AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 21, 2026
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 13, 2026
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 8, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 13, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 6, 2026
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 16, 2026
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
93
Introduced by Assembly Member Fong
February 19, 2026
An act to amend Sections 44203, 44225, 44227, 44252, 44252.2, 44256, 44258.2, 44258.7, 44259, 44259.1, 44265, 44269, 44300, and 44325 of the Education Code, relating to teacher credentialing.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law prescribes specific minimum requirements a candidate must satisfy to be issued a teaching credential, certificate, or permit, including, among other requirements, possession of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, except as provided. Existing law authorizes the commission to approve a regionally accredited institution of higher education to recommend to the commission the issuance of credentials to persons who have successfully completed a teacher education program of the institution if the program meets the standards approved by the commission. Existing law defines a regionally accredited institution of higher education for these purposes to include, among other institutions, a community or junior college that confers baccalaureate degrees and is regionally accredited by specified accrediting entities, as provided.
This bill would delete a community or junior college that confers baccalaureate degrees and is regionally accredited by specified accrediting entities from the definition of “regionally accredited.” The bill would instead require a baccalaureate degree from an accredited community or junior college to include specific coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as provided, in order for that baccalaureate degree to satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement for a teaching credential, certificate, or permit.
The bill would prohibit a California community college and a California community college district from offering an integrated program of professional preparation that would enable a candidate for a teaching credential to engage in professional preparation concurrently with subject matter preparation, while completing a baccalaureate degree.
This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 44252, 44259, and 44325 of the Education Code proposed by SB 1443 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1443 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 44203 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44203.
In this chapter, the following terms shall be defined as specified in this section:
(a) “Authorization” means the designation that appears on a credential, certificate, or permit that identifies the subjects and circumstances in which the holder of the credential, certificate, or permit may teach, or the services that the holder may render in the public schools of this state.
(b) (1) “Basic teaching credential” means either of the following:
(A) A credential that authorizes the holder to teach the subjects named on the credential, and for which possession of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and completion of a professional preparation program that includes student teaching or completion of a district internship program pursuant to Section 44325 are minimum requirements.
(B) A clear designated subjects teaching credential that authorizes the holder to teach the subjects named on the credential on a full-time basis if the holder also possesses a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and has passed the state basic skills proficiency test.
(2) A basic teaching credential meets the prerequisite teaching credential requirement for any other teaching, specialist, or service credential the commission is authorized to issue.
(c) “Beginning teacher assessment” means a process that has been adopted or approved by the commission for measuring the performances of the holders of preliminary teaching credentials in order to help them improve, and to determine whether their performances satisfy the commission’s standards of performance for earning the clear teaching credential.
(d) “Beginning teacher support” means a combination of assistance, guidance, encouragement, and diagnostic assessment that helps the holders of preliminary teaching credentials to fulfill their professional responsibilities effectively during the first year or two years of classroom teaching, and that satisfies standards of support adopted by the commission.
(e) “Institution of higher education” means an institution that grants baccalaureate or higher degrees, not including a community college, junior college, California community college, or a California community college district.
(f) “Professional teacher certification requirements” means a policy of requiring each beginning teacher to complete a program of planned support and systematic assessment, as determined by the commission, as a condition for earning a clear teaching credential.
(g) “Regionally accredited” means either of the following:
(1) An institution of higher education that has been accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Higher Learning Commission, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the New England Commission of Higher Education, or the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
(2) An institution of higher education that held preaccreditation status at the time the degree of an applicant for a credential was conferred, if the institution achieved full regional accreditation status within five years of earning preaccreditation status.
SEC. 2.
Section 44225 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44225.
The commission shall do all of the following:
(a) Establish professional standards, assessments, and examinations for entry and advancement in the education profession. While the Legislature recognizes that the commission will exercise its prerogative to determine those requirements, it is the intent of the Legislature that standards, assessments, and examinations be developed and implemented for the following:
(1) (A) The preliminary teaching credential, to be granted upon possession of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, completion of an accredited program of professional preparation, and either successful passage of an examination or assessment that has been adopted or approved by the commission in the subject or subjects appropriate to the grade level to be taught, to include college-level reading, writing, and mathematics skills, or completion of an accredited program of subject matter preparation and successful passage of the basic skills proficiency test as provided for in Article 4 (commencing with Section 44250). The commission shall uniformly consider the results of the basic skills proficiency test in conjunction with other pertinent information about the qualifications of each candidate for a preliminary credential and may award the credential on the basis of the overall performance of a candidate as measured by several criteria of professional competence if the candidate meets minimum standards set by the commission on each criterion. Upon application by a regionally accredited institution of higher education, the commission may categorically grant credit to coursework completed in an accredited program of professional preparation, as specified by this paragraph, by undergraduates of that institution, if the commission finds there are adequate assurances of the quality of necessary undergraduate instruction in the liberal arts and in the subject area or areas to be taught.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), for single subject teaching credentials, the baccalaureate degree shall not be in the subject of professional education.
(C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 44252.
(2) The professional teaching credential, to be granted upon successful passage of a state examination or assessment in the subject or subjects appropriate to the grade level to be taught, to include college-level basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills, and completion of a period of beginning teacher support that includes assessments of ability to teach subject matter to pupils, ability to work well with pupils, classroom management, and instructional skills. A candidate who successfully passes the examination or assessment pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be deemed to have passed the state examination or assessment in the subject or subjects to be taught pursuant to this paragraph.
(b) (1) Reduce and streamline the credential system to ensure teacher competence in the subject field or fields, while allowing greater flexibility in staffing local schools. The commission shall award the following types of credentials to applicants whose preparation and competence satisfy its standards:
(A) Basic teaching credentials for teaching in kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, in public schools in the state.
(B) Credentials for teaching adult education classes and vocational education classes.
(C) Credentials for teaching specialties, including, but not limited to, bilingual education, early childhood education, and special education. The commission may grant credentials to any candidate who concurrently meets the commission’s standards of preparation and competence for the preliminary basic teaching credential and the preliminary specialty credential.
(D) Credentials for school services, for positions including, but not limited to, administrators, school counselors, speech-language therapists, audiologists, school psychologists, library media teachers, supervisors of attendance, and school nurses.
(2) The commission may establish standards and requirements for preliminary and professional credentials of each type.
(c) Review and, if necessary, revise the code of ethics for the teaching profession.
(d) Establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. In setting standards, the commission shall seek to ensure, through its credentialing of teachers, that public school teachers satisfy all of the following criteria:
(1) Are academically talented.
(2) Are knowledgeable of the subjects to be taught in the classroom.
(3) Are creative and energetic.
(4) Have the human skills to motivate and inspire pupils to achieve their goals.
(5) Have the sensitivity to foster self-esteem in pupils through recognition that each pupil has their own goals, talents, and levels of development.
(6) Are willing to relate the educational process and their instructional strategies to meet the needs of pupils.
(7) Are able to work effectively with and motivate pupils from a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, academic, and linguistic backgrounds.
(8) Have an understanding of principles and laws related to educational equity, and the equitable practice of the profession of education among all pupils regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, age, religious background, primary language, or disabling condition.
(e) Determine the scope and authorization of credentials to ensure competence in teaching and other educational services, and establish sanctions for the misuse of credentials and the misassignment of credentialholders. The commission may grant an added or supplementary authorization to a credentialholder who has met the requirements and standards of the commission for the added or supplementary authorization. The commission shall exempt the holder of a teaching credential obtained before January 1, 1974, who adds an authorization by successfully completing a commission-approved subject matter examination, from the requirements of subdivision (e) of Section 44259 and Section 44261.
(f) Collect, compile, and disseminate information regarding exemplary practices in supporting and assessing beginning teachers.
(g) Establish alternative methods for entry into the teaching profession, and into other certificated roles in the schools, by persons in varying circumstances, including persons who have been educated outside of California, provided that each applicant satisfies all of the requirements established by the commission. One alternative method shall be the successful completion of at least two years of classroom instruction under a district intern certificate pursuant to Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 44325). In establishing alternative methods for entry into the teaching profession, the commission shall develop strategies to encourage classroom aides to become credentialed teachers.
(h) Adopt a framework and general standards for the accreditation of preparation programs for teachers and other certificated educators pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 44320).
(i) Appoint classroom teachers, school administrators, other school services personnel, representatives of the public, and public or private higher education representatives to one or more standing committees, which shall be given authority to recommend to the commission standards relating to examinations, performance assessments, program accreditation, and licensing. The commission shall establish criteria for membership on those committees, and shall determine the terms of committee members. Appointments to standing committees by the commission shall reflect, to the extent feasible, the ethnic and cultural diversity of the California public schools.
(j) Consult with classroom teachers, faculty members from institutions of higher education that maintain accredited programs of professional preparation for teachers, administrators or other school services personnel, and other experts to aid in the development of examinations and assessments, and to study the impact of examinations and assessments on the teaching profession. To increase the fairness of its certification decisions, the commission may uniformly consider the results of tests, subtests, and assessments in conjunction with each other, and in conjunction with other pertinent information about the qualifications of each candidate. The commission may award credentials on the basis of average overall performances by candidates on several criteria of professional competence if the candidate meets minimum standards set by the commission on each criterion.
(k) Adopt standards for all examinations and assessments that shall ensure that all prospective teachers demonstrate an understanding of the history and cultures of the major ethnic populations of this state and of teaching strategies for the acquisition of English language skills by non-English-speaking pupils.
(l) Determine the terms of credentials, certificates, and permits, except that no credential, certificate, or permit shall be valid for more than five years from the date of issuance. This article shall govern the issuance of any credential, certificate, or permit, except as follows:
(1) A credential, certificate, or permit shall remain in force as long as it is valid and continues to be valid under the laws and regulations that were in effect when it was issued.
