Existing law requires that every individual with exceptional needs who is eligible to receive special education instruction and related services receive that instruction and those services at no cost to his or her parents or, as appropriate, to him or her. Existing law requires that a special education teacher who provides special education instruction and educational services meet the same highly qualified requirements and personnel qualifications as are provided in specified federal law.

This bill would require the establishment of a statewide framework and training and support network for the purpose of training and supporting qualified mentor teachers who will be supporting the new statewide influx of special education teachers in California to be contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or other legislation for this purpose. The bill would require the State Department of Education to award grants on a competitive basis using criteria it establishes. The bill would require the department to allocate a one-time grant of $500,000, upon the appropriation of funds for the above-described purposes, to an eligible entity, as defined, with demonstrated expertise in the area of teacher retention at elementary and secondary schools. The bill would require the department to offer $1,500,000, upon the appropriation of funds for the above-described purposes, as grants to local educational agencies, as defined, to create or expand local and regional infrastructure to support special education teacher mentoring for the purpose of supporting the retention of new special education teachers.

Existing law requires that every individual with exceptional needs who is eligible to receive special education instruction and related services receive that instruction and those services at no cost to his or her parents or, as appropriate, to him or her. Existing law requires that a special education teacher who provides special education instruction and educational services meet the same highly qualified requirements and personnel qualifications as are provided in specified federal law.

This bill would require the establishment of a statewide framework and training and support network for the purpose of training and supporting qualified mentor teachers who will be supporting the new statewide influx of special education teachers in California to be contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or other legislation for this purpose. The bill would require the State Department of Education to award grants on a competitive basis using criteria it establishes. The bill would require the department to allocate a one-time grant of $500,000, upon the appropriation of funds for the above-described purposes, to an eligible entity, as defined, with demonstrated expertise in the area of teacher retention at elementary and secondary schools. The bill would require the department to offer $1,500,000, upon the appropriation of funds for the above-described purposes, as grants to local educational agencies, as defined, to create or expand local and regional infrastructure to support special education teacher mentoring for the purpose of supporting the retention of new special education teachers.

Existing law requires that every individual with exceptional needs who is eligible to receive special education instruction and related services receive that instruction and those services at no cost to his or her parents or, as appropriate, to him or her. Existing law requires that a special education teacher who provides special education instruction and educational services meet the same highly qualified requirements and personnel qualifications as are provided in specified federal law.

This bill would appropriate $2,000,000 in carryover funding from the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish require the establishment of a statewide framework and training and support network for the purpose of training and supporting qualified mentor teachers who will be supporting the new statewide influx of special education teachers in California. California to be contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act or other legislation for this purpose. The bill would require the State Department of Education to award grants on a competitive basis using criteria it establishes. The bill would require the department to allocate a one-time grant of $500,000 from the funds appropriated, $500,000, upon the appropriation of funds for the above-described purposes, to an eligible entity, as defined, with demonstrated expertise in the area of teacher retention at elementary and secondary schools. The bill would require the department to offer $1,500,000 from the funds appropriated $1,500,000, upon the appropriation of funds for the above-described purposes, as grants to local educational agencies, as defined, to create or expand local and regional infrastructure to support special education teacher mentoring for the purpose of supporting the retention of new special education teachers.

Existing law requires that every individual with exceptional needs who is eligible to receive special education instruction and related services receive that instruction and those services at no cost to his or her parents or, as appropriate, to him or her. Existing law requires that a special education teacher who provides special education instruction and educational services meet the same highly qualified requirements and personnel qualifications as are provided in specified federal law.

This bill would appropriate $2,000,000 in carryover funding from the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a statewide framework and training and support network for the purpose of training and supporting qualified mentor teachers who will be supporting the new statewide influx of special education teachers in California. The bill would require the State Department of Education to award grants on a competitive basis using criteria it establishes. The bill would require the department to allocate a one-time grant of $500,000 from the funds appropriated, for the above-described purposes, to an eligible entity, as defined, with demonstrated expertise in the area of teacher retention of teachers at elementary and secondary schools. The bill would require the department to offer $1,500,000 from the funds appropriated as grants to local educational agencies, as defined, to create or expand local and regional infrastructure to support special education teacher mentoring for the purpose of supporting the retention of new special education teachers.

Existing law requires that every individual with exceptional needs who is eligible to receive special education instruction and related services receive that instruction and those services at no cost to his or her parents or, as appropriate, to him or her. Existing law requires that a special education teacher who provides special education instruction and educational services meet the same highly qualified requirements and personnel qualifications as are provided in specified federal law.

This bill would appropriate $2,000,000 in carryover funding from the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a statewide framework and training and support network for the purpose of training and supporting qualified mentor teachers who will be supporting the new statewide influx of special education teachers in California. The bill would require the State Department of Education to award grants on a competitive basis using criteria it establishes. The bill would require the department to allocate a one-time grant of $500,000 from the funds appropriated, for the above-described purposes, to an eligible entity, as defined, with demonstrated expertise in the area of recruitment and retention of teachers at elementary and secondary schools. The bill would require the department to offer $1,500,000 from the funds appropriated as grants to local educational agencies, as defined, to create or expand local and regional infrastructure to support special education teacher mentoring for the purpose of supporting the retention of new special education teachers.

Existing law requires that every individual with exceptional needs who is eligible to receive special education instruction and related services receive that instruction and those services at no cost to his or her parents or, as appropriate, to him or her. Existing law requires that a special education teacher who provides special education instruction and educational services meet the same highly qualified requirements and personnel qualifications as are provided in specified federal law.

This bill would appropriate $2,000,000 in carryover funding from the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to make grants to local educational agencies or consortia of local educational agencies to assist those agencies to recruit and retain high-quality special education teachers. The bill would authorize a local educational agency or consortia of local educational agencies to apply for a grant to be used for a program aimed at solving the special education teacher shortage, with a specific aim at recruiting and retaining high-quality special education teachers. The bill would require an applicant to submit to the Superintendent an application at a time, in a manner, and containing information, prescribed by the Superintendent. The bill would require a grantee to provide matching funds, as specified, unless the Superintendent finds that this requirement would create a financial hardship for the grantee. The bill would require the Superintendent to conduct an evaluation of the programs funded pursuant to these provisions to determine the effectiveness of the programs in recruiting and retaining high-quality special education teachers. establish a statewide framework and training and support network for the purpose of training and supporting qualified mentor teachers who will be supporting the new statewide influx of special education teachers in California. The bill would require the State Department of Education to award grants on a competitive basis using criteria it establishes. The bill would require the department to allocate a one-time grant of $500,000 from the funds appropriated, for the above-described purposes, to an eligible entity, as defined, with demonstrated expertise in the area of recruitment and retention of teachers at elementary and secondary schools. The bill would require the department to offer $1,500,000 from the funds appropriated as grants to local educational agencies, as defined, to create or expand local and regional infrastructure to support special education teacher mentoring for the purpose of supporting the retention of new special education teachers.

