AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 21, 2025
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
98
Introduced by Assembly Member Muratsuchi
February 21, 2025
An act to add Sections 33319.6, 44270.6, and 44270.7 44270.7, and 60205 to the Education Code, relating to pupil literacy.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law establishes the State Department of Education, under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and assigns to the department numerous duties relating to the financing, governance, and guidance of the public elementary and secondary schools in this state.
This bill would require the department to, no later than September 1, 2026, identify and post on its internet website a list of inservice professional development programs for effective means of teaching literacy in specified grade levels that may be used by school districts, county offices of education, and charter
schools, and state special schools for training teachers. The bill would require the department to ensure that the list includes programs offered in different modalities, including in-person and virtual formats, and shall ensure that the programs meet specified criteria. The bill would require the department to make specified funds available and the Superintendent to apportion those funds to school districts, county offices of education, charter schools, and state special schools to provide opportunities for professional development for teachers who teach pupils in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 5, inclusive, using one or more of the above-described professional development programs, as provided.
Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law sets forth the minimum requirements for a preliminary services credential with a specialization in administrative services, which include, among other requirements, completion of an entry-level program of specialized and professional preparation in administrative services or a one-year internship in a program of supervised training in administrative services, subject to approval by the commission, as provided.
This bill would require the commission to, no later than September 1, 2027, ensure that the program standards for the professional preparation of candidates for a preliminary services credential with a specialization in administrative services meets specified criteria, including, among other things, that the program standards include preparation on how to support teachers in delivering instruction through effective means for teaching literacy, as provided. The bill would require the commission to, no later than September 1, 2029, certify that all professional preparation programs and internships for candidates for a preliminary services credential with a specialization in administrative services approved by the commission meet those program standards.
Existing law requires the state board to adopt basic instructional materials for use in kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, for governing boards of school districts and county boards of education, subject to specified provisions, including, among others, that the State Board of Education adopt at least 5 basic instructional materials for all applicable grade levels in each of the specified subject areas, including, among others, language arts, including, but not limited to, spelling, reading, and English language development.
This bill would require the state board, on or before June 30, 2027, and in adherence with specified provisions related to followup adoptions, to adopt instructional materials for kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, in English language arts and English language development, as provided. The bill would require the state board to ensure that instructional materials adopted pursuant to these provisions adhere to specified criteria.
This bill would make implementation of its provisions, as described above, contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 33319.6 is added to the Education Code, to read:
33319.6.
(a) No later than September 1, 2026, the department shall identify and post on its internet website a list of inservice professional development programs for effective means of teaching literacy in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 5, inclusive, that may be used by school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools
local educational agencies for training teachers. The department shall ensure that the list includes programs offered in different modalities, including in-person and virtual formats, and shall ensure that the programs meet all of the following criteria:
(1) Include the requirements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259 and evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills in print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency to all pupils, including tiered supports for pupils with reading difficulties, English learners, and pupils with exceptional needs.
(2) Align to the commission’s current teaching performance expectations as specified in Section 44259.7.
(3) Align to the current English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework Framework, including integrated and designated English language development instruction, oral language development, vocabulary and background knowledge, and comprehension, adopted by the state board.
(4) Align to the program guidelines for dyslexia developed pursuant to Section 56335.
(b) (1) (A) The department shall make funding available for purposes of training teachers who teach pupils in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 5, inclusive, using the professional development programs identified pursuant to subdivision (a). The Superintendent shall apportion these funds to local educational agencies in an equal amount per full-time equivalent certificated staff who teach pupils in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 5, inclusive.
(B) A local educational agency may expend the funds received pursuant to this subdivision from the 2026–27 fiscal year to the 2028–29 fiscal year, inclusive.
(2) (A) (i) If a local educational agency is apportioned funds pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1), those funds shall be used to provide opportunities for professional development for teachers who teach pupils in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 5, inclusive, using one or more of the professional development programs identified pursuant to subdivision (a), except as provided in clause (ii).
