Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits.

This bill would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, require the commission to establish the Golden State Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Teacher Grant Program. The bill would require the commission to select a county office of education to administer the program to provide specified grants to each student enrolled in an approved teacher credentialing program who commits to working in a STEM field, at a school district, county office of education, or charter school, for 4 years after he or she receives a preliminary teaching credential, and when he or she has completed 2 and 4 years of the teaching obligation, as provided. The bill would require the administrator of the grant program to annually report the status and progress of the Golden State STEM Teacher Grant Program to the commission and to submit a final implementation report, within 7 years of being selected as the administrator, that describes the outcomes and effectiveness of the program.

This bill would appropriate $25,000,000 from the General Fund to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for the 201819 fiscal year to would, upon appropriation by the Legislature, require the commission to establish the Golden State STEM Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Teacher Grant Program. The bill would require the commission to select a county office of education to administer the program to provide specified grants to each student enrolled in an approved teacher credentialing program who commits to working in a STEM field, at a school district, county office of education, or charter school, for 4 years after he or she receives a preliminary teaching credential, and when they have he or she has completed 2 and 4 years of the teaching obligation, as provided. The bill would require the administrator of the grant program to annually report the status and progress of the Golden State STEM Teacher Grant Program to the commission and to submit a final implementation report, within 7 years of being selected as the administrator, that describes the outcomes and effectiveness of the program.

(1)Existing law establishes the State Department of Education, under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and assigns to the department numerous duties relating to the financing, governance, and guidance of the public elementary and secondary schools in this state.

This bill would appropriate $50,000,000 from the General Fund to the department for the 201819 fiscal year to establish the Early Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Professional Learning Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to local educational agencies to develop, replicate, or expand evidence-based professional development programs for the purpose of enabling local educational agencies to provide transitional kindergarten to grade 8, inclusive, teachers, principals, technical support staff, and other school leaders with high-quality, evidence-based professional development opportunities in order to improve standards-based STEM pedagogical content knowledge, strategies, and leadership. The bill would require applicants to submit an application to the department to receive a grant, and would require applicants to meet specified criteria adopted by the department.

(2)This bill would appropriate $50,000,000 $25,000,000 from the General Fund to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for the 201819 fiscal year to establish the STEM Local Solution Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to local educational agencies to develop and implement new, or expand existing, locally identified solutions that address a local need for teachers of STEM subjects and STEM-related subjects, as determined and defined by the commission. The bill would require a grant recipient to provide a 100% match of grant funding, as provided. The bill would require applicants to submit an application to the commission to receive a grant, and would require the commission to require applicants to demonstrate a need for teachers of STEM and STEM-related subjects.

(4)This bill would appropriate $20,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Education for the 201819 fiscal year to establish the STEM Education for Rural Schools Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to rural local educational agencies to provide professional learning opportunities to teachers, principals, technical support staff, and other school leaders to develop high-quality, standards-based STEM teaching and learning opportunities for pupils, as defined by the department. The bill would require applicants to submit an application to the department to receive a grant, and would require the department to require grant recipients to submit a final report to the department within 3 years of receiving a grant award that describes the outcomes and effectiveness of the program.

(5)This bill would appropriate $30,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Education for the 201819 fiscal year to establish the Computer Science Education for Schools Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to local educational agencies to integrate rigorous computer science education into their academic program for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The bill would require applicants to submit an application to the department to receive a grant.

(7)This bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2027.

(1)Existing law establishes the State Department of Education, under the administration of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and assigns to the department numerous duties relating to the financing, governance, and guidance of the public elementary and secondary schools in this state.

This bill would appropriate $50,000,000 from the General Fund to the department for the 201819 fiscal year to establish the Early Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Professional Learning Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to local educational agencies to develop, replicate, or expand evidence-based professional development programs for the purpose of enabling local educational agencies to provide transitional kindergarten to grade 8, inclusive, teachers, principals, technical support staff, and other school leaders with high-quality, evidence-based professional development opportunities in order to improve standards-based STEM pedagogical content knowledge, strategies, and leadership. The bill would require applicants to submit an application to the department to receive a grant, and would require applicants to meet specified criteria adopted by the department.

(2)This bill would appropriate $50,000,000 from the General Fund to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for the 201819 fiscal year to establish the STEM Local Solution Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to local educational agencies to develop and implement new, or expand existing, locally identified solutions that address a local need for teachers of STEM subjects and STEM-related subjects, as determined and defined by the commission. The bill would require a grant recipient to provide a 100% match of grant funding, as provided. The bill would require applicants to submit an application to the commission to receive a grant, and would require the commission to require applicants to demonstrate a need for teachers of STEM and STEM-related subjects.

