BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 368
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 3, 2013

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    SB 368 (Pavley) - As Amended:  June 26, 2013 

          Policy Committee:                             EducationVote:7-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill authorizes a teacher preparation program to offer  
          comparability and equivalency for a special education  
          credentialholder seeking to add a special education  
          authorization to his or her credential.  Specifically, this  
          bill:  

          1)Defines equivalency to mean the determination, through an  
            evaluation process, that a given set of knowledge, skills, and  
            abilities required by a Commission on Teacher Credentialing  
            (CTC) program standard has been met through coursework,  
            fieldwork, or prior learning experience. 

          2)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.  

          3)Establishes guidelines for teacher preparation programs to  
            follow with respect to determining equivalency and  
            comparability in issuing the authorization, as specified.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          No direct fiscal impact to the CTC to implement this measure.  

           COMMENTS  

          Purpose  .  AB 2226 (Ruskin), Chapter 233, Statutes of 2008,  
          required the CTC to convene a workgroup to develop and publish  
          guidelines for determining comparability of coursework and  
          fieldwork completed across multiple CTC approved teacher  








                                                                  SB 368
                                                                  Page  2

          preparation programs.  

          According to the author, "The special education credentialing  
          and authorization system is needed in order to ensure that  
          teachers have the training and experience needed to teach for  
          specific disabilities.  However, there is currently no specified  
          method for crediting coursework and experience taken across  
          multiple CTC-approved [teacher preparation] programs.   This has  
          resulted in well-qualified candidates seeking added  
          authorizations being required to take redundant and unnecessary  
          classes, both costing money and making it more difficult to  
          become a special education teacher."

          This bill, sponsored by the California Federation of Teachers,  
          codifies the guidelines developed pursuant to Chapter 233, which  
          enables a teacher preparation program to determine comparability  
          and equivalency for a candidate seeking a special education  
          authorization, as specified.  



           Analysis Prepared by  :    Kimberly Rodriguez / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081