Existing law requires that every individual with exceptional needs who is eligible to receive special education instruction and related services receive that instruction and those services at no cost to his or her parents or, as appropriate, to him or her. Existing law requires that all identification, evaluation, and assessment procedures for individuals with exceptional needs who are younger than 3 years of age be provided pursuant to the California Early Intervention Services Act and other specified law.

This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to the latter provision.

GOVERNOR'S VETO

GV Bill Id:AB 2168

Author:(Thurmond)

As Enrolled Ver:September 11, 2018

2/3 vote

Original Committee Reference: ED.

SUMMARY: Establishes the Special Education Teacher Grant program to provide one time grants to retain and mentor special education teachers.

The Senate amendments:

1. Delete the $2 million appropriation and instead make the program contingent on appropriation in the budget.
2. Specify any stipend provided to a mentor teacher shall be consistent with any applicable local bargaining agreement.
3. Specify a teacher shall not be required to attain an additional credential or certificate through the commission in order to be a mentor teacher.
4. Specify that no teacher shall be required to be trained as a mentor teacher.

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, this bill would result in cost pressure (Proposition 98 General Fund or federal funds) in the low millions of dollars for the new grant program. If the program was funded, the California Department of Education would require ongoing funding of approximately $168,000 for administrative activities.

COMMENTS: This bill creates a mentorship program for special education teachers by funding a state wide organization to develop model mentorship programs and trainings, and by funding local education agencies to implement those model programs.

According to the author, "California’s dramatic teacher shortage is most prominent in special education. We not only need an influx of new teachers, but also support, in the form of established mentor teachers, for existing teachers and those teachers coming into the profession. It is essential that the state establish a network and mechanism to train and support mentor teachers and administrators who will play a critical role in preparing teachers for long, productive, and successful careers. As the current retention rate for special education teachers is less than three years, these new mentor teachers will be available to all teachers seeking additional support. This budget allocation will be a compliment to existing and proposed programs to ensure ongoing assistance for mentors and administrators tasked with supporting special education educators."

Teacher mentoring. According to Dara Barlin from the New Teacher Center, "Districts that once had revolving-door relationships with their new teachers have cut attrition rates in half. Entire cohorts of beginning teachers have begun to foster student gains similar to or greater than their veteran peers’ results. And mentors are reigniting their own passion for teaching. When mentoring programs thrive, schools systems are also more likely to develop a comprehensive vision for assessing and supporting instructional excellence and to reconfigure their evaluation and tenure structures around that vision. More important, they have a much greater chance of transforming their schools into vibrant learning communities capable of helping all teachers, and all students, succeed."

Community of Practice. This bill creates a state wide organization to develop and create a Community of Practice. Communities of practice can be defined, in part, as a process of social learning that occurs when people who have a common interest in a subject or area collaborate over an extended period of time, sharing ideas and strategies, determine solutions and build innovations. There must be a community. A necessary component is that members of a specific field interact and engage in shared activities, help each other, and share information. They build relationships to allow them to learn from each other. There must be a practice. A requirement for a community of practice is that members are practitioners.

Grant Program Parameters. Some of the parameters of the grant program would benefit from more details, such as specifying a maximum grant amount per local education agency, since the source of funding is rather limited. Further, the author should consider including additional details about the priorities that CDE might use in awarding both the state wide grant and the local education agency grants.

GOVERNOR'S VETO MESSAGE:

This bill establishes the Special Education Teacher Grant program for the purpose of retaining and mentoring special education teachers.

While I support the need to retain and support special education teachers, I cannot support this bill. The 2018 Budget Act includes $50 million Proposition 98 General Fund for the Local Solutions Grant Program for schools to develop and implement new, or expand existing, locally identified solutions that recruit, support and retain special education teachers.

Nothing in the grant language prohibits schools from providing mentors for special education teachers.

Analysis Prepared by: Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0005249

CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS

CSA1 Bill Id:AB 2168

Author:(Thurmond)

As Amended Ver:August 24, 2018

Majority vote

Original Committee Reference: ED.

SUMMARY: Establishes the Special Education Teacher Grant program to provide one time grants to retain and mentor special education teachers.

The Senate amendments:

1. Delete the $2,000,000 appropriation and instead make the program contingent on appropriation in the budget.
2. Specify any stipend provided to a mentor teacher shall be consistent with any applicable local bargaining agreement.
3. Specify a teacher shall not be required to attain an additional credential or certificate through the commission in order to be a mentor teacher.
4. Specify that no teacher shall be required to be trained as a mentor teacher.

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, this bill would result in cost pressure (Proposition 98 General Fund or federal funds) in the low millions of dollars for the new grant program. If the program was funded, the California Department of Education would require ongoing funding of approximately $168,000 for administrative activities.

COMMENTS: This bill creates a mentorship program for special education teachers by funding a state wide organization to develop model mentorship programs and trainings, and by funding local education agencies to implement those model programs.

According to the author, "California's dramatic teacher shortage is most prominent in special education. We not only need an influx of new teachers, but also support, in the form of established mentor teachers, for existing teachers and those teachers coming into the profession. It is essential that the state establish a network and mechanism to train and support mentor teachers and administrators who will play a critical role in preparing teachers for long, productive, and successful careers. As the current retention rate for special education teachers is less than three years, these new mentor teachers will be available to all teachers seeking additional support. This budget allocation will be a compliment to existing and proposed programs to ensure ongoing assistance for mentors and administrators tasked with supporting special education educators."