(3)This bill would appropriate $20,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Education for the 201819 fiscal year to establish the STEM Education for Rural Schools Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to rural local educational agencies to provide professional learning opportunities to teachers, principals, technical support staff, and other school leaders to develop high-quality high-quality, standards-based STEM teaching and learning opportunities for pupils. pupils, as defined by the department. The bill would require applicants to submit an application to the department to receive a grant, and would require the department to require grant recipients to submit a final report to the department within 3 years of receiving a grant award that describes the outcomes and effectiveness of the program.

(4)This bill would appropriate $30,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Education for the 201819 fiscal year to establish the Computer Science Education for Schools Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to local educational agencies to integrate rigorous computer science education into their academic program for kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The bill would require applicants to submit an application to the department to receive a grant.

(5)This bill would appropriate $2,000,000 from the General Fund to the State Department of Education for the 201819 fiscal year to study and evaluate the feasibility of assessing pupils in the subject of science in additional grades before grade 5, but not in lieu of assessing pupils in grade 5, and to survey a representative sample of local educational agencies, including county offices of education, school districts, and charter schools, regarding the amount of mathematics and science instructional time provided to all pupils during the school year, as specified. The bill would require the department to, on or before January 1, 2020, complete the study and survey and submit a report of its findings to the Legislature and Director of Finance. To the extent the bill would impose additional duties on local educational agencies in responding to survey requests, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

(6)This bill would repeal these provisions as of January 1, 2027.

(7)The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

(8)Funds appropriated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution.

Existing law establishes a system of public elementary and secondary education in this state. Existing law establishes local educational agencies, including school districts and county offices of education, throughout the state, and authorizes these agencies to provide instruction to pupils in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive.

This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would increase access to high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs in K12 education.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON

Senator Anthony Portantino, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular Session

AB 2186 (Thurmond) - Education finance: Golden State Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Teacher Grant Program

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

Bill Summary:

This bill establishes the Golden State Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Teacher Grant Program, to be administered by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) and upon appropriation by the Legislature.

Fiscal Impact:

• While the establishment of the STEM program would be contingent upon an appropriation, this bill could lead to significant Proposition 98 General Fund cost pressure likely in the low tens of millions of dollars to fund the program.
• There would also be special fund cost pressure of about $150,000 each year for the CTC to develop and administer the grant.

Background:

To help address the state’s current teacher shortage, the Governor and Legislature have funded several programs as part of the 2016 and 2017 budgets. These programs include the California Educator Development Program, which provided $11.3 million in one-time federal Title II funds for a competitive grant program to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) in attracting and supporting the preparation and continued learning of teachers, principals and other school leaders in high-need subjects and schools. There was also the Classified School Employees Credentialing Program which provided a total of $45 million Proposition 98 General Fund to provide grants to LEAs to support recruitment of non-certificated school employees to participate in a teacher preparation program and become certificated classroom teachers. Further, the Integrated Teacher Preparation Grant Program provided $10 million General Fund for grants to post-secondary institutions for the creation or expansion of four-year integrated teacher preparation programs.

Proposed Law:

This bill establishes the Golden State STEM Teacher Grant Program, upon appropriation by the Legislature, and requires the CTC to select a county office of education to administer the program and provide grants of $10,000 to each student enrolled on or after January 1, 2018 in a commission-approved professional preparation program that leads to a preliminary teaching credential, if the student commits to teaching in a STEM field at a school district, county office of education, or charter school for four years after he or she receives the preliminary teaching credential.

This bill prohibits the program administrator from using more than 5 percent of a grant award for program administration costs and requires the program administrator to provide grant funds of $5,000 to the recipient after he or she completes two years of employment as a STEM teacher, and $5,000 after the recipient completes four years of employment as a STEM teacher, within the obligation period.

This bill also requires the grant recipient to teach in a STEM field for four years, which must be completed within five years of completion of a professional preparation program. Grant recipients shall do all of the following to maintain eligibility for the grant after the second and fourth years of employment:

1. Have successfully completed a teacher preparation program approved by the CTC.
2. Maintain good academic standing while enrolled in the teacher preparation program.
3. Satisfy the state basic skills proficiency test requirement upon completion of the preparation program.
4. Complete the required teaching service following completion of his or her preparation program.

This bill requires nonperformance of the commitment to teach in a STEM field for four years to be certified by the CDE to the administrator of the program, and also requires nonperformance of the commitment to earn a preliminary teaching credential in a STEM field to be certified by the CTC to the administrator of the grant program.

This bill provides that if a teacher participant is unable to complete a school year of teaching, that school year may still be counted toward the required four complete school years, as specified.