(ii) Notwithstanding clause (i), if a local educational agency is apportioned funds pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1), those funds may be used to provide opportunities for professional development using a professional development program not identified pursuant to subdivision (a), provided that the program aligns to the criteria specified in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive, of subdivision (a).
(B) If there are remaining funds after complying with subparagraph (A), a local educational agency may provide opportunities for professional development for teachers who teach pupils in grades other than transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 5, inclusive.
(3) As a condition of receiving funds apportioned pursuant to this subdivision, a local educational agency shall, on or before September 1, 2029, report to the department, in a form and manner determined by the department, the number of teachers that received professional development and which professional development program was used.
(4) The department shall summarize the information reported pursuant to paragraph (3) and shall submit the summary to the appropriate budget subcommittees and policy committees of the Legislature, in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, and to the Department of Finance on or before February 1, 2030.
(c) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, charter school, or state special school.
(d) The operation of this section is contingent upon an appropriation for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
SEC. 2.
Section 44270.6 is added to the Education Code, to read:
44270.6.
(a) No later than September 1, 2027, the commission shall ensure that the program standards for the professional preparation of candidates for a preliminary services credential with a specialization in administrative services established pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 44270 meet all of the following criteria:
(1) Includes preparation on how to support teachers in delivering instruction through effective means for teaching literacy, including the requirements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259 and evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills in print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency to all pupils, including tiered supports for pupils with reading difficulties, English learners, and pupils with exceptional needs.
(2) Aligns to the commission’s current standards of program quality and effectiveness and current teaching performance expectations as specified in Sections 44259.6 and 44259.7.
(3) Aligns to the current English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework Framework, including integrated and designated English language development instruction, oral language development, vocabulary and background knowledge, and comprehension, adopted by the state
board.
(4) Incorporates the program guidelines for dyslexia developed pursuant to Section 56335.
(b) The operation of this section is contingent upon an appropriation for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
SEC. 3.
Section 44270.7 is added to the Education Code, to read:
44270.7.
(a) No later than September 1, 2029, the commission shall certify that all professional preparation programs and internships for candidates for a preliminary services credential with a specialization in administrative services approved by the commission pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 44270 meet all of the following criteria:
(1) Includes preparation on how to support teachers in delivering instruction through effective means for teaching literacy, including the requirements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259 and evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills in print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency to all pupils, including tiered supports for pupils with reading difficulties, English learners, and pupils with exceptional needs.
(2) Aligns to the commission’s current standards of program quality and effectiveness and current teaching performance expectations as specified in Sections 44259.6 and 44259.7.
(3) Aligns to the current English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework Framework, including integrated and designated English language development instruction, oral language development, vocabulary and background knowledge, and comprehension, adopted by the state
board.
(4) Incorporates the program guidelines for dyslexia developed pursuant to Section 56335.
(b) The operation of this section is contingent upon an appropriation for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
SEC. 4.
Section 60205 is added to the Education Code, to read:
60205.
(a) On or before June 30, 2027, the state board shall, in adherence with the procedures established pursuant to Section 60227, adopt instructional materials for kindergarten and grades 1 to 8, inclusive, in English language arts and English language development.
(b) The state board shall ensure that instructional materials adopted pursuant to this section adhere to all of the following:
(1) Include the requirements described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259 and evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills in print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency to all pupils, including tiered supports for pupils with reading difficulties, English learners, and pupils with exceptional needs.
(2) Align to the commission’s current teaching performance expectations as specified in Section 44259.7.
(3) Align to the current English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework, including integrated and designated English language development instruction, oral language development, vocabulary and background knowledge, and comprehension, adopted by the state board.
(4) Align to the program guidelines for dyslexia developed pursuant to Section 56335.
(5) Align to the guidance required to be developed by the county office of education that is chosen by the Superintendent to support the follow-up adoption and subsequent implementation of English Language Arts/English Language Development instructional materials by the Instructional Quality Commission and the state board.
(c) The operation of this section is contingent upon an appropriation for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.