Teacher mentoring. According to Dara Barlin from the New Teacher Center, "Districts that once had revolving-door relationships with their new teachers have cut attrition rates in half. Entire cohorts of beginning teachers have begun to foster student gains similar to or greater than their veteran peers' results. And mentors are reigniting their own passion for teaching. When mentoring programs thrive, schools systems are also more likely to develop a comprehensive vision for assessing and supporting instructional excellence and to reconfigure their evaluation and tenure structures around that vision. More important, they have a much greater chance of transforming their schools into vibrant learning communities capable of helping all teachers, and all students, succeed."

Community of Practice. This bill creates a state wide organization to develop and create a Community of Practice. Communities of practice can be defined, in part, as a process of social learning that occurs when people who have a common interest in a subject or area collaborate over an extended period of time, sharing ideas and strategies, determine solutions and build innovations. There must be a community. A necessary component is that members of a specific field interact and engage in shared activities, help each other, and share information. They build relationships to allow them to learn from each other. There must be a practice. A requirement for a community of practice is that members are practitioners.

Grant Program Parameters. Some of the parameters of the grant program would benefit from more details, such as specifying a maximum grant amount per local education agency, since the source of funding is rather limited. Further, the author should consider including additional details about the priorities that CDE might use in awarding both the state wide grant and the local education agency grants.

Analysis Prepared by: Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0005094

 THIRD READING  

Bill No: AB 2168

Author:

Amended: 8/17/18 in Senate

Vote:

SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: 7-0, 6/13/18

AYES: Allen, Wilk, Galgiani, Leyva, McGuire, Pan, Vidak

SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 8/16/18

AYES: Portantino, Bates, Beall, Bradford, Hill, Nielsen, Wiener

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 77-0, 5/29/18 - See last page for vote

SUBJECT:

SOURCE: Author

DIGEST:

This bill establishes the Special Education Teacher Grant program and appropriates $2 million one-time to retain and mentor special education teachers.

ANALYSIS:

Existing law:

1. Establishes the California Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment System (system), to be administered jointly by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (commission) and the Superintendent of Public Instruction (Superintendent).
2. Provides that, in administering the system, the commission and the Superintendent shall approve the most cost-effective programs of support and assessment.
3. Provides that the commission and the Superintendent also shall ensure that programs meet the Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Programs adopted by the commission and that local programs support beginning teachers in meeting the competencies described in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession adopted by the commission.
4. Provides that the system shall do all of the following:
   1. Provide an effective transition into the teaching career for first-year and second-year teachers in California.
   2. Improve the educational performance of pupils through improved training, information, and assistance for new teachers.
   3. Enable beginning teachers to be effective in teaching pupils who are culturally, linguistically, and academically diverse.
   4. Ensure the professional success and retention of new teachers.
   5. Ensure that a support provider provides intensive individualized support and assistance to each participating beginning teacher.
   6. Improve the rigor and consistency of individual teacher performance assessments and the usefulness of assessment results to teachers and decision makers.
   7. Establish an effective, coherent system of performance assessments that are based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession adopted by the commission.
   8. Examine alternative ways in which the general public and the educational profession may be assured that new teachers who remain in teaching have attained acceptable levels of professional competence.
   9. Ensure that an individual induction plan is in place for each participating beginning teacher and is based on an ongoing assessment of the development of the beginning teacher.
   10. Ensure continuous program improvement through ongoing research, development, and evaluation.

This bill establishes the Special Education Teacher Grant program and appropriates $2 million one-time to retain and mentor special education teachers. Specifically, this bill:

1. Establishes a statewide framework and training and support network for the purpose of training and supporting qualified mentor teachers who will be supporting the new statewide influx of special education teachers in California, contingent on an appropriation in the budget.
2. Defines "eligible entity" as any of the following:
   1. An institution of higher education.
   2. A nonprofit public benefit corporation.
   3. A county office of education or school district.
   4. A partnership among multiple organizations of the types described.
3. Requires, of the funds appropriated, the California Department of Education (department) to allocate a one-time grant of $500,000 to an eligible entity with demonstrated expertise in the area of retention of teachers at elementary and secondary schools.
4. Defines "local educational agency" (LEA) as a school district, a county office of education, a charter school, or a special education local plan area.
5. Requires, of the funds appropriated, the department to offer $1,500,000 as grants to local educational agencies to create or expand local and regional infrastructure to support special education teacher mentoring for the purpose of supporting the retention of new special education teachers.
6. Authorizes an LEA to use funds awarded for activities that include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
   1. Training for existing teachers to become mentor teachers.
   2. Stipends for mentor teachers, subject to any applicable local bargaining agreement.
   3. Piloting mentor teacher training systems.
7. Specifies that no teacher shall be required to attain an additional credential or certificate to be a mentor teacher, and that no teacher shall be required to be trained as a mentor teacher.
8. Requires the department to award grants on a competitive basis using criteria it establishes.

Comments

1. Need for the bill. According to the author, “California has a severe special education teacher shortage. Due to a lack of qualified teachers to fill special education teaching positions, the number of emergency special education teaching permits has nearly doubled over the past 5 years. It is essential that the state establish a network and mechanism to train and support mentor teachers and administrators who will play a critical role in preparing teachers for long, productive, successful careers. As the current retention rate for special education teachers is less than three years, these new mentor teachers will be available to all teachers seeking additional support. This $2 million allocation will be a compliment to existing and proposed programs to ensure ongoing assistance for mentors and administrators tasked with supporting special education educators.”
2. Learning Policy Institute (LPI) report. The LPI’s 2016 report, “Addressing California’s Emerging Teacher Shortage: An Analysis of Sources and Solutions” included the following summary: “After many years of teacher layoffs in California, school districts around the state are hiring again. With the influx of new K-12 funding, districts are looking to lower student-teacher ratios and reinstate classes and programs that were reduced or eliminated during the Great Recession. However, mounting evidence indicates that teacher supply has not kept pace with the increased demand.” The report included the following findings:
   1. Enrollment in educator preparation programs has dropped by more than 70 percent over the last decade.
   2. In 2014-15, provisional and short-term permits nearly tripled from the number issued two years earlier, growing from about 850 to more than 2,400.
   3. The number of teachers hired on substandard permits and credentials nearly doubled in the last two years, to more than 7,700 comprising a third of all the new credentials issued in 2014-15.
   4. Estimated teacher hires for the 2015-16 school year increased by 25 percent from the previous year while enrollment in the University of California and the California State University teacher education programs increased by only about 3.8 percent.