This bill requires the grant program administrator to annually report the status and progress of the Golden State STEM Teacher Grant Program to the CTC, and to submit a final implementation report, within seven years of being selected as the administrator, that describes the program's outcomes and effectiveness.

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SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Senator Benjamin Allen, Chair

2017 - 2018 Regular

Bill No: Hearing Date: June 20, 2018

Subject:

SUMMARY

This bill establishes the Golden State Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Teacher Grant Program, to be administered by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

BACKGROUND

Existing law:

1. Appropriates $30 million Proposition 98 General Fund and $11.3 million federal Title II funds in 2017-18 to fund three programs—the California Educator Development Program, the Classified School Employees Credentialing Program, and the Bilingual Professional Development Program—aimed at recruiting and developing additional teachers and school leaders, with particular emphasis on key shortage areas such as special education, math, science, and bilingual education.
2. Appropriates $5 million Proposition 98 General Fund in 2016-17 for the CTC to contract with a local educational agency to establish Cal-Teach. Cal-Teach prioritizes its efforts to recruit (1) teachers possessing, or candidates interested in possessing, education specialist credentials, single subject teaching credentials in science or mathematics, or teaching in the area of bilingual education, and (2) candidates into schools in which over 85 percent of the student body is eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
3. Continues implementation of the Local Control Funding Formula, which permanently consolidated the vast majority of categorical programs, including the Professional Development Block Grant which supported professional development activities such as teacher recruitment and retention incentives, along with revenue limit apportionments, into a single source of funding. The statutory and programmatic requirements for almost all of these categorical programs were eliminated, leaving any previously required services at the discretion of local educational agencies.
4. Authorizes the CTC to issue intern credentials as an alternate route to earning a teaching credential. This credential is valid for two years and authorizes the holder to teach in a self-contained classroom while completing their teacher preparation coursework. Approved intern programs are sponsored by colleges, universities, school districts, or county offices of education. To qualify, an individual must possess a bachelor’s degree, satisfy the basic skills requirements, meet subject matter competence, and obtain character and identification clearance. University intern programs are cooperative teaching, counseling, school psychology, and administrative programs between a university and an employing school district that are administered by the university. District intern programs are for teachers only and are administered by employing school districts whose programs may or may not involve university coursework. Completion of an intern program results in the issuance of a preliminary or clear credential.

ANALYSIS

This bill establishes the Golden State Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Teacher Grant Program, to be administered by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires the CTC to select a county office of education to administer the program and provide a $10,000 grant to each student enrolled on or after January 1, 2018, in a professional preparation program leading to a preliminary teaching credential if the student commits to teaching in a STEM field, at a local educational agency for four years.
2. Prohibits the program administrator from using more than five percent of a grant award for program administration costs.
3. Requires the program administrator to award $5,000 after the recipient completes two years of employment as a STEM teacher and $5,000 after the recipient completes four years of employment as a STEM teacher.
4. Specifies that a grant recipient must agree to teach in a STEM field for four years and shall have five years, upon completion of his or her preparation program, to meet that obligation. To maintain eligibility, the grant recipient shall do all of the following:
   1. Have successfully completed a teacher preparation program approved by the CTC.
   2. While enrolled in the teacher preparation program, maintain good academic standing.
   3. Upon completion of the teacher preparation program, satisfy the state basic skills proficiency test requirement.
   4. Complete the required teaching service following completion of his or her preparation program.
5. Specifies that (1) nonperformance of the commitment to teach in a STEM field for four years shall be certified by the department to the administrator of the grant program, and (2) nonperformance of the commitment to earn a preliminary teaching credential in a STEM field shall be certified by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to the administrator of the grant program.
6. Requires the CTC to require the administrator of the grant program to annually report the status and progress of the grant program to the CTC and to submit a final implementation report, within seven years of being selected as the administrator, describing the outcomes and effectiveness of the program.

STAFF COMMENTS

1. Need for the bill. According to the author’s office, "The issues of access, equity, and student achievement in STEM education are statewide concerns that require statewide leadership. As a state, California must make STEM education a priority and invest accordingly. Under current law, public schools in California do not have the resources, staffing, or support to provide our students with the courses critical to receiving a quality STEM education and preparing for succeeding in STEM careers."
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 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 Credentialing (CTC) to contract with a local educational agency 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. Proposed author amendments. The author would like to amend the bill to clarify the requirements for maintaining eligibility for the grant program. If it is the desire of the Committee to pass this bill, staff recommends that the bill be amended, consistent with the author’s intent, by adding the following after paragraph (3) of subdivision (c):

“(4) If a participant teacher candidate, who is the teacher of record, is unable to complete a school year of teaching, that school year may be counted toward the required four completed and consecutive school years if any of the following occur:

(A) The participant has completed at least one-half of the school year.

