Amended in Assembly May 27, 2014

Amended in Senate April 23, 2014

Senate Bill No. 1060

Introduced by Senator Liu

February 18, 2014

An act to amend Section 44277 of the Education Code, relating to school employees.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1060, as amended, Liu. School employees: professional growth.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish standards and procedures for the issuance and renewal of teaching credentials. Existing law expresses the Legislature’s intent to encourage teachers to engage in an individual program of professional growth that extends a teacher’s content knowledge and teaching skills. Existing law provides that an individualized program of professional growth may consist of specified activities and courses.

This bill would require a local educational agency, as defined, that offers a program of professional growth for teachers, administrators, paraprofessional educators, or other classified employees involved in the direct instruction of pupils, to consider high quality professional development that meets a specified list of criteria, including, among other things, that it begin delete has clearly defined outcomes and has a direct tie to pupil needs. end delete begin insert is based on an assessment of the needs of educators and tied to supporting pupil learning. end insert The bill would begin delete also end delete specify begin delete that end delete begin insert various activities that may be included as end insert professional development begin delete activities may also include end delete begin insert activities, including, among other things, end insert collaboration time for teachers to develop new instructional begin delete lessons or analyze pupil data, mentoring projects for new teachers, or extra support for teachers to improve practice. end delete begin insert lessons. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 44277 of the Education Code is amended
to read:

44277.  

(a) The Legislature recognizes that effective
professional growth must continue to occur throughout the careers
of all teachers, in order that teachers remain informed of changes
in pedagogy, subject matter, and pupil needs. In enacting this
section, it is the intent of the Legislature to encourage teachers to
engage in an individual program of professional growth that
extends their content knowledge and teaching skills and for school
districts to establish professional growth programs that give
individual teachers a wide range of options to pursue as well as
significant roles in determining the course of their professional
growth.

(b) An individual program of professional growth may consist
of activities that are aligned with the California Standards for the
Teaching Profession that contribute to competence, performance,
or effectiveness in the profession of education and the classroom
assignments of the teacher. Acceptable activities may include,
among other acceptable activities, the completion of courses offered
by regionally accredited colleges and universities, including
instructor-led interactive courses delivered through online
technologies; participation in professional conferences, workshops,
teacher center programs, staff development programs, or a
California Reading Professional Development Program operated
pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 99220) of Chapter
5 of Part 65; service as a mentor teacher; participation in school
curriculum development projects; participation in systematic
programs of observation and analysis of teaching; service in a
leadership role in a professional organization; and participation in
educational research or innovation efforts. Employing agencies
and the bargaining agents of employees may negotiate to agree on
the terms of programs of professional growth within their
jurisdictions, provided that the agreements shall be consistent with
this section.

(c) An individual program of professional growth may include
a basic course in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, which includes
training in the subdiaphragmatic abdominal thrust (also known as
the “Heimlich maneuver”) and meets or exceeds the standards
established by the American Heart Association or the American
Red Cross for courses in that subject or minimum standards for
training programs established by the Emergency Medical Services
Authority. An individual program of professional growth may also
include a course in first aid that meets or exceeds the standards
established by the American Red Cross for courses in that subject
or minimum standards for training programs established by the
Emergency Medical Services Authority.

(d) (1) If a local educational agency offers a program of
professional growth for teachers, administrators, paraprofessional
educators, or other classified employees involved in the direct
instruction of pupils, the local educational agency shall consider
high quality professional development that meets all of the
following criteria:

(A) Helps attract, grow, and retain effective educators.

(B) Is a part of every educator’s experience in order to accelerate
instructional improvement and support pupil begin delete achievement. end delete begin insert learning. end insert

begin delete

(C) Has clearly defined outcomes, and is directly tied to pupil
needs.

end delete begin insert

(C) Is based on needs assessment of educators and tied to
supporting pupil learning.

end insert

(D) Emphasizes the importance of meeting the needs of all
pupils.

begin delete

(E) Is research-based and evaluated for how effectively the
professional development addresses pupil learning opportunities.

end delete begin delete

(F) Is grounded in a clearly articulated description of effective
teaching, and is aligned to specific standards.

end delete begin delete

(G) Is part of and supports a meaningful evaluation and
accountability system.

end delete begin insert

(E) Is grounded in a description of effective practice, as
articulated in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession.

end insert begin delete

(H)

end delete

begin insert (F) end insert  Affords educators opportunities to engage with others to
develop their begin delete craft. end delete begin insert craft, including, but not limited to, opportunities
to increase their content knowledge. end insert

begin delete

(I)

end delete

begin insert (G) end insert  Ensures educators have adequate time to learn about,
practice, reflect, adjust, critique, and share what educators need
to ensure that all pupils, especially high-needs pupils, develop
begin delete dispositions, knowledge, end delete begin insert knowledge end insert and begin insert lifelong learning end insert skills
that will help the pupils to be successful.

begin delete

(J)

end delete

begin insert (H) end insert  Recognizes and begin delete leverages end delete begin insert utilizes end insert expert teacher begin delete or end delete begin insert and end insert
leader skills.

begin delete

(K)

end delete

begin insert (I) end insert  Attends to collective growth needs as well as educators’
individual growth needs.

begin delete

(L)

end delete

begin insert (J) end insert  Contributes to a positive, collaborative, and supportive adult
learning begin delete environment that holds professionals accountable for
quality standards of practice, and a collaborative effort to
productively solve problems. end delete begin insert environment. end insert

begin delete

(M)

end delete

begin insert (K) end insert  Contributes to cycles of begin delete improvement focused on mastery. end delete
begin insert inquiry and improvement. end insert

begin delete

(N) Is supported by or directly contributes to high-quality
resources, such as instructional materials, frameworks, units,
lessons, activities, assessments, learning manipulatives, and models
of intended outcomes.

end delete begin delete

(O)

end delete

begin insert (L) end insert  Is not limited to a single instance, but supports educators
through multiple iterations or engagements.

begin delete

(P) Contributes to developing a coherent set of efforts rather
than unproductive competing efforts that may overwhelm and
frustrate educators.

end delete begin insert

(M) Is based on a coherent and focused plan.

end insert

(2) Professional development activities may also include
collaboration time for teachers to develop new instructional begin delete lessons
or analyze end delete begin insert lessons, to select or develop common formative
assessments, end insert begin insert to analyze end insert pupil data, begin insert for end insert mentoring projects for new
teachers, or begin insert for end insert extra support for teachers to improve practice.
Appropriate professional development may be part of a coherent
plan that combines school activities within the school, including,
but not limited to, lesson study or coteaching, and external learning
opportunities that meet all of the following criteria:

(A) Are related to the academic subjects taught.

(B) Provide time to meet and work with other teachers.

(C) Support instruction and pupil learning to improve instruction
in a manner that is consistent with academic content standards.

begin delete

(D) Include an average of 40 hours per teacher per year.

end delete

(e) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency”
means a school district, county office of education, or charter
school.