The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) report offered several policy recommendations for consideration. These recommendations include the reinstatement of the California Center on Teaching Careers and the establishment of incentives to attract diverse, talented individuals to teach in high-need locations and fields. This can be accomplished through programs that provide funding for candidates who prepare and teach in such schools and subject areas, e.g. the Assumption Program of Loans for Education. The report also recommends the creation of more innovative pipelines into teaching, such as high school career pathways or teacher preparation models that encourage and support young people and others to go into teaching in their own communities.

1. Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) assessment. As part of the Proposition 98 Education Analysis for the 2016-17 Governor’s Budget released in February 2016, the LAO included a section on teacher workforce trends in which it examined evidence for teacher shortages in specific areas, identified and assessed past policy responses to these shortages, and raised issues for the Legislature to consider going forward in terms of new policy responses. In the report, the LAO indicated that the statewide teacher market will help alleviate existing shortages over time and that the shortages may decrease without direct state action. However, the LAO noted there are perennial staffing difficulties in specific areas, such as special education, math, and science, for which they encouraged the Legislature to address with narrowly tailored policies rather than with broad statewide policies. Specifically, they recommended the Legislature “consider outreach to re-engage former teachers or recruit out-of-state teachers. Both of these strategies are among the most cost-effective for increasing the supply of teachers within California in the short-term. If the state were to spend one-time funds on outreach, we encourage it to focus specifically on recruiting individuals who are trained to teach in perennial shortage areas. Outreach can attract viable teachers much faster and at a lower cost than many other shortage policies.”
2. Programs funded in recent budgets. To help address the state’s current teacher shortage, the Governor and Legislature funded the following proposals in the 2016 and 2017 Budgets:
   1. California Educator Development Program: $11.3 million one‑time federal Title II funds for a one‑time competitive grant program that assists local educational agencies in attracting and supporting the preparation and continued learning of teachers, principals, and other school leaders in high‑need subjects and schools.
   2. Classified School Employees Credentialing Program: $25 million one‑time Proposition 98 General Fund, available for five years, to support a second cohort of the California Classified School Employees Credentialing Program established in the 2016 Budget Act. The program provides grants to local educational agencies to support recruitment of non‑certificated school employees to participate in a teacher preparation program and become certificated classroom teachers in California public schools
   3. Classified School Employees Credentialing Program: $20 million in one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for grants to local educational agencies to provide opportunities for classified school employees to pursue a teaching credential.
   4. Integrated Teacher Preparation Grant Program: $10 million in one-time non-Proposition 98 General Fund for grants to post-secondary institutions for the creation or expansion of four-year integrated teacher preparation programs. The funding is designed to increase the number of students who receive their bachelor’s degree and teaching credential concurrently within a four-year program.
   5. Cal-Teach: $5 million in one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for the Commission on Teacher Credential to contract with an LEA to recruit additional teachers into the profession, including new teachers, former teachers, and teachers from out of state. The recruitment efforts will particularly focus on recruiting individuals in shortage areas of math, science, special education, and bilingual education.
3. Teacher mentoring. According to Dara Barlin from the New Teacher Center, "Districts that once had revolving-door relationships with their new teachers have cut attrition rates in half. Entire cohorts of beginning teachers have begun to foster student gains similar to or greater than their veteran peers’ results. And mentors are reigniting their own passion for teaching. When mentoring programs thrive, schools systems are also more likely to develop a comprehensive vision for assessing and supporting instructional excellence and to reconfigure their evaluation and tenure structures around that vision. More important, they have a much greater chance of transforming their schools into vibrant learning communities capable of helping all teachers, and all students, succeed."

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

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, this bill would result in cost pressure (Proposition 98 General Fund or federal funds) in the low millions of dollars for the new grant program. If the program was funded, the California Department of Education would require ongoing funding of approximately $168,000 for administrative activities.

SUPPORT: (Verified 8/16/18)

California State PTA

Common Sense Kids Action

Compton Unified School District

Disability Rights California

Educate. Advocate.

Empower Family California

Presence Learning

OPPOSITION: (Verified 8/16/18)

None received

ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 77-0, 5/29/18

AYES: Acosta, Aguiar-Curry, Travis Allen, Arambula, Baker, Berman, Bigelow, Bloom, Bonta, Brough, Burke, Caballero, Calderon, Carrillo, Cervantes, Chau, Chávez, Chen, Chiu, Choi, Chu, Cooley, Cooper, Cunningham, Dahle, Daly, Flora, Fong, Frazier, Friedman, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gipson, Gloria, Gonzalez Fletcher, Gray, Grayson, Harper, Holden, Irwin, Jones-Sawyer, Kalra, Kamlager-Dove, Kiley, Lackey, Levine, Limón, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes, McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Obernolte, O'Donnell, Patterson, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Reyes, Rodriguez, Rubio, Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting, Voepel, Waldron, Weber, Wood, Rendon

NO VOTE RECORDED: Eggman

Prepared by:

8/20/18 10:06:33

**** END ****

SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Senator Anthony Portantino, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular Session

AB 2168 (Thurmond) - Special education: teachers: grant program

Bill Summary:

This bill establishes the Special Education Teacher Grant program to retain and mentor special education teachers and appropriates $2 million in one-time federal funds for this purpose.

*********** ANALYSIS ADDENDUM – SUSPENSE FILE ***********

The following information is revised to reflect amendments

adopted by the committee on August 16, 2018

Fiscal Impact:

This bill would result in cost pressure (Proposition 98 General Fund or federal funds) in the low millions of dollars for the new grant program. If the program was funded, the California Department of Education would require ongoing funding of approximately $168,000 for administrative activities.

Committee Amendments:

Remove the appropriation and make the program contingent upon funding provided for that purpose.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Senator Anthony Portantino, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular Session

AB 2168 (Thurmond) - Special education: teachers: grant program

This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.

Bill Summary:

This bill establishes the Special Education Teacher Grant program to retain and mentor special education teachers and appropriates $2 million in one-time federal funds for this purpose.

Fiscal Impact:

• This bill appropriates $2 million in carryover funding from the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to the Superintendent of Public Instruction on a one-time basis (and available for encumbrance until June 30, 2022) for the new grant program. Absent the bill’s appropriation, these funds would go out as local assistance funding to school districts for special education related purposes.
• The CDE indicates ongoing federal fund costs of approximately $168,000 to administer the program.

