BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                            



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                                 UNFINISHED BUSINESS


          Bill No:  SB 368
          Author:   Pavley (D), et al.
          Amended:  8/15/13
          Vote:     21


           SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE  :  9-0, 5/1/13  
           AYES:  Liu, Wyland, Block, Correa, Hancock, Hueso, Huff,  
            Jackson, Monning

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  Senate Rule 28.8

           SENATE FLOOR  :  36-0, 5/24/13 (Consent)
          AYES:  Anderson, Beall, Block, Calderon, Cannella, Corbett,  
            Correa, De Le�n, DeSaulnier, Emmerson, Fuller, Gaines,  
            Galgiani, Hancock, Hernandez, Hill, Hueso, Huff, Jackson,  
            Knight, Lara, Leno, Lieu, Monning, Nielsen, Padilla, Pavley,  
            Price, Roth, Steinberg, Torres, Walters, Wolk, Wright, Wyland,  
            Yee
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Berryhill, Evans, Liu, Vacancy

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR :  78-0, 8/26/13 - See last page for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Added Authorization for Special Education  
          Credentials

           SOURCE  :     California Federation of Teachers


           DIGEST  :    This bill allows special education credentialing  
          programs to offer comparability and equivalency for coursework  
          taken across multiple Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)  
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          approved institutions, as defined, and only applies to special  
          education credential holders seeking added authorizations.

           Assembly Amendments  add coauthors and make technical changes.
           ANALYSIS  :    

          Existing law:

          1.Authorizes the CTC to issue credentials for teaching  
            specialties, including, bilingual education, early childhood  
            education, and special education.

          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.  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.

          This bill:

          1.Allows teacher preparation programs to offer comparability and  
            equivalency for a special education credential holder seeking  
            to add authorization for special education credentials which  
            shall be determined in accordance with the following  
            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  
               his/her own institutional process and procedure for course  
               credit evaluations.

          1.Requires that the evidence used to verify competency may  
            include, the following subject to criteria and guidelines  
            issued by the CTC:

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             A.   Examination results.
             B.   A portfolio.
             C.   A performance narrative.
             D.   Field experience.
             E.   Video.
             F.   Transcripts.
             G.   Prior learning assessment.
             H.   A review board process.

          1.Provides a program sponsor may use the following to evaluate  
            evidence to a program sponsor for comparability presented by a  
            candidate, subject to criteria and guidelines issued by the  
            CTC:

             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.

          1.Provides that flexible enrollment may be considered for a  
            candidate who needs minimal work to complete a credential  
            program, as specified.

          2.Provides that program sponsors may take advantage of frequent  
            collaborations to formalize written agreement concerning  
            comparability of coursework or field work, as specified.

          3.Provides a candidate may be granted recognition and credit for  
            his/her learning experience through a prior learning  
            assessment, in which a candidate has the opportunity to  
            demonstrate how his/her experience and learning are comparable  
            to the CTC Program Standards.

          4.Makes various definitions, as specified.

           Comments
           

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          According to the Senate Education Committee analysis, teacher  
          preparation programs are accredited based upon standards adopted  
          by the CTC.  While all CTC 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  
          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.

          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.  This bill  
          codifies the guidelines developed pursuant to AB 2226 (Ruskin)  
          regarding the acceptance of coursework and experience earned  
          across multiple approved CTC programs.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  8/27/13)

          California Federation of Teachers (source)
          California Association of School Administrators
          California State PTA
          California Teachers Association
          Special Education Local Plan Area Administrators

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  78-0, 8/26/13
          AYES:  Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom,  
            Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown, Buchanan, Ian  

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            Calderon, Campos, Chau, Ch�vez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley,  
            Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier,  
            Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gorell,  
            Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hern�ndez, Holden,  
            Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal,  
            Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mitchell, Morrell,  
            Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson,  
            Perea, V. Manuel P�rez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas,  
            Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski,  
            Wilk, Williams, Yamada, John A. P�rez
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Vacancy, Vacancy

          PQ:ej  8/27/13   Senate Floor Analyses 

                           SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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