BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 368
Page 1
Date of Hearing: June 12, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Joan Buchanan, Chair
SB 368 (Pavley) - As Amended: May 8, 2013
SENATE VOTE : 36-0
SUBJECT : Teachers: added authorization in special education.
SUMMARY : Authorizes a Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)
approved special education teacher preparation program to offer
comparability and equivalency for coursework, subject to
guidelines issued by the CTC. Specifically this bill :
1)Authorizes a program sponsor to offer comparability and
equivalency for a special education credential holder seeking
to add a special education authorization to his or her
credential using the following guidelines for offering
comparability and equivalency, subject to criteria and
guidelines issued by the CTC:
a) Decisions regarding comparability are at the discretion
of the program sponsor.
b) A program sponsor has a broad range of possible data
that may be considered as evidence for comparability.
c) 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.
2)Authorizes evidence used to verify competency to include the
following, subject to criteria and guidelines issued by the
CTC:
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)Authorizes a program sponsor to use the following to evaluate
evidence for comparability presented by a candidate, subject
to criteria and guidelines issued by the CTC:
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a) Whether the information is based on current, adopted
California credential standards, as appropriate to the
authorization sought.
b) Whether a written agreement between the candidate and
program sponsor is evidence based, as appropriate to the
authorization sought.
c) Whether the information is aligned with the California
Standards for the Teaching Profession.
4)Authorizes flexible enrollment to be considered for a
candidate who needs minimal work to complete a credential
program; and, authorizes a program sponsor to 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.
5)Authorizes a program sponsor to take advantage of frequent
collaborations to formalize a written agreement concerning
comparability of coursework or fieldwork; and specifies the
agreement may be created to meet the needs of the individual
program or the individual candidate.
6)Authorizes a candidate to 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 CTC program standard.
7)Defines "Equivalency" to mean the determination, through an
evaluation process, that a set of knowledge, skills, and
abilities required by a CTC program standard has been met
through coursework, fieldwork, or prior learning experience.
8)Defines "Comparability" to mean the determination that a
candidate has demonstrated the essence of a set of knowledge,
skills, and abilities required by a CTC program standard
through another route.
9)Defines "Prior learning assessment" to mean a process through
which a person develops a portfolio of life experiences,
training, or preparation experience that establishes the basis
for meeting the CTC program standard.
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10)Defines "Program sponsor" to mean any university-based or
local educational agency-based program approved by the CTC.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Authorizes the CTC to set standards for and to issue
specialist credentials in areas of special education and to
establish the requirements for these credentials in
regulation. (Education Code 44265)
2)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 CTC may establish; and, requires candidates
for an education specialist credential to 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.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS : This bill allows credentialing programs to issue
credit for comparable coursework when a special educator seeks
additional specialist authorizations in special education. For
those institutions of higher education that wish to provide
credit for previous work, this bill will provide encouragement
and guidance as to how to provide such credit. The bill
implements the findings of a CTC report.
According to the author, currently, there is no standard way to
credit coursework and experience for added authorizations to the
education specialist credential that is earned across multiple
Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)-approved programs.
This has resulted in well-qualified candidates being required to
take redundant and unnecessary classes, both costing money and
making it more difficult to become a special education teacher.
SB 368 would authorize special education credentialing programs
to use a defined process to determine comparability of
coursework taken and experience earned across multiple
CTC-approved institutions. These guidelines are based on the
recommendations published by the California Commission on
Teacher Credentialing pursuant to AB 2226 by Assembly Member Ira
Ruskin (formerly Section 44265.2 of the Education Code.)
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Special education, as with other fields in the teaching
profession, is facing a shortage of teachers. In 2011-2012,
there were 686,352 Californians who received special education
instruction at the K-12 level. However, the most recently
available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that
there are only 31,380 special education teachers in California.
This massive disparity is likely to grow due to retirements and
advances in science and medicine increasing the identification
of children with special needs.
Previous Legislation : AB 2226 (Ruskin), Chapter 233, Statutes of
2008, required the CTC to convene a working group develop and
publish guidelines for determining comparability of coursework
or fieldwork completed across multiple Commission-approved
programs by December 1, 2009.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
California Federation of Teachers
Opposition
None on file.
Analysis Prepared by : Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087