(2) The commission shall grant teaching credentials pursuant to statutes that were in effect on December 31, 1988, to candidates who, before the effective date of regulations to implement subdivision (a), were in the process of meeting the requirements for teaching credentials that were in effect on December 31, 1988, except that neither enrollment as an undergraduate student nor receipt of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education before the effective date of the regulations shall, by itself, exempt a candidate from the requirements of subdivision (a). Enrollment in a preparation program for teachers before the effective date of the regulations shall not exempt a candidate from the requirements of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), if the preliminary credential of the candidate was granted after the effective date of the regulations.
(m) (1) Review requests from school districts, county offices of education, private schools, and postsecondary institutions for the waiver of one or more of the provisions of this chapter or other provisions governing the preparation or licensing of educators. The commission may grant a waiver upon finding that the professional preparation equivalent to that prescribed under the provision or provisions to be waived will be, or has been, completed by the credential candidate or candidates affected, or that a waiver is necessary to accomplish any of the following:
(A) Give a local educational agency one semester or less to address unanticipated, immediate, short-term shortages of fully qualified educators by assigning a teacher who holds a basic teaching credential to teach outside of the teacher’s credential authorization, with the teacher’s consent.
(B) Provide credential candidates additional time to complete a credential requirement.
(C) Allow local school districts or schools to implement an education reform or restructuring plan.
(D) Temporarily exempt from a specified credential requirement small, geographically isolated regions with a severely limited ability to develop personnel.
(E) Provide other temporary exemptions when deemed appropriate by the commission.
(2) No provision in this chapter shall be waived under Sections 33050 and 33051, after June 30, 1994, by the state board.
(n) It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission develop models for voluntary use by California colleges and universities that do not have these models in place, to assist in the screening of applications for admission to teacher education programs. The models shall give emphasis to the following qualifications of the applicants: academic talent, knowledge of subjects to be taught, basic academic skills, creativity, experience in working with children and adolescents, ability to motivate and inspire pupils, and willingness to relate education to pupils with a wide variety of cultural, ethnic, and academic backgrounds. The commission may continue to administer the state basic skills proficiency test, in order (1) to use the results of this test in awarding preliminary teaching credentials and emergency permits, and (2) to enable colleges and universities to use this test in conjunction with other appropriate sources of information in teacher preparation admission decisions. However, it is the intent of the Legislature that applicants for admission to teacher preparation programs shall not be denied admission solely on the basis of state basic skills proficiency test results. The commission may recover the costs of administering and developing the test by charging examinees a fee for taking the test.
(o) It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission encourage colleges and universities to design and implement, by August 1, 1990, concentrated internship programs for persons who have attained a baccalaureate degree in the field in which they intend to teach. Those programs would be targeted at subject area shortages, would substitute for conventional training programs, and would include a full summer session of college-level coursework, a one-year internship, or the equivalent, a seminar throughout the internship, and a summer session following the internship. Educator preparation through internship programs shall be subject to Article 10 (commencing with Section 44370).
(p) Grant a field placement certificate to a candidate who has been admitted to an accredited program of professional preparation, and who must complete a supervised practicum in public elementary or secondary schools as a condition for completion of the program. The commission shall establish standards for the issuance of field placement certificates.
(q) Propose appropriate rules and regulations to implement Chapter 1355 of the Statutes of 1988.
(r) Adopt subject matter assessments for teaching credentials after developing those assessments jointly with the Superintendent.
SEC. 3.
Section 44227 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44227.
(a) The commission may approve any regionally accredited institution of higher education other than a community college to recommend to the commission the issuance of credentials to persons who have successfully completed a teacher education program of the institution if the program meets the standards approved by the commission.
(b) A regionally accredited institution of higher education whose teacher education program has been accredited by the commission shall approve and electronically submit credential applications to the commission, and the commission shall grant credentials to these applicants based upon that approval.
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, the commission may approve for credit any coursework completed for credential purposes or for step increases in programs offered in California by out-of-state institutions of higher education that meet the requirements prescribed by Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 94800) of Part 59 of Division 10 of Title 3 only if the program of courses is offered by a regionally accredited institution of higher education and evidence of satisfactory evaluation by that accrediting body is submitted by the out-of-state institution to the commission for purposes of seeking approval of the program and any courses within that program to enable potential teachers to meet one or more requirements for a teaching credential in California.
SEC. 4.
Section 44252 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44252.
(a) (1) The commission shall establish standards and procedures for the initial issuance and renewal of credentials.
(2) (A) The commission shall require an initial or renewal applicant who submits an initial or renewal application for the applicant’s credential online, as part of the application process, to read and attest by electronic signature a statement that the applicant for the credential understands the duties imposed on a holder of a teaching credential or a services credential pursuant to the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 11164) of Chapter 2 of Title 1 of Part 4 of the Penal Code), including, but not limited to, the duty of a holder of a teaching credential or a services credential to report to any police department, sheriff’s department, county probation department authorized to receive reports, or county welfare department, whenever the credentialholder, in the credentialholder’s professional capacity or within the scope of the credentialholder’s employment, has knowledge of or observes a child whom the holder of a teaching credential or a services credential knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child abuse or neglect.
(B) The commission shall require an initial applicant who submits an application in paper form, as part of the application process, to read and attest by signature a statement that the applicant understands the duties imposed on a holder of a teaching credential or a services credential pursuant to the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 11164) of Chapter 2 of Title 1 of Part 4 of the Penal Code), including, but not limited to, the duty of a holder of a teaching credential or a services credential to report to any police department, sheriff’s department, county probation department authorized to receive reports, or county welfare department, whenever the credentialholder, in the credentialholder’s professional capacity or within the scope of the credentialholder’s employment, has knowledge of or observes a child whom the holder of a teaching credential or a services credential knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child abuse or neglect.
(C) The statement described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) shall be substantially in the following form:
“As a documentholder authorized to work with children, it is part of my professional and ethical duty to report every instance of child abuse or neglect known or suspected to have occurred to a child with whom I have professional contact.
I understand that I must report immediately, or as soon as practicably possible, by telephone to a law enforcement agency or a child protective agency, and will send a written report and any evidence relating to the incident within 36 hours of becoming aware of the abuse or neglect of the child.
I understand that reporting the information regarding a case of possible child abuse or neglect to an employer, supervisor, school principal, school counselor, coworker, or other person is not a substitute for making a mandated report to a law enforcement agency or a child protective agency.
I understand that the reporting duties are individual, and no supervisor or administrator may impede or inhibit my reporting duties.
I understand that once I submit a report, I am not required to disclose my identity to my employer.
I understand that my failure to report an instance of suspected child abuse or neglect as required by the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act under Section 11166 of the Penal Code is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail or by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
I acknowledge and certify that as a documentholder, I will fulfill all the duties required of a mandated reporter.”
(b) The commission shall not issue initially a credential, permit, certificate, or renewal of an emergency credential to a person to serve in the public schools unless the person has demonstrated proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language as provided in Section 44252.5 or 44252.7. The commission shall exempt the following persons from the basic skills proficiency test requirement:
(1) A person credentialed solely for the purpose of teaching adults in an apprenticeship program.
(2) An applicant for an adult education designated subject credential for other than an academic subject.
(3) A person credentialed in another state who is an applicant for employment in a school district in this state who has passed a basic skills proficiency examination administered by the state where the person is credentialed.
(4) A person credentialed in another state who is an applicant for employment in a school district in this state who has passed a basic skills proficiency examination that has been developed and administered by the school district offering that person employment, by cooperating school districts, or by the appropriate county office of education. School districts administering a basic skills proficiency examination under this paragraph shall comply with the requirements of subdivision (h) of Section 44830. The applicant shall be granted a nonrenewable credential, valid for not longer than one year, pending fulfillment of the basic skills proficiency requirement pursuant to Section 44252.5.
(5) An applicant for a childcare center permit or a permit authorizing service in a development center for the handicapped if the holder of the permit is not required to have a baccalaureate degree.
(6) The holder of a credential, permit, or certificate to teach, other than an emergency permit, who seeks an additional authorization to teach.
(7) An applicant for a credential to provide service in the health profession.
(8) An applicant who achieves scores on the writing, reading, and mathematics sections of the College Board SAT Reasoning Test, the enhanced ACT Test, or the California State University Early Assessment Program that are sufficient to waive the English placement test and the entry level mathematics examination administered by the California State University.
(9) An applicant for an eminence credential to be issued pursuant to Section 44262.
(10) (A) An applicant who earns at least a letter grade of B in qualifying coursework determined by a credential preparation program, or determined by the commission for an applicant not enrolled in a California credential preparation program, to sufficiently serve as an indicator of proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language. As used in this section, “qualifying coursework” means a course or courses taken at a regionally accredited institution of higher education for academic credit that applies toward the requirements for an associate’s degree, baccalaureate degree, or higher degree. Qualifying coursework does not include professional development or continuing education units, inservice training or workshops, or courses where credits do not apply toward the requirements for an associate’s degree, baccalaureate degree, or higher degree.
(B) (i) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the following courses are sufficient to serve as indicators of proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills:
(I) For reading proficiency, a course in the subjects of critical thinking, literature, philosophy, reading, rhetoric, or textual analysis.
(II) For writing proficiency, a course in the subjects of composition, English, rhetoric, written communications, or writing.
(III) For mathematics proficiency, a course in the subjects of algebra, geometry, mathematics, quantitative reasoning, or statistics.
(ii) A course that does not fall within a subject described in clause (i) may serve as an alternative indicator of proficiency if the applicant provides documentation in writing from the registrar or relevant department chair of the regionally accredited institution of higher education where the course was taken that the course includes the study of subjects in reading, writing, or mathematics, as those terms are described in clause (i). A course that meets these standards may combine the study of reading and writing.
(C) Qualifying coursework shall be a semester-length course of at least three units or a quarter-length course of at least four units.
(11) A credential preparation program or the commission may determine that an applicant has demonstrated proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language through a combination of qualifying coursework described in paragraph (10), passage of a component or components of the state basic skills proficiency test described in subdivision (d) of Section 44252.5, and scores described in paragraph (8).
(12) (A) An applicant who has obtained a baccalaureate degree or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10).