(B) The employer deems the participant to have fulfilled his or her contract requirements for the school year for the purposes of salary increases, tenure, and retirement.

(C) The participant was not able to teach due to the financial circumstances of the local educational agency, county office of education, or charter school, including a decision to not reelect the employee for the next succeeding school year.

(D) The participant has a condition covered under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 2601 et line 17 seq.) or similar state law.

(E) The participant was called or ordered to active duty status for more than 30 days as a member of a reserve component of The Armed Forces of the United States.”

SUPPORT

Project Lead the Way

Public Advocates

San Francisco Unified School District

OPPOSITION

None received

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ASSEMBLY THIRD READING

ATR Bill Id:

Author:(Thurmond)

As Amended Ver:May 25, 2018

Majority vote

SUMMARY: Establishes the Golden State Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Teacher Grant Program, to be administered by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). Specifically, this bill:

1. Requires the CTC to select a county office of education to administer the program and provide grants of $10,000 to each student enrolled on or after January 1, 2018 in a commission-approved professional preparation program that leads to a preliminary teaching credential, if the student commits to teaching in a STEM field at a school district, county office of education, or charter school for four years after he or she receives the preliminary teaching credential.
2. Prohibits the program administrator from using more than 5 percent of a grant award for program administration costs.
3. Requires the program administrator to provide grant funds of $5,000 to the recipient after he or she completes two years of employment as a STEM teacher, and $5,000 after the recipient completes four years of employment as a STEM teacher, within the obligation period.
4. Requires the grant recipient to teach in a STEM field for four years, which must be completed within five years of completion of a professional preparation program.
5. Requires a grant recipient to do all of the following to maintain eligibility for the grant after the second and fourth years of employment:
   1. Have successfully completed a teacher preparation program approved by the CTC.
   2. Maintain good academic standing while enrolled in the teacher preparation program.
   3. Satisfy the state basic skills proficiency test requirement upon completion of the preparation program.
   4. Complete the required teaching service following completion of his or her preparation program.
6. Requires nonperformance of the commitment to teach in a STEM field for four years to be certified by the California Department of Education to the administrator of the program.
7. Requires nonperformance of the commitment to earn a preliminary teaching credential in a STEM field to be certified by the CTC to the administrator of the grant program.
8. Requires the grant program administrator to annually report the status and progress of the Golden State STEM Teacher Grant Program to the CTC, and to submit a final implementation report, within seven years of being selected as the administrator, that describes the program's outcomes and effectiveness.

FISCAL EFFECT: According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee:

1. $25 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund to the CTC to create the Golden State STEM Teacher Grant Program.
2. Special fund costs of about $150,000 to the CTC annually over the five years of the program to develop and administer the grant.

COMMENTS:

Need for the bill. The author's office states: "The issues of access, equity, and student achievement in STEM education are statewide concerns that require statewide leadership. As a state, California must make STEM education a priority and invest accordingly. Under current law, public schools in California do not have the resources, staffing, or support to provide our students with the courses critical to receiving a quality STEM education and preparing for succeeding in STEM careers."

Student debt and the STEM teacher shortage. This bill creates the Golden State Teacher Grant Program and awards candidates $20,000 for a commitment to teach in a teacher shortage area for four years. This bill asks candidates to commit to teach in the STEM shortage areas.

Multiple reports highlight California's ongoing teacher shortages, which are especially chronic and severe in certain subject areas, including bilingual education, special education, and STEM subjects. According to the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), the pipeline of prepared STEM teachers is shrinking. From 2012-16, the proportion of math and science teachers entering the field on substandard credentials or permits doubled, from 20 to 40%, while the number of STEM teachers entering with full credentials dropped from 3,200 to 2,200.

In addition, the LPI states, "The more debt college students incur, the less likely they are to choose to work in a lower-wage profession. A recent study of students at a highly selective undergraduate institution found that incurring debt increased the odds that students chose "substantially higher- salary jobs" and "reduce[d] the probability that students [chose] low-paid 'public interest' jobs." The influence of debt on job choice was "most notable on the propensity to work in the education industry." In other words, the top-performing students were more likely to pursue a career in education when they did not have significant debt. Other research has found that minority students and students from low-income households perceive student loans as a greater burden than other students with similar student debt and salaries. This research suggests that loan forgiveness and service scholarships may be especially effective for recruiting teacher candidates from low-income and minority backgrounds."

