalency for a special education credentialholder seeking 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:

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

(2) A program sponsor has a broad range of possible data that
may be considered as evidence for comparability.

(3) For a candidate simultaneously pursuing a degree in addition
to earning a credential, a program sponsor may use its own
institutional process and procedure for course credit evaluations.

(b) Evidence used to verify competency may include the
following, subject to criteria and guidelines issued by the
commission:

(1) Examination results.

(2)  begin delete Portfolio. end delete begin insert A portfolio. end insert

(3)  begin delete Performance end delete begin insert A performance end insert begin insert end insert narrative.

(4) Field experience.

(5) Video.

(6)  begin delete Transcript. end delete begin insert Transcripts. end insert

(7) Prior learning assessment.

(8) A review board process.

(c) A program sponsor may use the following to evaluate
evidence for comparability presented by a candidate, subject to
criteria and guidelines issued by the commission:

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

(2) Whether a written agreement between the candidate and
program sponsor is evidence based, as appropriate to the
authorization sought.

(3) Whether the information is aligned with the California
Standards for the Teaching Profession.

(d) Flexible enrollment may be considered for a candidate who
needs minimal work to complete a credential program. A program
sponsor 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) A program sponsor may take advantage of frequent
collaborations to formalize a written agreement concerning
comparability of coursework or fieldwork. The agreement may be
created to meet the needs of the individual program or the
individual candidate.

(f) A candidate may be granted recognition and credit for his
or her life and learning experience through a prior learning
assessment in which the candidate has the opportunity to
demonstrate how his or her experience and learning are comparable
to the commission program standard.

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

(1) “Equivalency” means the determination, through an
evaluation process, that a set of knowledge, skills, and abilities
required by a commission program standard has been met through
coursework, fieldwork, or prior learning experience.

(2) “Comparability” means the determination that a candidate
has demonstrated the essence of a set of knowledge, skills, and
abilities required by a 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 establishes the basis for meeting the
commission program standard.

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