(c) (1) The Superintendent shall adopt an appropriate state test to measure proficiency in these basic skills. In adopting the test, the Superintendent shall seek assistance from the commission and an advisory board. A majority of the members of the advisory board shall be classroom teachers. The advisory board also shall include representatives of school boards, school administrators, parents, and postsecondary educational institutions.
(2) The Superintendent shall adopt a normed test that the Superintendent determines will sufficiently test basic skills for purposes of this section.
(3) The Superintendent, in conjunction with the commission and approved teacher training institutions, shall take steps necessary to ensure the effective implementation of this section.
(d) This section does not require the holders of, or applicants for, a designated subjects special subjects credential to pass the state basic skills proficiency test unless the requirements for the specific credential required the possession of a baccalaureate degree. The governing board of a school district, the governing board of a consortium of school districts, or a governing board involved in a joint powers agreement that employs a holder of a designated subjects special subjects credential shall establish its own basic skills proficiency criteria for the holders of these credentials and shall arrange for those individuals to be assessed. The basic skills proficiency criteria established by the governing board shall be at least equivalent to the test required by the district or, in the case of a consortium or a joint powers agreement, by any of the participating districts, for graduation from high school. The governing board or boards may charge a fee to individuals being tested to cover the costs of the test, including the costs of developing, administering, and grading the test.
(e) The commission shall compile data regarding the rate of passing the state basic skills proficiency test by persons who have been trained in various institutions of higher education. The data shall be available to members of the public, including to persons who intend to enroll in teacher education programs.
(f) (1) Each applicant to an approved credential program, unless exempted by subdivision (b), shall take the state basic skills proficiency test in order to provide both the prospective applicant and the program with information regarding the proficiency level of the applicant. Test results shall be forwarded to each California postsecondary educational institution to which the applicant has applied. The program shall use test results to ensure that, upon admission, each applicant receives appropriate academic assistance necessary to pass the state basic skills proficiency test. Persons residing outside the state shall take the test no later than the second available administration following their enrollment in a credential program.
(2) It is the intent of the Legislature that applicants for admission to teacher preparation programs not be denied admission on the basis of state basic skills proficiency test results.
SEC. 4.5.
Section 44252 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44252.
(a) (1) The commission shall establish standards and procedures for the initial issuance and renewal of credentials.
(2) (A) The commission shall require an initial or renewal applicant who submits an initial or renewal application for the applicant’s credential online, as part of the application process, to read and attest by electronic signature a statement that the applicant for the credential understands the duties imposed on a holder of a teaching credential or a services credential pursuant to the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 11164) of Chapter 2 of Title 1 of Part 4 of the Penal Code), including, but not limited to, the duty of a holder of a teaching credential or a services credential to report to any police department, sheriff’s department, county probation department authorized to receive reports, or county welfare department, whenever the credentialholder, in the credentialholder’s professional capacity or within the scope of the credentialholder’s employment, has knowledge of or observes a child whom the holder of a teaching credential or a services credential knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child abuse or neglect.
(B) The commission shall require an initial applicant who submits an application in paper form, as part of the application process, to read and attest by signature a statement that the applicant understands the duties imposed on a holder of a teaching credential or a services credential pursuant to the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 11164) of Chapter 2 of Title 1 of Part 4 of the Penal Code), including, but not limited to, the duty of a holder of a teaching credential or a services credential to report to any police department, sheriff’s department, county probation department authorized to receive reports, or county welfare department, whenever the credentialholder, in the credentialholder’s professional capacity or within the scope of the credentialholder’s employment, has knowledge of or observes a child whom the holder of a teaching credential or a services credential knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child abuse or neglect.
(C) The statement described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) shall be substantially in the following form:
“As a documentholder authorized to work with children, it is part of my professional and ethical duty to report every instance of child abuse or neglect known or suspected to have occurred to a child with whom I have professional contact.
I understand that I must report immediately, or as soon as practicably possible, by telephone to a law enforcement agency or a child protective agency, and will send a written report and any evidence relating to the incident within 36 hours of becoming aware of the abuse or neglect of the child.
I understand that reporting the information regarding a case of possible child abuse or neglect to an employer, supervisor, school principal, school counselor, coworker, or other person is not a substitute for making a mandated report to a law enforcement agency or a child protective agency.
I understand that the reporting duties are individual individual, and no supervisor or administrator
may impede or inhibit my reporting duties.
I understand that once I submit a report, I am not required to disclose my identity to my employer.
I understand that my failure to report an instance of suspected child abuse or neglect as required by the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act under Section 11166 of the Penal Code is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail or by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
I acknowledge and certify that as a documentholder, I will fulfill all the duties required of a mandated reporter.”
(b) The commission shall not issue initially a credential, permit, certificate, or renewal of an emergency credential to a person to serve in the public schools unless the person has demonstrated
proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language as provided in Section 44252.5 or 44252.7. 44252.5. The commission shall exempt the following persons from the basic skills proficiency test requirement:
(1) A person credentialed solely for the purpose of teaching adults in an apprenticeship program.
(2) An applicant for an adult education designated subject credential for other than an academic subject.
(3) A person credentialed in another state who is an applicant for employment in a school district in this state who has passed a basic skills proficiency examination administered by the state where the person is credentialed.
(4) A person credentialed in another state who is an applicant for employment in a school district in this state who has passed a basic skills proficiency examination that has been developed and administered by the school district offering that person employment, by cooperating school districts, or by the appropriate county office of education. School districts administering a basic skills proficiency examination under this paragraph shall comply with the requirements of subdivision (h) of Section 44830. The applicant shall be granted a nonrenewable credential, valid for not longer than one year, pending fulfillment of the basic skills proficiency requirement pursuant to Section 44252.5.
(5) An applicant for a childcare center permit or a permit authorizing service in a development center for the handicapped if the holder of the permit is not required to have a baccalaureate degree.
(6) The holder of a credential, permit, or certificate to teach, other than an emergency permit, who seeks an additional authorization to teach.
(7) An applicant for a credential to provide service in the health profession.
(8) An applicant who achieves scores on the writing, reading, and mathematics sections of the College Board SAT Reasoning Test, the enhanced ACT Test, or the California State University Early Assessment Program that are sufficient to waive the English placement test and the entry level mathematics examination administered by the California State University.
(9) An applicant for an eminence credential to be issued pursuant to Section 44262.
(10) (A) An applicant who earns at least a letter grade of B in qualifying coursework determined by a credential preparation program, or determined by the commission for an applicant not enrolled in a California credential preparation program, to sufficiently serve as an indicator of proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language. As used in this section, “qualifying coursework” means a course or courses taken at a regionally accredited institution of higher education for academic credit that applies toward the requirements for an associate’s degree, baccalaureate degree, or higher degree. Qualifying coursework does not include professional development or continuing education units, inservice training or workshops, or courses where credits do not apply toward the requirements for an associate’s degree, baccalaureate degree, or higher degree.
(B) (i) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the following courses are sufficient to serve as indicators of proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills:
(I) For reading proficiency, a course in the subjects of critical thinking, literature, philosophy, reading, rhetoric, or textual analysis.
(II) For writing proficiency, a course in the subjects of composition, English, rhetoric, written communications, or writing.
(III) For mathematics proficiency, a course in the subjects of algebra, geometry, mathematics, quantitative reasoning, or statistics.
(ii) A course that does not fall within a subject described in clause (i) may serve as an alternative indicator of proficiency if the applicant provides documentation in writing from the registrar or relevant department chair of the regionally accredited institution of higher education where the course was taken that the course includes the study of subjects in reading, writing, or mathematics, as those terms are described in clause (i). A course that meets these standards may combine the study of reading and writing.
(C) Qualifying coursework shall be a semester-length course of at least three units or a quarter-length course of at least four units.
(11) A credential preparation program or the commission may determine that an applicant has demonstrated proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language through a combination of qualifying coursework described in paragraph (10), passage of a component or components of the state basic skills proficiency test described in subdivision (d) of Section 44252.5, and scores described in paragraph (8).
(12) (A) An applicant who has obtained a baccalaureate degree or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10).
(c) (1) The Superintendent shall adopt an appropriate state test to measure proficiency in these basic skills. In adopting the test, the Superintendent shall seek assistance from the commission and an advisory board. A majority of the members of the advisory board shall be classroom teachers. The advisory board also shall include representatives of school boards, school administrators, parents, and postsecondary educational institutions.
(2) The Superintendent shall adopt a normed test that the Superintendent determines will sufficiently test basic skills for purposes of this section.
(3) The Superintendent, in conjunction with the commission and approved teacher training institutions, shall take steps necessary to ensure the effective implementation of this section.
(d) This section does not require the holders of, or applicants for, a designated subjects special subjects credential to pass the state basic skills proficiency test unless the requirements for the specific credential required the possession of a baccalaureate degree. The governing board of a school district, the governing board of a consortium of school districts, or a governing board involved in a joint powers agreement that employs a holder of a designated subjects special subjects credential shall establish its own basic skills proficiency criteria for the holders of these credentials and shall arrange for those individuals to be assessed. The basic skills proficiency criteria established by the governing board shall be at least equivalent to the test required by the district, or
district or, in the case of a consortium or a joint powers agreement, by any of the participating districts, for graduation from high school. The governing board or boards may charge a fee to individuals being tested to cover the costs of the test, including the costs of developing, administering, and grading the test.
(e) The commission shall compile data regarding the rate of passing the state basic skills proficiency test by persons who have been trained in various institutions of higher education. The data shall be available to members of the public, including to persons who intend to enroll in teacher education programs.
(2)
(f) It is the intent of the Legislature that applicants for admission to teacher preparation programs not be denied admission on the basis of state basic skills proficiency test results.
SEC. 5.
Section 44252.2 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44252.2.
Coursework completed at a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by an accrediting agency listed in paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 44203 or by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may count as qualifying coursework for purposes of paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 44252.
SEC. 6.
Section 44256 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44256.