Background:

The Learning Policy Institute issued a report in 2016, “Addressing California’s Emerging Teacher Shortage: An Analysis of Sources and Solutions.” The report included the following summary: “After many years of teacher layoffs in California, school districts around the state are hiring again. With the influx of new K-12 funding, districts are looking to lower student-teacher ratios and reinstate classes and programs that were reduced or eliminated during the Great Recession. However, mounting evidence indicates that teacher supply has not kept pace with the increased demand.” The report included the following findings:

• Enrollment in educator preparation programs has dropped by more than 70 percent over the last decade.
• In 2014-15, provisional and short-term permits nearly tripled from the number issued two years earlier, growing from about 850 to more than 2,400.
• The number of teachers hired on substandard permits and credentials nearly doubled in the last two years, to more than 7,700 comprising a third of all the new credentials issued in 2014-15.
• Estimated teacher hires for the 2015-16 school year increased by 25 percent from the previous year while enrollment in the University of California and the California State University teacher education programs increased by only about 3.8 percent.

To help address the state’s current teacher shortage, the Governor and Legislature funded the following proposals in the 2016 and 2017 budgets:

• California Educator Development Program: $11.3 million one‑time federal Title II funds for a one‑time competitive grant program that assists local educational agencies in attracting and supporting the preparation and continued learning of teachers, principals, and other school leaders in high‑need subjects and schools.
• Classified School Employees Credentialing Program: $25 million one‑time Proposition 98 General Fund, available for five years, to support a second cohort of the California Classified School Employees Credentialing Program established in the 2016 Budget Act. The program provides grants to local educational agencies to support recruitment of non‑certificated school employees to participate in a teacher preparation program and become certificated classroom teachers in California public schools.
• Classified School Employees Credentialing Program: $20 million in one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for grants to local educational agencies to provide opportunities for classified school employees to pursue a teaching credential.
• Integrated Teacher Preparation Grant Program: $10 million in one-time non-Proposition 98 General Fund for grants to post-secondary institutions for the creation or expansion of four-year integrated teacher preparation programs. The funding is designed to increase the number of students who receive their bachelor’s degree and teaching credential concurrently within a four-year program.
• Cal-Teach: $5 million in one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for the Commission on Teacher Credential to contract with a local educational agency (LEA) to recruit additional teachers into the profession, including new teachers, former teachers, and teachers from out of state. The recruitment efforts will particularly focus on recruiting individuals in shortage areas of math, science, special education, and bilingual education.

Proposed Law:

This bill appropriates $2,000,000 in carryover funding from the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to the Superintendent on a one-time basis, available for encumbrance until June 30, 2022, to establish a statewide framework and training and support network for the purpose of training and supporting qualified mentor teachers who will be supporting new special education teachers in California.

This bill defines "eligible entity" as any of the following: an institution of higher education; a nonprofit public benefit corporation; a county office of education or school district; or a partnership among multiple organizations of the types described.

This bill requires, of the funds appropriated, the CDE to allocate a one-time grant of $500,000 to an eligible entity with demonstrated expertise in the area of retention of teachers at elementary and secondary schools. The CDE would be required to offer the remaining $1,500,000 as grants to LEAs to create or expand local and regional infrastructure to support special education teacher mentoring for the purpose of supporting the retention of new special education teachers.

This bill authorizes an LEA to use funds awarded for activities that include, but are not limited to training for existing teachers to become mentor teachers, stipends for mentor teachers, and piloting mentor teacher training systems.

This bill requires CDE to award grants on a competitive basis using criteria it establishes.

-- END --

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Senator Benjamin Allen, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular

Bill No: AB 2168 Hearing Date: June 13, 2018

Subject: Special education: teachers: grant program.

SUMMARY

This bill establishes the Special Education Teacher Grant program and appropriates two million dollars one-time to retain and mentor special education teachers.

BACKGROUND

Existing law establishes the California Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment System, to be administered jointly by the commission and the Superintendent. In administering the system, the commission and the Superintendent shall approve the most cost-effective programs of support and assessment. The commission and the Superintendent also shall ensure that programs meet the Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Programs adopted by the commission and that local programs support beginning teachers in meeting the competencies described in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession adopted by the commission. The system shall do all of the following:

1. Provide an effective transition into the teaching career for first-year and second-year teachers in California.
2. Improve the educational performance of pupils through improved training, information, and assistance for new teachers.
3. Enable beginning teachers to be effective in teaching pupils who are culturally, linguistically, and academically diverse.
4. Ensure the professional success and retention of new teachers.
5. Ensure that a support provider provides intensive individualized support and assistance to each participating beginning teacher.
6. Improve the rigor and consistency of individual teacher performance assessments and the usefulness of assessment results to teachers and decision makers.
7. Establish an effective, coherent system of performance assessments that are based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession adopted by the commission.
8. Examine alternative ways in which the general public and the educational profession may be assured that new teachers who remain in teaching have attained acceptable levels of professional competence.
9. Ensure that an individual induction plan is in place for each participating beginning teacher and is based on an ongoing assessment of the development of the beginning teacher.
10. Ensure continuous program improvement through ongoing research, development, and evaluation.

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes the Special Education Teacher Grant program and appropriates two million dollars one-time to retain and mentor special education teachers. Specifically, this bill:

1. Appropriates $2,000,000 in carryover funding from the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to the Superintendent on a one-time basis, available for encumbrance until June 30, 2022, to establish a statewide framework and training and support network for the purpose of training and supporting qualified mentor teachers who will be supporting the new statewide influx of special education teachers in California.
2. Defines "eligible entity" as any of the following:
   1. An institution of higher education.
   2. A nonprofit public benefit corporation.
   3. A county office of education or school district.
   4. A partnership among multiple organizations of the types described.
3. Requires, of the funds appropriated, the department to allocate a one-time grant of $500,000 to an eligible entity with demonstrated expertise in the area of retention of teachers at elementary and secondary schools.
4. Defines "local educational agency" (LEA) as a school district, a county office of education, a charter school, or a special education local plan area.
5. Requires, of the funds appropriated, the department to offer $1,500,000 as grants to local educational agencies to create or expand local and regional infrastructure to support special education teacher mentoring for the purpose of supporting the retention of new special education teachers.
6. Authorizes a LEA to use funds awarded for activities that include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
   1. Training for existing teachers to become mentor teachers.
   2. Stipends for mentor teachers.
   3. Piloting mentor teacher training systems.
7. Requires the department to award grants on a competitive basis using criteria it establishes.