Analysis Prepared by: Naomi Ondrasek / ED. / (916) 319-2087 FN: 0003280

Date of Hearing: May 16, 2018

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2186

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

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

SUMMARY: This bill appropriates $200 million in one-time grants to local education agencies (LEAs) to create a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiative in schools. Specifically, this bill appropriates funding in the 2018-19 school year for encumbrance through the 2022-23 school year for six programs:

1. $50 million to the California Department of Education (CDE) to create the Early STEM Professional Learning Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to LEAs to develop, replicate, or expand evidence-based professional development programs in STEM.
2. $50 million to CDE to apportion funds on a one-time basis to all LEAs, on the basis of average daily attendance, to purchase instructional materials aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards for California Public Schools.
3. $30 million to CDE to create the Computer Science Education for Schools Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to LEAs to integrate computer science education into their academic programs.
4. $25 million to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to create the STEM Local Solution Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to LEAs to implement or expand strategies to address their local need for STEM teachers. Grantees must demonstrate a need for STEM teachers and provide a 100% local match.
5. $25 million to the CTC to create the Golden State STEM Teacher Grant Program. CTC will select a county office of education to administer the program, which would provide grants to each student enrolled in an approved teacher credentialing program who commits to working in a STEM field after completing their credential. The county office administering the program will annually report on the program and, after seven years, submit a final report about program outcomes.
6. $20 million to CDE to create the STEM Education for Rural Schools Grant Program to provide one-time competitive grants to rural LEAs to provide professional learning opportunities in STEM. A grantee is required to submit an outcome report within three years of receiving a grant.

FISCAL EFFECT:

1. $175 million one-time Proposition 98 GF for STEM initiatives.
2. $25 million in local funds (likely Local Control Funding Formula dollars) for LEAs to provide a match for the STEM Local Solution Grants Program.
3. GF costs of about $1 million in the first year of the STEM initiative for CDE to develop and administer three grant programs and apportion funds for material purchases. GF costs of about $800,000 in each of the following four years of the initiative to administer and oversee the programs.
4. Special fund costs of about $300,000 to CTC annually over the five years of the program to develop and administer two grant programs.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. The author’s office states:

The issues of access, equity, and student achievement in STEM education are statewide concerns that require statewide leadership. As a state, California must make STEM education a priority and invest accordingly. Under current law, public schools in California do not have the resources, staffing, or support to provide our students with the courses critical to receiving a quality STEM education and preparing for succeeding in STEM careers.

1. Next Generation Science Standards. In 2010, at the direction of the Legislature, State Board of Education (SBE) adopted the Common Core State Standards as the foundation for what students should know and be able to do in English language arts and math. (Standards outline the expected skill attainment in a subject area for each grade level.) In 2013, California adopted the nationally developed Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). SBE adopted initial guidance on how to teach the new science standards in 2016. Some LEAs currently are field testing the new guidance and implementing the new science standards, with the plan to have all LEAs teach the new standards beginning in the 2018‑19 school year. As a condition of receiving federal education funding, federal law requires states to assess students in science at least once during: (a) grades three through five, (b) grades six through nine, and (c) grades 10 through 12. The state plans to field test the NGSS assessment, the California Science Test, in the 2017‑18 school year, with all LEAs administering the assessment in 2018-19 school year.
2. STEM Teacher Need. Recruiting and retaining teachers in certain subject areas has traditionally been challenging. Areas with the greatest challenges tend to be in bilingual education, special education, and STEM subjects.
3. Discretionary Funding to Schools and Standards Implementation. In addition to the Local Control Funding Formula general purpose dollars LEAs receive on a per-student basis, the state has provided several billion dollars in recent years in discretionary grants to LEAs through the K-12 Mandate Block Grant, with the intent they use the funding for standards implementation, instructional materials, technology, and professional development. Funding is provided on a per-student basis. The governor proposes in 2018-19 to provide $1.8 billion for this purpose, about $300 per student. As in prior years, each LEA’s grant amount will first go outstanding mandate claims, which about one-third of districts have. LEAs without outstanding claims receive the same per-student payments. Both LEAs with and without outstanding claims have received significantly more funding per student in recent years than the block grant would have otherwise provided. For example, in 2017-18, LEAs received $295 per student when the grant otherwise would have provided a maximum of $60 per student.

Schools are encouraged to use these funds for NGSS standards implementation, material purchases, and professional development

1. Proposition 98 General Fund. Proposition 98 establishes a minimum annual funding requirement for schools and community colleges. The annual Proposition 98 “minimum guarantee” is determined by the amount of taxes collected by the state, and other variables. The state establishes the guarantee’s level at the time the annual budget act is signed, but adjusts it throughout the year (and usually into future years) with changes in tax collections and other variables. Because Proposition 98 funding goes to schools and community colleges, funding discussions generally center on how to prioritize funding within the school and community college allotments. (That is, these entities will receive the minimum guarantee regardless of how it is directed.) In fiscal year 2016-17, the Proposition 98 GF guarantee was approximately $71 billion, about 40% of the total General Fund budget.
2. Related Legislation. AB 2609 (O’Donnell), of this Legislative Session, establishes a competitive grant program, to be administered by CDE, to recruit, train, support, and retain STEM scientists with doctoral and master's degrees as K-12 STEM teachers. The bill is currently on this committee’s suspense file.