Authorization for teaching credentials shall be of four basic kinds, as defined below:
(a) (1) “Single subject instruction” means the practice of assignment of teachers and students to specified subject matter courses, as is commonly practiced in California high schools and most California junior high schools. The holder of a single subject teaching credential or a standard secondary credential or a special secondary teaching credential, as defined in this subdivision, who either (A) has completed 20 semester hours of coursework or 10 semester hours of upper division or graduate coursework approved by the commission at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in any subject commonly taught in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, or (B) has been verified as having subject matter competence pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259 for any subject commonly taught in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, shall be eligible to have this subject appear on the credential as an authorization to teach this subject. The commission, by regulation, may require that evidence of additional competence is a condition for instruction in particular subjects, including, but not limited to, world languages. The commission may establish and implement alternative requirements for additional authorizations to the single subject credential on the basis of specialized needs. For purposes of this subdivision, a special secondary teaching credential means a special secondary teaching credential issued on the basis of at least a baccalaureate degree, a student teaching requirement, and 24 semester units of coursework in the subject specialty of the credential.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, coursework completed at a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by an accrediting agency listed in paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 44203 or by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may count toward the 20 semester hours requirement.
(b) (1) “Multiple subject instruction” means the practice of assignment of teachers and students for multiple subject matter instruction, as is commonly practiced in California elementary schools and as is commonly practiced in early childhood education.
(2) The holder of a multiple subject teaching credential or a standard elementary credential who either (A) has completed 20 semester hours of coursework or 10 semester hours of upper division or graduate coursework approved by the commission at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in any subject commonly taught in grades 9 and below, or (B) has been verified as having subject matter competence pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259 for any subject commonly taught in grades 9 and below, shall be eligible to have that subject appear on the credential as authorization to teach the subject in departmentalized classes in grades 9 and below. The governing board of a school district by resolution may authorize the holder of a multiple subject teaching credential or a standard elementary credential to teach any subject in departmentalized classes to a given class or group of pupils below grade 9, provided that the teacher has completed at least 12 semester units, or 6 upper division or graduate units, of coursework at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in each subject to be taught. The authorization shall be with the teacher’s consent. However, the commission, by regulation, may provide that evidence of additional competence is necessary for instruction in particular subjects, including, but not limited to, world languages. The commission may establish and implement alternative requirements for additional authorizations to the multiple subject credential on the basis of specialized needs.
(3) For purposes of this subdivision, coursework completed at a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by an accrediting agency listed in paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 44203 or by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may count toward the 20 semester hours or 12 semester units requirement.
(c) “Specialist instruction” means any specialty requiring advanced preparation or special competence, including, but not limited to, reading specialist, mathematics specialist, specialist in special education, or early childhood education, and such other specialties as the commission may determine.
(d) “Designated subjects” means the practice of assignment of teachers and pupils to designated technical, trade, or career technical courses which courses may be part of a program of trade, technical, or career technical education.
SEC. 7.
Section 44258.2 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44258.2.
The holder of a single subject teaching credential or a standard secondary teaching credential may, with the credentialholder’s consent, be assigned by action of the governing board to teach classes in grades 5 to 8, inclusive, in a middle school, if the credentialholder has a minimum of 12 semester units, or six upper division or graduate units, of coursework at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the subject to which the credentialholder is assigned. For purposes of this section, coursework completed at a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by an accrediting agency listed in paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 44203 or by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may count toward the 12 semester units requirement.
SEC. 8.
Section 44258.7 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44258.7.
(a) The holder of a standard secondary credential who, before September 1, 1989, has taught successfully in a subject within the department of the credentialholder’s academic major or minor for a minimum of three years, as verified by the employing school district, may receive a supplementary authorization in that subject upon application, payment of a fee, which shall not exceed one-half of the regular credential fee, and evidence that one of the following has been accomplished:
(1) (A) Successful completion, by September 1, 1989, of a minimum of 12 semester units, or six upper division or graduate units, of coursework at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in the subject.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, coursework completed at a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by an accrediting agency listed in paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 44203 or by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may count toward the 12 semester units requirement.
(2) The securing of a passing score on an examination in the subject approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
(3) Verification of competence in the subject matter by a subject area specialist not associated with the employing school district.
(b) A person who holds a teaching credential in a subject or subjects other than physical education may be authorized by action of the local governing board to coach one period per day in a competitive sport for which pupils receive physical education credit, provided that the credentialholder is a full-time employee of the school district and has completed a minimum of 20 hours of first aid instruction appropriate for the specific sport.
(c) A teacher employed on a full-time basis who teaches kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, and who has special skills and preparation outside of the teacher’s credential authorization may, with the teacher’s consent, be assigned to teach an elective course in the area of the special skills or preparation, provided that the assignment is first approved by a committee on assignments. For purposes of this subdivision an “elective course” is a course other than English, mathematics, science, or social studies. The membership of the committee on assignments shall include an equal number of teachers, selected by teachers, and school administrators, selected by school administrators.
(d) Assignments approved by the committee on assignments shall be for a maximum of one school year, but may be extended by action of the committee upon application by the schoolsite administrator and the affected teacher. All initial assignments or extensions shall be approved before the assignment or extension. Districts making assignments under this subdivision shall submit a plan to the county superintendent of schools that shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:
(1) Statements signed by the district superintendent and the president or chairperson of the district governing board, approving the establishment of the committee.
(2) Procedures for selection of the committee membership.
(3) Terms of office for committee members.
(4) Criteria for determining teachers’ qualifications for these assignments.
(e) The commission may develop and recommend general criteria that may be used by local committees on assignments in assessing a candidate’s qualifications.
(f) The commission shall issue an Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate to candidates serving in a position pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 49024 upon verification of the candidate’s personal identification and verification that the candidate meets all professional requirements pursuant to Sections 44339, 44340, 44341, and 44346.5. Each certificate shall be issued initially for a five-year period and may be renewed. The commission shall establish a fee for the Activity Supervisor Clearance Certificate.
Section 44259 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44259.
(a) Except as provided in clauses (i) and (iii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), a program of professional preparation for multiple or single subject teaching credentials shall not include more than two years of full-time study of professional preparation.
(b) The minimum requirements for the preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential are all of the following:
(1) (A) A baccalaureate degree or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Except as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 44227, for single subject teaching credentials, the baccalaureate degree shall not be in professional education. The commission shall encourage regionally accredited institutions of higher education to offer undergraduate minors in education and special education to students who intend to become single subject credentialed teachers.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 44252.
(2) [Reserved]
(3) (A) Satisfactory completion of a program of professional preparation that has been accredited by the Committee on Accreditation on the basis of standards of program quality and effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission. In accordance with the commission’s assessment and performance standards, a program shall include a teaching performance assessment as set forth in Section 44320.2 that is aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. The commission shall ensure that a candidate recommended for a credential or certificate has demonstrated satisfactory ability to assist pupils to meet or exceed academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board. Programs that meet this requirement for professional preparation shall include any of the following:
(i) Integrated programs of subject matter preparation and professional preparation pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 44259.1.
(ii) Postbaccalaureate programs of professional preparation, pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 44259.1.
(iii) Internship programs of professional preparation, pursuant to Section 44321, Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 44325), Article 11 (commencing with Section 44380), and Article 3 (commencing with Section 44450) of Chapter 3.
(iv) Degree programs offered pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 78060) of Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3.
(B) A program of professional preparation pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall provide experience that addresses all of the following:
(i) Health education, including a basic understanding of youth mental health, study of nutrition, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the physiological and sociological effects of the abuse of alcohol, narcotics, and drugs and the use of tobacco. Training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation shall also meet the standards established by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
(ii) Field experience in methods of delivering appropriate educational services to pupils with exceptional needs in regular education programs.
(iii) Advanced computer-based technology, including the uses of technology in educational settings.
(4) Study of effective means of teaching literacy, including, but not limited to, the study of reading as described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), 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. The study of effective means of teaching literacy shall be in accordance with the commission’s standards of program quality and effectiveness and current teaching performance expectations, shall be aligned to the current English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework adopted by the state board, and shall incorporate the program guidelines for dyslexia developed pursuant to Section 56335. The study of reading shall meet the following requirements:
(A) Commencing January 1, 1997, satisfactory completion of comprehensive reading instruction that is research based and includes all of the following:
(i) The study of organized, systematic, explicit skills including phonemic awareness, direct, systematic, explicit phonics, and decoding skills.
(ii) A strong literature, language, and comprehension component with a balance of oral and written language.
(iii) Ongoing diagnostic techniques that inform teaching and assessment.
(iv) Early intervention techniques.
(v) Guided practice in a clinical setting.
(B) For purposes of this section, “direct, systematic, explicit phonics” means phonemic awareness, spelling patterns, the direct instruction of sound/symbol codes and practice in connected text, and the relationship of direct, systematic, explicit phonics to the components set forth in clauses (i) to (v), inclusive, of subparagraph (A).
(C) A program for the multiple subject teaching credential and the education specialist teaching credential also shall include the study of integrated methods of teaching language arts.
(5) (A) Verification of subject matter competence, demonstrated through one of the following methods:
(i) Completion of a subject matter program approved by the commission on the basis of standards of program quality and effectiveness pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 44310).
(ii) Passage of a subject matter examination pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 44280).
(iii) Successful completion of coursework at one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education that addresses each of the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the commission in the content area of the credential pursuant to Section 44282, as verified by a commission-approved program of professional preparation. Coursework completed at a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by an accrediting agency listed in paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 44203 or by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may count for purposes of this clause.
(iv) Successful completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with the following, as applicable:
(I) For single subject credentials, a major in one of the subject areas in which the commission credentials candidates.
(II) For multiple subject credentials, a liberal studies major or other degree that includes coursework in the content areas pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44282.
(III) For education specialist credentials, either a major in one of the subject areas in which the commission credentials candidates or a liberal studies or other major that includes coursework in the content areas pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44282.
(v) Demonstration that the candidate, through a combination of the methods described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) in whole or in part, has met or exceeded each of the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the commission in the content area of the credential pursuant to Section 44282 for multiple and single subject credentials, or pursuant to Section 44265 for education specialist credentials.