STAFF COMMENTS

1. Need for the bill. According to the author, “California has a severe special education teacher shortage. Due to a lack of qualified teachers to fill special education teaching positions, the number of emergency special education teaching permits has nearly doubled over the past 5 years. It is essential that the state establish a network and mechanism to train and support mentor teachers and administrators who will play a critical role in preparing teachers for long, productive, successful careers. As the current retention rate for special education teachers is less than three years, these new mentor teachers will be available to all teachers seeking additional support. This $2 million allocation will be a compliment to existing and proposed programs to ensure ongoing assistance for mentors and administrators tasked with supporting special education educators.”
2. Learning Policy Institute (LPI) report. The LPI’s 2016 report, “Addressing California’s Emerging Teacher Shortage: An Analysis of Sources and Solutions” included the following summary: “After many years of teacher layoffs in California, school districts around the state are hiring again. With the influx of new K-12 funding, districts are looking to lower student-teacher ratios and reinstate classes and programs that were reduced or eliminated during the Great Recession. However, mounting evidence indicates that teacher supply has not kept pace with the increased demand.” The report included the following findings:
   1. Enrollment in educator preparation programs has dropped by more than 70 percent over the last decade.
   2. In 2014-15, provisional and short-term permits nearly tripled from the number issued two years earlier, growing from about 850 to more than 2,400.
   3. The number of teachers hired on substandard permits and credentials nearly doubled in the last two years, to more than 7,700 comprising a third of all the new credentials issued in 2014-15.
   4. Estimated teacher hires for the 2015-16 school year increased by 25 percent from the previous year while enrollment in the University of California and the California State University teacher education programs increased by only about 3.8 percent.

The Learning Policy Institute (LPI) report offered several policy recommendations for consideration. These recommendations include the reinstatement of the California Center on Teaching Careers and the establishment of incentives to attract diverse, talented individuals to teach in high-need locations and fields. This can be accomplished through programs that provide funding for candidates who prepare and teach in such schools and subject areas, e.g. the Assumption Program of Loans for Education. The report also recommends the creation of more innovative pipelines into teaching, such as high school career pathways or teacher preparation models that encourage and support young people and others to go into teaching in their own communities.

1. Legislative Analyst Office (LAO) assessment. As part of the Proposition 98 Education Analysis for the 2016-17 Governor’s Budget released in February 2016, the LAO included a section on teacher workforce trends in which it examined evidence for teacher shortages in specific areas, identified and assessed past policy responses to these shortages, and raised issues for the Legislature to consider going forward in terms of new policy responses. In the report, the LAO indicated that the statewide teacher market will help alleviate existing shortages over time and that the shortages may decrease without direct state action. However, the LAO noted there are perennial staffing difficulties in specific areas, such as special education, math, and science, for which they encouraged the Legislature to address with narrowly tailored policies rather than with broad statewide policies. Specifically, they recommended the Legislature “consider outreach to re-engage former teachers or recruit out-of-state teachers. Both of these strategies are among the most cost-effective for increasing the supply of teachers within California in the short-term. If the state were to spend one-time funds on outreach, we encourage it to focus specifically on recruiting individuals who are trained to teach in perennial shortage areas. Outreach can attract viable teachers much faster and at a lower cost than many other shortage policies.”
2. Programs funded in recent budgets. To help address the state’s current teacher shortage, the Governor and Legislature funded the following proposals in the 2016 and 2017 budgets:
   1. California Educator Development Program: $11.3 million one‑time federal Title II funds for a one‑time competitive grant program that assists local educational agencies in attracting and supporting the preparation and continued learning of teachers, principals, and other school leaders in high‑need subjects and schools.
   2. Classified School Employees Credentialing Program: $25 million one‑time Proposition 98 General Fund, available for five years, to support a second cohort of the California Classified School Employees Credentialing Program established in the 2016 Budget Act. The program provides grants to local educational agencies to support recruitment of non‑certificated school employees to participate in a teacher preparation program and become certificated classroom teachers in California public schools
   3. Classified School Employees Credentialing Program: $20 million in one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for grants to local educational agencies to provide opportunities for classified school employees to pursue a teaching credential.
   4. Integrated Teacher Preparation Grant Program: $10 million in one-time non-Proposition 98 General Fund for grants to post-secondary institutions for the creation or expansion of four-year integrated teacher preparation programs. The funding is designed to increase the number of students who receive their bachelor’s degree and teaching credential concurrently within a four-year program.
   5. Cal-Teach: $5 million in one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for the Commission on Teacher Credential to contract with a local educational agency (LEA) to recruit additional teachers into the profession, including new teachers, former teachers, and teachers from out of state. The recruitment efforts will particularly focus on recruiting individuals in shortage areas of math, science, special education, and bilingual education.
3. Teacher mentoring. According to Dara Barlin from the New Teacher Center, "Districts that once had revolving-door relationships with their new teachers have cut attrition rates in half. Entire cohorts of beginning teachers have begun to foster student gains similar to or greater than their veteran peers’ results. And mentors are reigniting their own passion for teaching. When mentoring programs thrive, schools systems are also more likely to develop a comprehensive vision for assessing and supporting instructional excellence and to reconfigure their evaluation and tenure structures around that vision. More important, they have a much greater chance of transforming their schools into vibrant learning communities capable of helping all teachers, and all students, succeed."
4. Technical amendment. As currently drafted, the bill may be interpreted to require mentor teachers to seek additional credentialing or certification to participate in the program. If it is the desire of the Committee to pass this measure, staff recommends that the bill be amended to clarify that a teacher serving as a mentor is not required to get an additional credential or certificate through the California CTC and that no teacher shall be mandated to be trained as a mentor through this program or be barred from being a mentor. Further, staff recommends clarifying that any stipends provided to mentor teachers be consistent with any relevant local bargaining agreement.