AB 2547 (McCarty), of this Legislative Session, establishes the California Teacher Corps program, subject to funding in the budget, to provide matching grants to local school districts to create or expand teacher residency programs in which the funds can be used to pay for master teacher stipends, stipends for residents, tuition assistance, and the costs of mentoring and induction. The bill is currently on this committee’s suspense file.

AB 1539 (Hagman), Chapter 876, Statutes of 2014, required the Instructional Quality Commission to consider developing and recommending computer science content standards for grades K-12 to the SBE, on or before July 31, 2019.

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

Date of Hearing: May 16, 2018

ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, Chair

ABPCA Bill Id:AB 2186

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

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

SUMMARY: This bill appropriates $175 million in one-time grants to local education agencies (LEAs) to create a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiative in schools. Specifically, this bill appropriates funding in the 2018-19 school year for encumbrance through the 2022-23 school year for six programs:

1. $50 million to the California Department of Education (CDE) to create the Early STEM Professional Learning Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to LEAs to develop, replicate, or expand evidence-based professional development programs in STEM.
2. $50 million to CDE to apportion funds on a one-time basis to all LEAs, on the basis of average daily attendance, to purchase instructional materials aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards for California Public Schools.
3. $30 million to CDE to create the Computer Science Education for Schools Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to LEAs to integrate computer science education into their academic programs.
4. $25 million to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to create the STEM Local Solution Grants Program to provide one-time competitive grants to LEAs to implement or expand strategies to address their local need for STEM teachers. Grantees must demonstrate a need for STEM teachers and provide a 100% local match.
5. $25 million to the CTC to create the Golden State STEM Teacher Grant Program. CTC will select a county office of education to administer the program, which would provide grants to each student enrolled in an approved teacher credentialing program who commits to working in a STEM field after completing their credential. The county office administering the program will annually report on the program and, after seven years, submit a final report about program outcomes.
6. $20 million to CDE to create the STEM Education for Rural Schools Grant Program to provide one-time competitive grants to rural LEAs to provide professional learning opportunities in STEM. A grantee is required to submit an outcome report within three years of receiving a grant.

FISCAL EFFECT:

1. $175 million one-time Proposition 98 GF for STEM initiatives.
2. $25 million in local funds (likely Local Control Funding Formula dollars) for LEAs to provide a match for the STEM Local Solution Grants Program.
3. GF costs of about $1 million in the first year of the STEM initiative for CDE to develop and administer three grant programs and apportion funds for material purchases. GF costs of about $800,000 in each of the following four years of the initiative to administer and oversee the programs.
4. Special fund costs of about $300,000 to CTC annually over the five years of the program to develop and administer two grant programs.

COMMENTS:

1. Purpose. The author’s office states:

The issues of access, equity, and student achievement in STEM education are statewide concerns that require statewide leadership. As a state, California must make STEM education a priority and invest accordingly. Under current law, public schools in California do not have the resources, staffing, or support to provide our students with the courses critical to receiving a quality STEM education and preparing for succeeding in STEM careers.

1. Next Generation Science Standards. In 2010, at the direction of the Legislature, State Board of Education (SBE) adopted the Common Core State Standards as the foundation for what students should know and be able to do in English language arts and math. (Standards outline the expected skill attainment in a subject area for each grade level.) In 2013, California adopted the nationally developed Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). SBE adopted initial guidance on how to teach the new science standards in 2016. Some LEAs currently are field testing the new guidance and implementing the new science standards, with the plan to have all LEAs teach the new standards beginning in the 2018‑19 school year. As a condition of receiving federal education funding, federal law requires states to assess students in science at least once during: (a) grades three through five, (b) grades six through nine, and (c) grades 10 through 12. The state plans to field test the NGSS assessment, the California Science Test, in the 2017‑18 school year, with all LEAs administering the assessment in 2018-19 school year.
2. STEM Teacher Need. Recruiting and retaining teachers in certain subject areas has traditionally been challenging. Areas with the greatest challenges tend to be in bilingual education, special education, and STEM subjects.
3. Discretionary Funding to Schools and Standards Implementation. In addition to the Local Control Funding Formula general purpose dollars LEAs receive on a per-student basis, the state has provided several billion dollars in recent years in discretionary grants to LEAs through the K-12 Mandate Block Grant, with the intent they use the funding for standards implementation, instructional materials, technology, and professional development. Funding is provided on a per-student basis. The governor proposes in 2018-19 to provide $1.8 billion for this purpose, about $300 per student. As in prior years, each LEA’s grant amount will first go outstanding mandate claims, which about one-third of districts have. LEAs without outstanding claims receive the same per-student payments. Both LEAs with and without outstanding claims have received significantly more funding per student in recent years than the block grant would have otherwise provided. For example, in 2017-18, LEAs received $295 per student when the grant otherwise would have provided a maximum of $60 per student.