(B) (i) The commission shall ensure that subject matter standards and examinations are aligned with the academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board.
(ii) The commission shall maintain the subject matter domains that include both broad content areas to support coursework review pursuant to clause (iii) of subparagraph (A) and specific content elements to delineate subject matter examination specifications pursuant to clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 44280).
(6) Demonstration of a knowledge of the principles and provisions of the Constitution of the United States pursuant to Section 44335.
(7) Demonstration, in accordance with the commission’s standards of program quality and effectiveness, of basic competency in the use of computers in the classroom as determined by one of the following:
(A) Successful completion of a commission-approved program or course.
(B) Successful passage of an assessment that is developed, approved, and administered by the commission.
(c) The minimum requirements for the clear multiple or single subject teaching credential shall include all of the following requirements:
(1) Possession of a valid preliminary teaching credential, as prescribed in subdivision (b), possession of a valid equivalent credential or certificate, or completion of equivalent requirements as determined by the commission.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), completion of a program of beginning teacher induction, including either of the following:
(A) A program of beginning teacher induction that is provided by one or more local educational agencies and has been approved by the commission on the basis of initial review and periodic evaluations of the program in relation to appropriate standards of credential program quality and effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission pursuant to this subdivision. The program standards shall encourage innovation and experimentation in the continuous preparation and induction of beginning teachers.
(B) A program of beginning teacher induction that is sponsored by a regionally accredited institution of higher education in cooperation with one or more local school districts, that addresses the individual professional needs of beginning teachers and meets the commission’s standards of induction. The commission shall ensure that preparation and induction programs that qualify candidates for professional credentials extend and refine each beginning teacher’s professional skills in relation to the California Standards for the Teaching Profession and the academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board.
(3) (A) If a candidate satisfies the requirements of subdivision (b) through completion of an accredited internship program of professional preparation, and if that internship program fulfills induction standards and is approved as set forth in this subdivision, the commission shall determine that the candidate has fulfilled the requirements of paragraph (2).
(B) If an approved induction program is verified as unavailable to a beginning teacher, the commission shall accept completion of an approved clear credential program after completion of a baccalaureate degree at a regionally accredited institution of higher education as fulfilling the requirements of paragraph (2). The commission shall adopt regulations to implement this subparagraph.
(d) The commission shall develop and implement standards of program quality and effectiveness that provide for the areas of application listed in clauses (i) to (iii), inclusive, of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), starting in professional preparation and continuing through induction.
(e) A credential that was issued before January 1, 1993, shall remain in force as long as it is valid under the laws and regulations that were in effect on the date it was issued. The commission shall not, by regulation, invalidate an otherwise valid credential, unless it issues to the holder of the credential, in substitution, a new credential authorized by another provision in this chapter that is no more restrictive than the credential for which it was substituted with respect to the kind of service authorized and the grades, classes, or types of schools in which it authorizes service.
(f) A credential program that is approved by the commission shall not deny an individual access to that program solely on the grounds that the individual obtained a teaching credential through completion of an internship program when that internship program has been accredited by the commission.
(g) Notwithstanding this section, persons who were performing teaching services as of January 1, 1999, pursuant to the language of this section that was in effect before that date, may continue to perform those services without complying with any requirements that may be added by the amendments adding this subdivision.
(h) Paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) does not apply to any person who, as of January 1, 1997, holds a multiple or single subject teaching credential, or to any person enrolled in a program of professional preparation for a multiple or single subject teaching credential as of January 1, 1997, who subsequently completes that program. It is the intent of the Legislature that the requirements of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) apply only to persons who enter a program of professional preparation on or after January 1, 1997.
SEC. 9.
Section 44259 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44259.
(a) Except as provided in clauses (i) and (iii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), a program of professional preparation for multiple or single subject teaching credentials shall not include more than two years of full-time study of professional preparation.
(b) The minimum requirements for the preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential are all of the following:
(1) (A) A baccalaureate degree or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Except as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 44227, for single subject teaching credentials, the baccalaureate degree shall not be in professional education. The commission shall encourage regionally accredited institutions of higher education to offer undergraduate minors in education and special education to students who intend to become single subject credentialed teachers.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 44252.
(2) [Reserved]
(3) (A) Satisfactory completion of a program of professional preparation that has been accredited by the Committee on Accreditation on the basis of standards of program quality and effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission. In accordance with the commission’s assessment and performance standards, a program shall include a teaching performance assessment as set forth in Section 44320.2 that is aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. The commission shall ensure that a candidate recommended for a credential or certificate has demonstrated satisfactory ability to assist pupils to meet or exceed academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board. Programs that meet this requirement for professional preparation shall include any of the following:
(i) Integrated programs of subject matter preparation and professional preparation pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 44259.1.
(ii) Postbaccalaureate programs of professional preparation, pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 44259.1.
(iii) Internship programs of professional preparation, pursuant to Section 44321, Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 44325), Article 11 (commencing with Section 44380), and Article 3 (commencing with Section 44450) of Chapter 3.
(iv) Degree programs offered pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 78060) of Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3.
(B) A program of professional preparation pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall provide experience that addresses all of the following:
(i) Health education, including a basic understanding of youth mental health, study of nutrition, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the physiological and sociological effects of the abuse of alcohol, narcotics, and drugs and the use of tobacco. Training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation shall also meet the standards established by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
(ii) Field experience in methods of delivering appropriate educational services to pupils with exceptional needs in regular education programs.
(iii) Advanced computer-based technology, including the uses of technology in educational settings.
(4) Study of effective means of teaching literacy, including, but not limited to, the study of reading as described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), 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. The study of effective means of teaching literacy shall be in accordance with the commission’s standards of program quality and effectiveness and current teaching performance expectations, shall be aligned to the current English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework adopted by the state board, and shall incorporate the program guidelines for dyslexia developed pursuant to Section 56335. The study of reading shall meet the following requirements:
(A) Commencing January 1, 1997, satisfactory completion of comprehensive reading instruction that is research based and includes all of the following:
(i) The study of organized, systematic, explicit skills including phonemic awareness, direct, systematic, explicit phonics, and decoding skills.
(ii) A strong literature, language, and comprehension component with a balance of oral and written language.
(iii) Ongoing diagnostic techniques that inform teaching and assessment.
(iv) Early intervention techniques.
(v) Guided practice in a clinical setting.
(B) For purposes of this section, “direct, systematic, explicit phonics” means phonemic awareness, spelling patterns, the direct instruction of sound/symbol codes and practice in connected text, and the relationship of direct, systematic, explicit phonics to the components set forth in clauses (i) to (v), inclusive, of subparagraph (A).
(C) A program for the multiple subject teaching credential and the education specialist teaching credential also shall include the study of integrated methods of teaching language arts.
(5) (A) Verification of subject matter competence, demonstrated through one of the following methods:
(i) Completion of a subject matter program approved by the commission on the basis of standards of program quality and effectiveness pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 44310).
(ii) Passage of a subject matter examination pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 44280).
(iii) Successful completion of coursework at one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education that addresses each of the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the commission in the content area of the credential pursuant to Section 44282, as verified by a commission-approved program of professional preparation. For PK-3 early childhood education specialist credentials, completion of 24 semester units or the equivalent quarter units of nonremedial, degree-applicable coursework at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in early childhood education or child development. Coursework completed at a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by an accrediting agency listed in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 44203 or by the
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may count for purposes of this clause.
(iv) Successful completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with the following, as applicable:
(I) For single subject credentials, a major in one of the subject areas closely related to an area in which the commission credentials candidates.
(II) For multiple subject credentials, a liberal studies major, education major, or other degree major that includes coursework required for the degree major in the content areas pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44282.
(III) For PK-3 early childhood education specialist credentials, a major in child development, education, or a degree major in a subject area closely related to the credential area. For the PK-3 early childhood education specialist credentials, a major in a subject area closely related to the credential area means a baccalaureate or higher degree whose required coursework for the degree major includes not fewer than three courses, totaling at least 12 semester units or the equivalent quarter units, in child development, human development, or early childhood education.
(IV) For education specialist credentials, either a major in one of the subject areas in which the commission credentials candidates or a liberal studies or other major that includes coursework in the content areas pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44282.
(v) Demonstration that the candidate, through a combination of the methods described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) in whole or in part, has met or exceeded each of the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the commission in the content area of the credential pursuant to Section 44282 for multiple and single subject credentials, or pursuant to Section 44265 for education specialist credentials.
(B) (i) The commission shall ensure that subject matter standards and examinations are aligned with the academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board.
(ii) The commission shall maintain the subject matter domains that include both broad content areas to support coursework review pursuant to clause (iii) of subparagraph (A) and specific content elements to delineate subject matter examination specifications pursuant to clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 44280).
(6) Demonstration of a knowledge of the principles and provisions of the Constitution of the United States pursuant to Section 44335.
(7) Demonstration, in accordance with the commission’s standards of program quality and effectiveness, of basic competency in the use of computers in the classroom as determined by one of the following:
(A) Successful completion of a commission-approved program or course.
(B) Successful passage of an assessment that is developed, approved, and administered by the commission.
(c) The minimum requirements for the clear multiple or single subject teaching credential shall include all of the following requirements:
(1) Possession of a valid preliminary teaching credential, as prescribed in subdivision (b), possession of a valid equivalent credential or certificate, or completion of equivalent requirements as determined by the commission.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), completion of a program of beginning teacher induction, including either of the following:
(A) A program of beginning teacher induction that is provided by one or more local educational agencies and has been approved by the commission on the basis of initial review and periodic evaluations of the program in relation to appropriate standards of credential program quality and effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission pursuant to this subdivision. The program standards shall encourage innovation and experimentation in the continuous preparation and induction of beginning teachers.
(B) A program of beginning teacher induction that is sponsored by a regionally accredited institution of higher education in cooperation with one or more local school districts, that addresses the individual professional needs of beginning teachers and meets the commission’s standards of induction. The commission shall ensure that preparation and induction programs that qualify candidates for professional credentials extend and refine each beginning teacher’s professional skills in relation to the California Standards for the Teaching Profession and the academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board.