SUPPORT

California State PTA

Common Sense Kids Action

Compton Unified School District

Disability Rights California

Educate. Advocate

Empower Family California

Presence Learning

OPPOSITION

None received

-- END --

ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:AB 2168

Author:(Thurmond)

As Amended Ver:May 2, 2018

Majority vote

SUMMARY: Establishes the Special Education Teacher Grant program and appropriates two million dollars in one time grants to retain and mentor special education teachers. Specifically, this bill:

1. Appropriates the sum of $2,000,000 in carryover funding from the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Title 20 United States Code (U.S.C.) Section 1400 et seq.) to the Superintendent on a one-time basis, available for encumbrance until June 30, 2022, to establish a statewide framework and training and support network for the purpose of training and supporting qualified mentor teachers who will be supporting the new statewide influx of special education teachers in California.
2. Defines "eligible entity" as any of the following:
   1. An institution of higher education.
   2. A nonprofit public benefit corporation.
   3. A county office of education or school district.
   4. A partnership among multiple organizations of the types described.
3. Requires, of the funds appropriated, the department to allocate a one time grant of $500,000 to an eligible entity with demonstrated expertise in the area of retention of teachers at elementary and secondary schools.
4. Defines "local educational agency" as a school district, a county office of education, a charter school, or a special education local plan area.
5. Requires, of the funds appropriated, the department to offer $1,500,000 as grants to local educational agencies to create or expand local and regional infrastructure to support special education teacher mentoring for the purpose of supporting the retention of new special education teachers.
6. Authorizes a local educational agency to use funds awarded for activities that include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
   1. Training for existing teachers to become mentor teachers.
   2. Stipends for mentor teachers.
   3. Piloting mentor teacher training systems.
7. Requires the department to award grants on a competitive basis using criteria it establishes.

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, $1.5 million in IDEA carryover funding to be used over four years to award grants to local education agencies (LEAs) to create or expand programs to support special education teacher mentoring. $500,000 in one-time IDEA carryover funding for an entity to establish a statewide support network. $138,000 General Fund costs annually for the California Department of Education (CDE) to administer the program over the life of the grant program.

COMMENTS: This bill creates a mentorship program for special education teachers by funding a state wide organization to develop model mentorship programs and trainings, and by funding local education agencies to implement those model programs.

According to the author, "California’s dramatic teacher shortage is most prominent in special education. We not only need an influx of new teachers, but also support, in the form of established mentor teachers, for existing teachers and those teachers coming into the profession. It is essential that the state establish a network and mechanism to train and support mentor teachers and administrators who will play a critical role in preparing teachers for long, productive, and successful careers . As the current retention rate for special education teachers is less than three years, these new mentor teachers will be available to all teachers seeking additional support. This $2 million allocation will be a compliment to existing and proposed programs to ensure ongoing assistance for mentors and administrators tasked with supporting special education educators."

Teacher mentoring. According to Dara Barlin from the New Teacher Center, "Districts that once had revolving-door relationships with their new teachers have cut attrition rates in half. Entire cohorts of beginning teachers have begun to foster student gains similar to or greater than their veteran peers’ results. And mentors are reigniting their own passion for teaching. When mentoring programs thrive, schools systems are also more likely to develop a comprehensive vision for assessing and supporting instructional excellence and to reconfigure their evaluation and tenure structures around that vision. More important, they have a much greater chance of transforming their schools into vibrant learning communities capable of helping all teachers, and all students, succeed."

Community of Practice. This bill creates a state wide organization to develop and create a Community of Practice. Communities of practice can be defined, in part, as a process of social learning that occurs when people who have a common interest in a subject or area collaborate over an extended period of time, sharing ideas and strategies, determine solutions and build innovations. There must be a community. A necessary component is that members of a specific field interact and engage in shared activities, help each other, and share information. They build relationships to allow them to learn from each other. There must be a practice. A requirement for a community of practice is that members are practitioners.

Grant Program Parameters. Some of the parameters of the grant program would benefit from more details, such as specifying a maximum grant amount per local education agency, since the source of funding is rather limited. Further, the author should consider including additional details about the priorities that CDE might use in awarding both the state wide grant and the local education agency grants.

Analysis Prepared by: Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0003127

Date of Hearing: May 9, 2018

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2168

Author:(Thurmond) – As Amended Ver:May 2, 2018

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

SUMMARY: This bill appropriates $2 million in federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) carryover funding to the California Department of Education (CDE) on a one-time basis, available for encumbrance until June 30, 2022, to create a grant program to retain and mentor special education teachers. It requires the CDE to award $1.5 million of the appropriation as competitive grants to LEAs to create or expand programs to support special education teacher mentoring. It requires CDE to allocate the remaining funding of $500,000 as a one-time competitive grant to an entity with demonstrated expertise in the area of retention of teachers, such as an LEA, institution of higher education, or nonprofit organization, to establish a statewide support network.

FISCAL EFFECT:

1. $1.5 million in IDEA carryover funding to be used over four years to award grants to LEAs to create or expand programs to support special education teacher mentoring.
2. $500,000 in one-time IDEA carryover funding for an entity to establish a statewide support network.
3. $138,000 GF costs annually for the CDE to administer the program over the life of the grant program.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. According to the author:

California’s dramatic teacher shortage is most prominent in special education…It is essential that the state establish a network and mechanism to train and support mentor teachers and administrators who will play a critical role in preparing teachers for long, productive, and successful careers. As the current retention rate for special education teachers is less than three years, these new mentor teachers will be available to all teachers seeking additional support.

1. IDEA Funding. Total federal IDEA funding in the 2017-18 school year is $1.25 billion, with the majority provided for local assistance ($1.1 billion).