Schools are encouraged to use these funds for NGSS standards implementation, material purchases, and professional development

1. Proposition 98 General Fund. Proposition 98 establishes a minimum annual funding requirement for schools and community colleges. The annual Proposition 98 “minimum guarantee” is determined by the amount of taxes collected by the state, and other variables. The state establishes the guarantee’s level at the time the annual budget act is signed, but adjusts it throughout the year (and usually into future years) with changes in tax collections and other variables. Because Proposition 98 funding goes to schools and community colleges, funding discussions generally center on how to prioritize funding within the school and community college allotments. (That is, these entities will receive the minimum guarantee regardless of how it is directed.) In fiscal year 2016-17, the Proposition 98 GF guarantee was approximately $71 billion, about 40% of the total General Fund budget.
2. Related Legislation. AB 2609 (O’Donnell), of this Legislative Session, establishes a competitive grant program, to be administered by CDE, to recruit, train, support, and retain STEM scientists with doctoral and master's degrees as K-12 STEM teachers. The bill is currently on this committee’s suspense file.

AB 2547 (McCarty), of this Legislative Session, establishes the California Teacher Corps program, subject to funding in the budget, to provide matching grants to local school districts to create or expand teacher residency programs in which the funds can be used to pay for master teacher stipends, stipends for residents, tuition assistance, and the costs of mentoring and induction. The bill is currently on this committee’s suspense file.

AB 1539 (Hagman), Chapter 876, Statutes of 2014, required the Instructional Quality Commission to consider developing and recommending computer science content standards for grades K-12 to the SBE, on or before July 31, 2019.

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 2186 (

Author:Thurmond) – As Amended Ver:April 17, 2018

SUBJECT: Education finance: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teacher preparation, recruitment, and professional development: grant programs

SUMMARY: Appropriates $152 million to provide one-time grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to fund the following initiatives: 1) professional learning opportunities in STEM subjects; 2) locally-devised solutions to STEM teacher shortages; 3) high-quality STEM teaching and learning opportunities for pupils living in rural areas; 4) integration of computer science education into academic programs; 5) studies to examine the feasibility of assessing students in science prior to 5^th grade and the amount of instructional time students receive in math and science. Specifically, this bill:

1. Appropriates $152 million to create the following programs:
   1. $50 million to establish the Early STEM Professional Learning Grants Program, to support professional learning opportunities in STEM subjects for TK-8 teachers, principals, and school leaders.
   2. $50 million to establish the STEM Local Solutions Grant Program to establish new, or expand existing, locally-identified solutions that address local STEM teacher shortages.
   3. $20 million to create the STEM Education for Rural Schools Grants Program to support the development of high-quality STEM teaching and learning opportunities for students in rural areas.
   4. $30 million to create the Computer Science Education for Schools Grants Program, to integrate computer science into the K-12 academic program.
   5. $2 million to execute a study that would determine the feasibility of assessing students in science prior to 5^th grade, and a survey to determine the amount of instructional time that all students receive in math and science.