(3) (A) If a candidate satisfies the requirements of subdivision (b) through completion of an accredited internship program of professional preparation, and if that internship program fulfills induction standards and is approved as set forth in this subdivision, the commission shall determine that the candidate has fulfilled the requirements of paragraph (2).
(B) If an approved induction program is verified as unavailable to a beginning teacher, the commission shall accept completion of an approved clear credential program after completion of a baccalaureate degree at a regionally accredited institution of higher education as fulfilling the requirements of paragraph (2). The commission shall adopt regulations to implement this subparagraph.
(d) The commission shall develop and implement standards of program quality and effectiveness that provide for the areas of application listed in clauses (i) to (iii), inclusive, of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), starting in professional preparation and continuing through induction.
(e) A credential that was issued before January 1, 1993, shall remain in force as long as it is valid under the laws and regulations that were in effect on the date it was issued. The commission shall not, by regulation, invalidate an otherwise valid credential, unless it issues to the holder of the credential, in substitution, a new credential authorized by another provision in this chapter that is no more restrictive than the credential for which it was substituted with respect to the kind of service authorized and the grades, classes, or types of schools in which it authorizes service.
(f) A credential program that is approved by the commission shall not deny an individual access to that program solely on the grounds that the individual obtained a teaching credential through completion of an internship program when that internship program has been accredited by the commission.
(g) Notwithstanding this section, persons who were performing teaching services as of January 1, 1999, pursuant to the language of this section that was in effect before that date, may continue to perform those services without complying with any requirements that may be added by the amendments adding this subdivision.
(h) Paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) does not apply to any person who, as of January 1, 1997, holds a multiple or single subject teaching credential, or to any person enrolled in a program of professional preparation for a multiple or single subject teaching credential as of January 1, 1997, who subsequently completes that program. It is the intent of the Legislature that the requirements of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) apply only to persons who enter a program of professional preparation on or after January 1, 1997.
SEC. 9.5.
Section 44259 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44259.
(a) Except as provided in clauses (i) and (iii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), a program of professional preparation for multiple or single subject teaching credentials shall not include more than two years of full-time study of professional preparation.
(b) The minimum requirements for the preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential are all of the following:
(1) (A) A baccalaureate degree or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Except as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 44227, for single subject teaching credentials, the baccalaureate degree shall not be in professional education. The commission shall encourage regionally accredited institutions of higher education to offer undergraduate minors in education and special education to students who intend to become single subject credentialed teachers.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 44252.
(2) [Reserved]
(3) (A) Satisfactory completion of a program of professional preparation that has been accredited by the Committee on Accreditation on the basis of standards of program quality and effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission. In accordance with the commission’s assessment and performance standards, a program shall include a teaching performance assessment as set forth in Section 44320.2 that is aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. The commission shall ensure that a candidate recommended for a credential or certificate has demonstrated satisfactory ability to assist pupils to meet or exceed academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board. Programs that meet this requirement for professional preparation shall include any of the following:
(i) Integrated programs of subject matter preparation and professional preparation pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 44259.1.
(ii) Postbaccalaureate programs of professional preparation, pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 44259.1.
(iii) Internship programs of professional preparation, pursuant to Section 44321, Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 44325), Article 11 (commencing with Section 44380), and Article 3 (commencing with Section 44450) of Chapter 3.
(iv) Degree programs offered pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 78060) of Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3.
(B) A program of professional preparation pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall provide experience that addresses all of the following:
(i) Health education, including a basic understanding of youth mental health, study of nutrition, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the physiological and sociological effects of the abuse of alcohol, narcotics, and drugs and the use of tobacco. Training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation shall also meet the standards established by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
(ii) Field experience in methods of delivering appropriate educational services to pupils with exceptional needs in regular education programs.
(iii) Advanced computer-based technology, including the uses of technology in educational settings.
(4) Study of effective means of teaching literacy, including, but not limited to, the study of reading as described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), 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. The study of effective means of teaching literacy shall be in accordance with the commission’s standards of program quality and effectiveness and current teaching performance expectations, shall be aligned to the current English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework adopted by the state board, and shall incorporate the program guidelines for dyslexia developed pursuant to Section 56335. The study of reading shall meet the following requirements:
(A) Commencing January 1, 1997, satisfactory completion of comprehensive reading instruction that is research based and includes all of the following:
(i) The study of organized, systematic, explicit skills including phonemic awareness, direct, systematic, explicit phonics, and decoding skills.
(ii) A strong literature, language, and comprehension component with a balance of oral and written language.
(iii) Ongoing diagnostic techniques that inform teaching and assessment.
(iv) Early intervention techniques.
(v) Guided practice in a clinical setting.
(B) For purposes of this section, “direct, systematic, explicit phonics” means phonemic awareness, spelling patterns, the direct instruction of sound/symbol codes and practice in connected text, and the relationship of direct, systematic, explicit phonics to the components set forth in clauses (i) to (v), inclusive, of subparagraph (A).
(C) A program for the multiple subject teaching credential and the education specialist teaching credential also shall include the study of integrated methods of teaching language arts.
(5) (A) Verification of subject matter competence, demonstrated through one of the following methods:
(i) Completion of a subject matter program approved by the commission on the basis of standards of program quality and effectiveness pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 44310).
(ii) Passage of a subject matter examination pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 44280).
(iii) Successful completion of coursework at one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education that addresses each of the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the commission in the content area of the credential pursuant to Section 44282, as verified by a commission-approved program of professional preparation. For PK-3 early childhood education specialist credentials, completion of 24 semester units or the equivalent quarter units of nonremedial, degree-applicable coursework at a regionally accredited institution of higher education in early childhood education or child development. Coursework completed at a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by an accrediting agency listed in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 44203 or by the
Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may count for purposes of this clause.
(iv) Successful completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with the following, as applicable:
(I) For single subject credentials, a major in one of the subject areas closely related to an area in which the commission credentials candidates.
(II) For multiple subject credentials, a liberal studies major, education major, or other degree major that includes coursework required for the degree major in the content areas pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44282.
(III) For PK-3 early childhood education specialist credentials, a major in child development, education, or a degree major in a subject area closely related to the credential area. For the PK-3 early childhood education specialist credentials, a major in a subject area closely related to the credential area means a baccalaureate or higher degree whose required coursework for the degree major includes not fewer than three courses, totaling at least 12 semester units or the equivalent quarter units, in child development, human development, or early childhood education.
(IV) For education specialist credentials, either a major in one of the subject areas in which the commission credentials candidates or a liberal studies or other major that includes coursework in the content areas pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44282.
(v) Demonstration that the candidate, through a combination of the methods described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) in whole or in part, has met or exceeded each of the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the commission in the content area of the credential pursuant to Section 44282 for multiple and single subject credentials, or pursuant to Section 44265 for education specialist credentials.
(B) (i) The commission shall ensure that subject matter standards and examinations are aligned with the academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board.
(ii) The commission shall maintain the subject matter domains that include both broad content areas to support coursework review pursuant to clause (iii) of subparagraph (A) and specific content elements to delineate subject matter examination specifications pursuant to clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 44280).
(6) Demonstration of a knowledge of the principles and provisions of the Constitution of the United States pursuant to Section 44335.
(7) Demonstration, in accordance with the commission’s standards of program quality and effectiveness, of basic competency in the use of computers in the classroom as determined by one of the following:
(A) Successful completion of a commission-approved program or course.
(B) Successful passage of an assessment that is developed, approved, and administered by the commission.
(c) The minimum requirements for the clear multiple or single subject
subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential shall include all of the following requirements:
(1) Possession of a valid preliminary teaching credential, as prescribed in subdivision (b), possession of a valid equivalent credential or certificate, or completion of equivalent requirements as determined by the commission.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), completion of a program of beginning teacher induction, including either of the following:
(A) A program of beginning teacher induction that is provided by one or more local educational agencies and has been approved by the commission on the basis of initial review and periodic evaluations of the program in relation to appropriate standards of credential program quality and effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission pursuant to this subdivision. The program standards shall encourage innovation and experimentation in the continuous preparation and induction of beginning teachers.
(B) A program of beginning teacher induction that is sponsored by a regionally accredited institution of higher education in cooperation with one or more local school districts, that addresses the individual professional needs of beginning teachers and meets the commission’s standards of induction. The commission shall ensure that preparation and induction programs that qualify candidates for professional credentials extend and refine each beginning teacher’s professional skills in relation to the California Standards for the Teaching Profession and the academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board.
(3) (A) If a candidate satisfies the requirements of subdivision (b) through completion of an accredited internship program of professional preparation, and if that internship program fulfills induction standards and is approved as set forth in this subdivision, the commission shall determine that the candidate has fulfilled the requirements of paragraph (2).
(B) If an approved induction program is verified as unavailable to a beginning teacher, the commission shall accept completion of an approved clear credential program after completion of a baccalaureate degree at a regionally accredited institution of higher education as fulfilling the requirements of paragraph (2). The commission shall adopt regulations to implement this subparagraph.
(d) The commission shall develop and implement standards of program quality and effectiveness that provide for the areas of application listed in clauses (i) to (iii), inclusive, of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), starting in professional preparation and continuing through induction.
(e) A credential that was issued before January 1, 1993, shall remain in force as long as it is valid under the laws and regulations that were in effect on the date it was issued. The commission shall not, by regulation, invalidate an otherwise valid credential, unless it issues to the holder of the credential, in substitution, a new credential authorized by another provision in this chapter that is no more restrictive than the credential for which it was substituted with respect to the kind of service authorized and the grades, classes, or types of schools in which it authorizes service.
(f) A credential program that is approved by the commission shall not deny an individual access to that program solely on the grounds that the individual obtained a teaching credential through completion of an internship program when that internship program has been accredited by the commission.
