BILL ANALYSIS �
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Carol Liu, Chair
2013-2014 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 368
AUTHOR: Pavley
AMENDED: April 15, 2013
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: May 1, 2013
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Lenin Del Castillo
SUBJECT : Added Authorizations for Special Education
Credentials.
SUMMARY
This bill allows the transferability of coursework and
field experience between educator preparation programs and
programs that prepare special education teachers.
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.
Current law requires education specialist teaching
credentials to be based upon a baccalaureate degree from an
accredited institution, completion of a program of
professional preparation, and standards that the commission
may establish. Additionally, candidates for an education
specialist credential must also obtain a
disability-specific authorization prior to teaching. The
CTC currently offers seven different types of
authorizations, ranging from mild-to-moderate disabilities
to sever physical, emotional, or mental conditions.
ANALYSIS
This bill:
1) Allows teacher preparation programs to offer
comparability and equivalency for credential holders
seeking added authorizations for special education
credentials which shall be determined in accordance
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with the following guidelines:
a) Decisions regarding comparability are at the
discretion of the program sponsor.
b) Program sponsors have a broad range of
possibilities for data in considering evidence
for comparability.
c) 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.
d) For candidates simultaneously pursuing a
degree in addition to earning a credential,
approved program sponsors may use their own
institutional processes and procedures for course
credit evaluations.
e) The evaluation process shall be guided by
the principles of candidate friendliness and
candidate responsibility.
f) The burden of retrieving, organizing, and
reflecting on evidence provided for evaluation is
on the candidate.
g) The comparability evaluation process shall
be rigorous and labor intensive.
2) Requires that the options used to verify competency
shall include, but not limited to, the following:
a) Examination results.
b) Portfolio.
c) Performance narrative.
d) Field experience.
e) Video.
f) Transcript.
g) Prior learning assessment.
h) A review board process.
3) Requires that when a candidate presents evidence to a
program sponsor for comparability, the following shall
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be evaluated:
a) Whether the information is based on current,
adopted California credential standards, as
appropriate to the specific credential sought.
b) Whether written agreements formulated
between the candidate and program sponsor are
evidence-based, as appropriate to the specific
credential sought.
c) Whether evaluative information presented by
the candidate is aligned with the California
Standards for the Teaching Profession.
4) Provides that flexible enrollment may be considered
for candidates who need minimal work to complete a
credential program, as specified.
5) Provides that program sponsors may take advantage of
frequent collaborations to formalize written
agreements concerning comparability of coursework or
field work, as specified.
6) Provides that prospective candidates may be granted
recognition and credit for their life and learning
experiences through prior learning assessment, in
which candidates have the opportunity to demonstrate
how their experience and learning are comparable to
what is required by the standards.
7) Makes various definitions, as specified.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Multiple programs . Teacher preparation programs are
accredited based upon standards adopted by the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). While all
commission-accredited programs meet program standards,
programs may look different from program to program
because program sponsors work with local school
districts, community members, and educational
organizations to design programs that meet local
needs. When credential candidates transfer from one
program to another to be closer to their families,
they must submit already-completed coursework for
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approval by the new program. Candidates must
sometimes repeat coursework or field work if the
receiving institution cannot determine that those
experiences will meet CTC program standards within the
context of the receiving program. The CTC encourages
programs to accept previously completed coursework and
field experience if they are found to be comparable.
2) Need for the bill . AB 2226 (Ruskin), Chapter 233,
Statutes of 2008, required the CTC to convene a
workgroup to develop guidelines for determining
comparability of coursework or field work completed
across multiple CTC approved programs. In January
2010, the CTC published the guidelines and helped
facilitate the acceptance of coursework from multiple
approved programs. However, according to the author's
office, there is no standard way to credit coursework
and experience earned across multiple CTC approved
programs, which has resulted in well-qualified
candidates being required to take redundant and
unnecessary classes. SB 368 codifies the guidelines
developed pursuant to AB 2226 regarding the acceptance
of coursework and experience earned across multiple
approved CTC programs.
3) Staff amendments . This bill codifies guidelines and
criteria developed by the CTC. To the extent that the
CTC makes amendments to these guidelines and criteria,
there could be differences between state statute and
the guidance that CTC provides to teacher preparation
programs, credential holders, and candidates, thereby
creating confusion for the field. Therefore, staff
recommends amending the bill to make permissive its
provisions in subsections (a), (b), and (c) of Section
44265.2, provide that these provisions are in
accordance with guidelines and criteria developed by
the CTC, and remove the guidelines specified in these
subsections. Staff also recommends amending the bill
to clarify that its provisions only apply to special
education credential holders seeking added special
education authorizations.
SUPPORT
California Federation of Teachers (sponsor)
California Teachers Association
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OPPOSITION
None on file.