Analysis Prepared by: Natasha Collins / APPR. / (916) 319-2081

Date of Hearing: April 25, 2018

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Patrick O'Donnell, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2168 (

Author:Thurmond) – As Amended Ver:April 4, 2018

SUBJECT: Special education

SUMMARY: Establishes the Special Education Teacher Grant program and appropriates two million dollars in one time grants to retain and mentor special education teachers. Specifically, this bill:

1. Makes Legislative findings and declarations that in order to ensure the retention of new special education teachers entering the teaching field, it is essential California have a mechanism for growing, supporting, and maintaining high quality, well-trained, and supported teacher mentors.
2. Appropriates the sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000) in carryover funding from the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.) to the Superintendent on a one-time basis, available for encumbrance until June 30, 2022, to establish a statewide framework and training and support network for the purpose of training and supporting qualified mentor teachers who will be supporting the new statewide influx of special education teachers in California.
3. Defines “eligible entity” as any of the following:
   1. An institution of higher education.
   2. A nonprofit public benefit corporation.
   3. A county office of education.
   4. A partnership among multiple organizations of the types described.
4. Requires, of the funds appropriated, the department to allocate a one time grant of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) to an eligible entity with demonstrated expertise in the area of recruitment and retention of teachers at elementary and secondary schools.
5. Defines “local educational agency” as a school district, a county office of education, a charter school, or a special education local plan area.
6. Requires, of the funds appropriated, the department to offer one million five hundred thousand dollars ($1,500,000) as grants to local educational agencies to create or expand local and regional infrastructure to support special education teacher mentoring for the purpose of supporting the retention of new special education teachers.
7. Authorizes a local educational agency to use funds awarded for activities that include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
   1. Training for existing teachers to become certified mentor teachers.
   2. Stipends for mentor teachers.
   3. Building a community of practice for mentors and mentees.
   4. Piloting mentor teacher training systems.
8. Requires the department to award grants on a competitive basis using criteria it establishes.

EXISTING LAW: Establishes the California Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment System, to be administered jointly by the commission and the Superintendent. In administering the system, the commission and the Superintendent shall approve the most cost-effective programs of support and assessment. The commission and the Superintendent also shall ensure that programs meet the Standards of Quality and Effectiveness for Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Programs adopted by the commission and that local programs support beginning teachers in meeting the competencies described in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession adopted by the commission. The system shall do all of the following:

1. Provide an effective transition into the teaching career for first-year and second-year teachers in California.
2. Improve the educational performance of pupils through improved training, information, and assistance for new teachers.
3. Enable beginning teachers to be effective in teaching pupils who are culturally, linguistically, and academically diverse.
4. Ensure the professional success and retention of new teachers.
5. Ensure that a support provider provides intensive individualized support and assistance to each participating beginning teacher.
6. Improve the rigor and consistency of individual teacher performance assessments and the usefulness of assessment results to teachers and decision makers.
7. Establish an effective, coherent system of performance assessments that are based on the California Standards for the Teaching Profession adopted by the commission.
8. Examine alternative ways in which the general public and the educational profession may be assured that new teachers who remain in teaching have attained acceptable levels of professional competence.
9. Ensure that an individual induction plan is in place for each participating beginning teacher and is based on an ongoing assessment of the development of the beginning teacher.
10. Ensure continuous program improvement through ongoing research, development, and evaluation. (Education Code 44279.1)

FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown

COMMENTS: This bill creates a mentorship program for special education teachers by funding a state wide organization to develop model mentorship programs and trainings, and by funding local education agencies to implement those model programs.

According to the author, "California’s dramatic teacher shortage is most prominent in special education.  We not only need an influx of new teachers, but also support, in the form of established mentor teachers, for existing teachers and those teachers coming into the profession.  It is essential that the state establish a network and mechanism to train and support mentor teachers and administrators who will play a critical role in preparing teachers for long, productive, and successful careers. As the current retention rate for special education teachers is less than three years, these new mentor teachers will be available to all teachers seeking additional support.  This $2 million allocation will be a compliment to existing and proposed programs to ensure ongoing assistance for mentors and administrators tasked with supporting special education educators."

Teacher mentoring. According to the New Teacher Center, "The hands-on help provided by teacher mentors directly advances teacher effectiveness and, by extension, the education of students. Students excel when we support our teachers. When teachers receive quality mentoring, students learn more— 2–4 months of additional learning in ELA/reading and 2–5 months of additional learning in math."

According to Dara Barlin from the New Teacher Center, "Districts that once had revolving-door relationships with their new teachers have cut attrition rates in half. Entire cohorts of beginning teachers have begun to foster student gains similar to or greater than their veteran peers’ results. And mentors are reigniting their own passion for teaching. When mentoring programs thrive, schools systems are also more likely to develop a comprehensive vision for assessing and supporting instructional excellence and to reconfigure their evaluation and tenure structures around that vision. More important, they have a much greater chance of transforming their schools into vibrant learning communities capable of helping all teachers, and all students, succeed."

Community of Practice. This bill creates a state wide organization to develop and create a Community of Practice. Communities of practice can be defined, in part, as a process of social learning that occurs when people who have a common interest in a subject or area collaborate over an extended period of time, sharing ideas and strategies, determine solutions and build innovations. There must be a community. A necessary component is that members of a specific field interact and engage in shared activities, help each other, and share information. They build relationships to allow them to learn from each other. There must be a practice. A requirement for a community of practice is that members are practitioners.

Grant Program Parameters. Some of the parameters of the grant program would benefit from more details, such as specifying a maximum grant amount per local education agency, since the source of funding is rather limited. Further, the author should consider including additional details about the priorities that CDE might use in awarding both the state wide grant and the local education agency grants.

Teacher shortage. School districts across the State of California are experiencing a serious shortage of qualified teachers. There are chronic shortages in the areas of math, science and special education. Further there is a shortage among bilingual teachers, and it is estimated that this shortage will grow with the growing popularity of language immersion and dual language immersion programs.

According to the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), the supply of new teachers in California is at a 12-year low. Enrollment in educator preparation programs has dropped by more than 70 percent over the last decade, and has fallen below the number of estimated hires by school districts around the state. It is estimated teacher hires for the 2015-16 school year increased by 25 percent from the previous year, while credentials issued to fully prepare new teachers increased by less than 1 percent from the previous year, and enrollment in teacher education programs increased by only about 2 percent.

Committee Amendments: Staff recommends the following committee amendments.

1. Expand the list of eligible entities to establish the statewide support network to include local education agencies, including both school districts and county offices of education.
2. Clarify that the statewide support network shall focus on retention of teachers and remove the reference to recruitment of teachers.
3. In the local mentorship program, eliminate the reference to teachers becoming "certified" mentor teachers and eliminate the reference to local education agencies building a community of practice, since that will be a statewide organization activity.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

Common Sense Kids Action

PresenceLearning

Public Advocates

Opposition

None on file

Analysis Prepared by: Chelsea Kelley / ED. / (916) 319-2087