(g) Notwithstanding this section, persons who were performing teaching services as of January 1, 1999, pursuant to the language of this section that was in effect before that date, may continue to perform those services without complying with any requirements that may be added by the amendments adding this subdivision.
(h) Paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) does not apply to any person who, as of January 1, 1997, holds a multiple or single subject teaching credential, or to any person enrolled in a program of professional preparation for a multiple or single subject teaching credential as of January 1, 1997, who subsequently completes that program. It is the intent of the Legislature that the requirements of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) apply only to persons who enter a program of professional preparation on or after January 1, 1997.
SEC. 10.
Section 44259.1 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44259.1.
(a) (1) An integrated program of professional preparation shall enable candidates for teaching credentials to engage in professional preparation, concurrently with subject matter preparation, while completing baccalaureate degrees at regionally accredited institutions of higher education. An integrated program shall provide opportunities for candidates to complete intensive field experiences, including student teaching, in public schools maintaining prekindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, early in the undergraduate sequence. The development and implementation of an integrated program shall be based on intensive collaboration among subject matter departments and education units within regionally accredited institutions of higher education and local public elementary and secondary school districts.
(2) A regionally accredited institution of higher education may offer a four-year or five-year integrated program of professional preparation that allows a student to earn a baccalaureate degree and a preliminary multiple or single subject teaching credential, early childhood specialist credential, or an education specialist instruction credential authorizing the holder to teach special education, including student teaching requirements, concurrently and within four or five years of study.
(3) The commission shall encourage regionally accredited institutions of higher education to offer integrated programs of professional preparation that follow the guidelines developed pursuant to this section. In approving integrated programs, the commission shall not compromise or reduce its standards of subject matter preparation pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 44310) or its standards of professional preparation pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259.
(4) The commission shall, as part of its accreditation process, collect information about integrated programs of professional preparation, including which regionally accredited institutions of higher education offer integrated programs of professional preparation and the number and type of credentials the programs produce.
(b) (1) Commencing with the 2005–06 school year, an integrated program offered by the California State University shall be designed to concurrently lead to a preliminary multiple subject or single subject teaching credential, early childhood specialist credential, or an education specialist instruction credential authorizing the holder to teach special education, and a baccalaureate degree. Recommendation for each shall be contingent upon satisfactory completion of the requirements for each.
(2) By July 1, 2004, the Chancellor of the California State University, in consultation with California State University faculty members, shall develop a framework defining appropriate balance for an integrated program of general education, subject matter preparation, and professional education courses, for both lower division and upper division students, including an appropriate range of units to be taken in professional education courses. In developing the framework, the Chancellor of the California State University and California State University faculty members shall consult with the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges on matters related to the effective and efficient use of, and appropriate role for, lower division coursework in an integrated program.
(c) (1) By January 1, 2005, the Chancellor of the California State University and the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges shall collaboratively ensure that both of the following occur:
(A) Lower division coursework completed by a community college student transferring to a California State University integrated program is articulated with the corresponding coursework of the California State University.
(B) The articulated community college lower division coursework is accepted as the equivalent to the coursework offered to students who enter that integrated program as freshman students.
(2) Commencing with the 2005–06 school year, each campus of the California State University shall invite the community colleges in its region that send significant numbers of transfer students to that campus to enter into articulation agreements. These articulation agreements shall be based on a fully transferable education curriculum that is developed pursuant to the framework developed under paragraph (2) of subdivision (b). Approval of one or more of the articulation agreements shall enable the coursework of a community college student to be accepted as the equivalent to the coursework offered to students who enter that integrated program as freshman students.
(d) A postbaccalaureate program of professional preparation may only be offered by a regionally accredited institution of higher education. These programs shall enable candidates for teaching credentials to commence and complete professional preparation after they have completed baccalaureate degrees at regionally accredited institutions of higher education. The development and implementation of a postbaccalaureate program of professional preparation shall be based on intensive collaboration among the regionally accredited institutions of higher education and local public elementary and secondary school districts.
(e) (1) (A) The commission shall develop and implement a program to award, on a competitive basis, planning grants of up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) each to regionally accredited institutions of higher education for the development of plans to guide the creation of four-year integrated programs of professional preparation, including student teaching, that lead to more credentialed teachers to teach, with an emphasis on the shortage fields identified in clause (i) of subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2).
(B) A regionally accredited institution of higher education awarded a planning grant under this paragraph may use the grant funds to create a new four-year integrated program of professional preparation or to adapt an existing integrated program of professional preparation to a four-year integrated program of professional preparation.
(C) A regionally accredited institution of higher education awarded a planning grant under this paragraph may use grant funds for any proper purpose in support of planning for a four-year integrated program of professional preparation, including, but not limited to, any of the following:
(i) To provide faculty release time to redesign existing courses.
(ii) To provide stipends for program coordinators to assist in collaboration with subject-matter professors and pedagogy professors.
(iii) To create summer courses for students in a four-year integrated program of professional preparation.
(iv) To recruit individuals for participation as students in four-year integrated programs of professional preparation.
(2) (A) The commission shall develop and implement a program to award, on a competitive basis, implementation or expansion grants of up to five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) each to regionally accredited institutions of higher education for any of the following purposes:
(i) Developing a new integrated program of professional preparation as specified in subparagraph (C).
(ii) Establishing a new partnership with California community colleges to create four-year integrated programs of professional preparation.
(B) The commission shall conduct outreach to eligible institutions to encourage applications to develop programs in the shortage areas identified in clause (i) of subparagraph (C), and support institutions that need assistance in developing programs in these shortage areas that meet the commission’s criteria.
(C) The commission shall award one-time grants pursuant to subparagraph (A) for proposals to establish new integrated programs of professional preparation that support either of the following:
(i) Producing teachers in the designated shortage fields of special education, bilingual education, science, health, computer science, technology, engineering, mathematics, transitional kindergarten, or kindergarten.
(ii) Partnering with a California community college to create a four-year integrated program of professional preparation.
(D) A regionally accredited institution of higher education awarded a grant under this paragraph may use the grant funds to create a new four-year integrated program of professional preparation or to adapt an existing integrated program of professional preparation to a four-year integrated program of professional preparation.
(E) A regionally accredited institution of higher education awarded a grant under this paragraph may use grant funds for any proper purpose in support of implementation or expansion of a four-year integrated program of professional preparation, including, but not limited to, any of the following:
(i) To provide faculty release time to redesign existing courses.
(ii) To provide stipends for program coordinators to assist in collaboration with subject-matter professors and pedagogy professors.
(iii) To create summer courses for students in a four-year integrated program of professional preparation.
(iv) To recruit individuals for participation as students in four-year integrated programs of professional preparation.
(F) As a condition of the receipt of an implementation or expansion grant, a regionally accredited institution of higher education shall provide to the commission program and outcome data for at least five years after receiving the grant. The information shall include program design and features, the number of graduates, the number and type of credentials earned, the time taken to earn a degree and credential, and any other information the commission may require for purposes of documenting the effect of the grant and identifying effective practices in program design and implementation.
(3) The commission shall require applicants for planning grants under paragraph (1) and for implementation or expansion grants under paragraph (2) to provide assurances of all of the following:
(A) A commitment to implement a planned integrated program of professional preparation.
(B) A plan for recruitment and retention of candidates for educator shortage areas in subjects identified in clause (i) of subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) in teacher preparation programs, including integrated programs of professional preparation.
(C) Coordination with existing sources of candidate support, such as the Golden State Teacher Grant Program established pursuant to Article 5.1 (commencing with Section 69617) of Chapter 2 of Part 42 of Division 5 of Title 3, and other forms of financial aid.
(D) Demonstrated commitment to expand enrollment in, and access to, teacher preparation programs, including enrollment in programs of integrated professional preparation.
(4) A regionally accredited institution of higher education that previously received a planning grant or an implementation or expansion grant may apply for a new grant, if the institution reports on the implementation timeline and status of the program established with the grant funding previously received and proposes any of the following:
(A) Expansion of integrated program capacity.
(B) New integrated programs in other credentialing fields.
(C) New California community college partnerships.
(5) The commission may use up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) of moneys appropriated for purposes of this subdivision to administer the grants described in paragraphs (1) and (2), pursuant to Department of Finance approval.
(6) The commission shall annually report to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature on any grants funded pursuant to this subdivision until funds are fully expended. In addition to the data required to be reported to the commission in subparagraph (F) of paragraph (2), the report shall also include data on the progress of community college partnerships and institutions relative to the assurances made pursuant to paragraph (3).
(7) The requirements of this subdivision are contingent upon the appropriation of funds for purposes of this subdivision in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
(f) Notwithstanding any other law, a California community college and a California community college district shall not offer an integrated program of professional preparation that would enable a candidate for a teaching credential to engage in professional preparation concurrently with subject matter preparation, while completing a baccalaureate degree.
SEC. 11.
Section 44265 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44265.
(a) Credentials for teaching specialties, including, but not limited to, bilingual education, early childhood education, and special education, shall be based upon a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, completion of a program of professional preparation, and any other standards that the commission may establish.
(b) In adopting the necessary rules and regulations establishing the requirements for the preparation of special education specialties, the commission shall ensure that teachers have sufficient knowledge of subject matter that is the core of the California public school curriculum and experience with nonspecial education pupils to the extent deemed appropriate by the commission.
(c) All administrative regulations governing special education specialists credentials that were in effect on December 31, 1989, shall continue to be operative until the commission amends or repeals those regulations to implement this section.
(d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 44252.
SEC. 12.
Section 44269 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44269.
(a) (1) The commission may issue a services credential authorizing service as a library media teacher upon completion of specialized preparation as required by the commission.
(2) The standards for these credentials are a baccalaureate degree or higher degree from an institution approved by the commission, a valid teaching credential, and specialized and professional preparation as the commission may require.
(3) Whenever the term “librarian” or “library media teacher” is used in this article, it shall be deemed to refer to “teacher librarian.”
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 44252.
SEC. 13.
Section 44300 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44300.
(a) Commencing January 1, 1990, the commission may issue or renew emergency teaching or specialist permits in accordance with regulations adopted by the commission corresponding to the credential types specified in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 44225, provided that all of the following conditions are met:
(1) (A) The applicant possesses a baccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited institution of higher education and has fulfilled the subject matter requirements of Section 44301.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 44252.
(2) The commission approves the justification for the emergency permit submitted by the school district in which the applicant is to be employed. The justification shall include all of the following:
(A) Annual documentation that the district has implemented in policy and practices a process for conducting a diligent search that shall include, but is not limited to, distributing job announcements, contacting college and university placement centers, advertising in local newspapers, and participating in job fairs in this state, but has been unable to recruit a sufficient number of certificated teachers, including teacher candidates pursuing full certification through internship, district internship, or other alternative routes established by the commission.
(B) A declaration of need for fully qualified educators based on the documentation set forth in subparagraph (A) and made in the form of a motion adopted by the governing board of the school district or the county board of education at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing board or the county board of education. The motion may not be part of the consent agenda and shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting.
(b) The commission may deny a request for an emergency permit that does not meet the justification set forth in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).
(c) It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission continue to issue emergency teaching permits to individuals employed by school districts defined in regulations as remote from regionally accredited institutions of higher education.
(d) The commission may issue and reissue emergency permits corresponding to the credential types specified in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 44225. The commission shall establish appropriate standards for each type of emergency permit specified in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 44225.
(e) The exclusive representative of certificated employees, if any, as provided under Chapter 10.7 (commencing with Section 3540) of Division 4 of Title 1 of the Government Code, may submit a written statement to the commission agreeing or disagreeing with the justification submitted to the commission pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a).
(f) A person holding an emergency teaching or specialist permit shall attend an orientation to the curriculum and to techniques of instruction and classroom management, and shall teach only with the assistance and guidance of a certificated employee of the district who has completed at least three years of full-time teaching experience, or the equivalent thereof. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage districts to provide directed teaching experience to new emergency permitholders with no prior teaching experience.
(g) The holder of an emergency permit shall participate in ongoing training, coursework, or seminars designed to prepare the individual to become a fully credentialed teacher or other educator in the subject area or areas in which the individual is assigned to teach or serve. The employing agency shall verify that employees applying to renew their emergency permits are meeting these ongoing training requirements.
(h) Emergency permits for pupil personnel services shall not be valid for the purpose of determining pupil eligibility for placement in a special education class or program.
(i) This section shall not apply to the issuance of an emergency substitute teaching permit, or of an emergency permit to a teacher who has consented to teach temporarily outside of their field of certification, for which the commission shall establish minimum requirements.
(j) The commission may issue a one-year emergency specialist teaching permit in early childhood education that authorizes teaching all subjects in a self-contained transitional kindergarten general education classroom, as defined in Section 48000, provided that all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The applicant possesses a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a regionally accredited institution of higher education and holds a valid commission-issued child development permit at the teacher or higher level.
(2) The applicant satisfies the subject matter requirement by one of the following options:
(A) Commencing July 1, 2022, completes 24 semester units of coursework in child development or early childhood education at a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
(B) Commencing July 1, 2022, holds a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a regionally accredited institution of higher education where the major is in child development, or early childhood education, or a similar major.
(C) Commencing July 1, 2023, has three or more years of full-time teaching experience in a transitional kindergarten setting, or preschool age early childhood or child development program, or a combination thereof. Experience may include, but shall not be limited to, teaching experience in a public or private preschool or transitional kindergarten setting, Head Start program, or state-funded preschool program. For the purposes of this subparagraph, “teaching” shall mean the lead or primary classroom teacher, and not teaching done in support of another lead or primary classroom teacher.
(3) The commission approves the justification for the emergency permit submitted by the local employing agency in which the applicant is to be employed. The justification shall include all of the following:
(A) Annual documentation that the local employing agency has implemented in policy and practices a process for conducting a diligent search that shall include, but is not limited to, distributing job announcements, contacting college and university placement centers, advertising in local newspapers or online webpages, and participating in job fairs in this state, but has been unable to recruit a sufficient number of certificated teachers, including teacher candidates pursuing full certification through internship, district internship, or other alternative routes established by the commission.
(B) A declaration of need for fully qualified educators based on the documentation set forth in subparagraph (A) and made in the form of a motion adopted by the governing body of the charter school, the governing board of the school district, or the county board of education at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body or board or the county board of education. The motion may not be part of the consent agenda and shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting.
(C) (i) Verification that the employing charter school, school district, or county shall provide the required orientation, mentoring, and support to the applicant.
(ii) The local employing agency shall report to the governing body of the charter school, the governing board of the school district, or the county board of education at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body or board or the county board of education on the required orientation, mentoring, and support provided to the applicants.
(k) The commission may renew an emergency specialist teaching permit in early childhood education for one additional year, provided all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The applicant verifies current enrollment in a commission-approved teacher preparation program that will result in a credential authorizing teaching transitional kindergarten.
(2) The local employing agency submits a subsequent declaration of need for fully qualified educators based on the documentation set forth in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (j) made in the form of a motion adopted by the governing body of the charter school, the governing body of the school district, or the county board of education at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body or board or the county board of education. The motion may not be part of the consent agenda and shall be entered in the minutes of the meeting.
(3) The local employing agency verifies that the applicant continues to successfully serve in the assignment on the basis of the emergency permit.
(4) (A) The local employing agency verifies that continued orientation, mentoring, and support shall be provided to the applicant.
(B) The local employing agency shall report to the governing body of the charter school, the governing board of the school district, or the county board of education at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body or board or the county board of education on the required orientation, mentoring, and support provided to the applicant.
SEC. 14.
Section 44325 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44325.
(a) The commission shall issue district intern credentials authorizing persons employed by a school district that maintains kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, or that maintains classes in bilingual education to provide classroom instruction to pupils in those grades and classes in accordance with the requirements of Section 44830.3. The commission also shall issue district intern credentials authorizing persons employed by a school district to provide classroom instruction to pupils in special education classes, in accordance with the requirements of Section 44830.3.
(b) Each district intern credential is valid for a period of two years. A credential may be valid for three years if the intern is participating in a program that leads to the attainment of a specialist credential in special education or four years if the intern is participating in a program that leads to the attainment of both a multiple subject or single subject teaching credential and a specialist credential in special education. Upon the recommendation of the school district, the commission may grant a one-year extension of the district intern credential.
(c) The commission shall require each applicant for a district intern credential to demonstrate that the applicant meets all of the following minimum qualifications for that credential:
(1) (A) The possession of a baccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 44252.
(2) The successful passage of the state basic skills proficiency requirement pursuant to Sections 44252 and 44252.5.
(3) The successful completion of the appropriate subject matter examination administered by the commission, or a commission-approved subject matter preparation program for the subject areas in which the district intern is authorized to teach.
(4) The oral language component of the assessment program leading to the bilingual-crosscultural language and academic development certificate for persons seeking a district intern credential to teach bilingual education classes.
(d) The commission shall apply the requirements of Sections 44339, 44340, and 44341 to each applicant for a district intern credential.
(e) The commission shall ensure that each district internship program in California provides program elements to its interns as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (20 U.S.C. Sec. 6301 et seq.) and its implementing regulations.
(f) Notwithstanding any other law, a California community college and a California community college district shall not offer an integrated program of professional preparation that would enable a candidate for a teaching credential to engage in professional preparation, concurrently with subject matter preparation, while completing a baccalaureate degree.
SEC. 14.5.
Section 44325 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44325.
(a) The commission shall issue district intern credentials authorizing persons employed by a school district that maintains kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, or that maintains classes in bilingual education to provide classroom instruction to pupils in those grades and classes in accordance with the requirements of Section 44830.3. The commission also shall issue district intern credentials authorizing persons employed by a school district to provide classroom instruction to pupils in special education classes, in accordance with the requirements of Section 44830.3.
(b) Each district intern credential is valid for a period of two years. A credential may be valid for three years if the intern is participating in a program that leads to the attainment of
a specialist credential in special education or four years if the intern is participating in a program that leads to the attainment of both a multiple subject or single subject teaching credential and a specialist credential in special education. Upon the recommendation of the school district,
commission-approved program sponsor, the commission may grant a one-year extension of the district intern credential.
(c) The commission shall require each applicant for a district intern credential to demonstrate that the applicant meets all of the following minimum qualifications for that credential:
(1) (A) The possession of a baccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 44252.
(2) The successful passage of the state basic skills proficiency requirement pursuant to Sections 44252 and 44252.5.
(3) The successful completion of the appropriate subject matter examination administered by the commission, or a commission-approved subject matter preparation program for the subject areas in which the district intern is authorized to teach.
(4) The oral language component of the assessment program leading to the bilingual-crosscultural language and academic development certificate for persons seeking a district intern credential to teach bilingual education classes.
(5) Verified employment in a teaching position at a school district, county office of education, or charter school in the state.
(d) The commission shall apply the requirements of Sections 44339, 44340, and 44341 to each applicant for a district intern credential.
(e) Notwithstanding any other law, a California community college and a California community college district shall not offer an integrated program of professional preparation that would enable a candidate for a teaching credential to engage in professional preparation, concurrently with subject matter preparation, while completing a baccalaureate degree.
SEC. 15.
(a) Section 4.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 44252 of the Education Code proposed by both this bill and Senate Bill 1443. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2027, (2) each bill amends Section 44252 of the Education Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Senate Bill 1443, in which case Section 4 of this bill shall not become operative.
(b) Section 9.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 44259 of the Education Code proposed by both this bill and Senate Bill 1443. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2027, (2) each bill amends Section 44259 of the Education Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Senate Bill 1443, in which case Section 9 of this bill shall not become operative.
(c) Section 14.5 of this bill incorporates amendments to Section 44325 of the Education Code proposed by both this bill and Senate Bill 1443. That section of this bill shall only become operative if (1) both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2027, (2) each bill amends Section 44325 of the Education Code, and (3) this bill is enacted after Senate Bill 1443, in which case Section 14 of this bill shall not become operative.