Early STEM Professional Learning Grants Program

1. Appropriates $50 million to the California Department of Education (CDE) to establish the Early STEM Professional Learning Grants Program, for the purpose of enabling LEAs to provide TK-8 teachers, principals, technical support staff, and school leaders with high quality, evidence-based professional development opportunities that would improve STEM pedagogical knowledge, strategies, and leadership.
2. Requires that grants awarded under this program be used to develop, replicate, or expand evidence-based professional development programs that do one or more of the following:
   1. Increase teacher quality and effectiveness.
   2. Improve student learning and achievement.
   3. Expand access to and equity in STEM learning environments.
   4. Build the capacity of STEM teams—including teachers, principals, technical support staff, and schools leaders—within LEAs.
   5. Integrate technology into curriculum and instruction.
   6. Increase scientific, environmental, and digital literacy of students.
   7. Support the use of formative assessments that inform and improve instruction.
   8. Support implementation of state standards in science, math, and visual and performing arts.
   9. Evaluate programmatic impact and outcomes.
   10. Disseminate promising practices.
3. Requires the CDE to:
   1. Administer the Early STEM Professional Learning Grants Program on a competitive basis, in consultation with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).
   2. Allocate grant funding to eligible LEAs, including county offices of education (COEs), school districts, charter schools, and consortias of LEAs.
   3. Adopt criteria that will enable CDE to assess an applicant’s ability to provide professional development services. Requires that criteria include:
      1. A demonstrated commitment to STEM education and professional development.
      2. A demonstrated capability to improve or update the knowledge or skills in STEM pedagogical content, strategies, and leadership for teachers, principals, and other school leaders.
      3. The availability of qualified staff.
      4. The availability of management and support staff who can ensure efficient and effective use of funding.
      5. The capacity to evaluate the professional development program.
   4. Give priority to applicants that demonstrate alignment to state science, math, and visual and performing arts standards in their STEM education programs.
   5. Ensure grant recipients are balanced across geographic, urban, and rural regions.
4. Specifies that grant recipients may partner with community colleges, public or private four-year institutions of higher education, and professional or nonprofit organizations with STEM education expertise.
5. Requires teachers, principals, technical support staff, or school leaders to be deemed eligible for services provided through Early STEM Professional Learning Grants Program if they provide, support, or supervise STEM instruction or curriculum in grades TK-8.
6. Requires grant recipients to report to CDE, on or before January 1, 2024, the number of participants served by their program, the LEAs in which participants were employed, the grade levels taught by participants, and whether participants are still working at least 50 percent of the time in a STEM setting.

STEM Local Solutions Grants Program

1. Appropriates $50 million to the CTC to establish the STEM Local Solutions Grants Program, to provide one-time competitive grants to LEAs—including school districts, COEs, charter schools, and programs operated by a joint powers authority—for the purpose of developing and implementing new, or expanding existing, locally-identified solutions to local shortages in STEM teachers.
2. Requires grants to be up to $20,000 per teacher participant, matched by the LEA on a dollar-for-dollar basis; the latter provision may be waived by the commission if it imposes financial hardship on an LEA.
3. Authorizes funding to be used to support teacher career pathways, signing bonuses, service awards, student debt payment, living stipends, or other solutions that address a local need for STEM teachers.
4. Prohibits grant recipients from using more than 5 percent of an award for administrative costs.
5. Requires the CTC to:
   1. Require grant recipients to demonstrate a local need for STEM teachers.
   2. Give priority to applicants that include an arts education component in their STEM programs.
   3. Determine the number of grants awarded, and the total amount awarded to each applicant.
   4. Require recipients to submit annual status and progress reports, as well as a final implementation report within three years of receiving an award.
   5. Allocate 90 percent of funding to each grant recipient at the time of the initial grant award, and allocate the final 10 percent upon receipt of the final implementation report.

STEM Education for Rural Schools Grants Program

1. Appropriates for the 2018-19 fiscal year $20 million to CDE to establish the STEM Education for Rural Schools Grants Program, to provide one-time competitive grants to rural LEAs—including school districts, COEs, and charter schools—for the purpose of providing professional learning opportunities to teachers, principals, technical support staff, and other school leaders to develop high quality, standards-based STEM teaching and learning opportunities for students.
2. Requires grants to be used to:
   1. Increase the capacity of specified personnel to support standards-based STEM teaching and learning.
   2. Develop and support networks and mentoring opportunities between LEAs.
   3. Provide high quality, evidence-based professional development to specified personnel, to improve standards-based STEM pedagogical content, knowledge, strategies, and leadership.
   4. Support regional teams in the development and implementation of high quality STEM teaching and learning environments.
3. Prohibits grant recipients from using more than 5 percent of their awards for administrative costs.
4. Requires CDE to:
   1. Define “rural” for the purposes of the grant program.
   2. Determine the number of grants awarded and the total amount awarded to each recipient.
   3. Give priority to applicants that demonstrate alignment to state science, math, and visual and performing arts standards in their STEM education programs.
   4. Require recipients to submit a final outcome report to the department within three years of receiving a grant award.

Computer Science Education for Schools Grants Program

1. Appropriates $30 million to the CDE to establish the Computer Science Education for Schools Grants Program, to provide one-time competitive grants to LEAs—including COEs, school districts, charter schools, or a consortia of LEAs—for the purpose of integrating rigorous computer science education into their K-12 academic program.
2. Requires grants to be used to:
   1. Develop and implement a plan that specifies what computer science education is and how the curriculum will be made accessible to all students.
   2. Provide ongoing professional learning opportunities—through teacher stipends, travel reimbursements, coaching, or other means—to increase the capacity of teachers to provide instruction in computer science.
   3. Provide opportunities for pupils to be introduced to computer science in elementary school.
   4. Provide equity-minded computer science courses that are standards-based or prepare students for college and career readiness, in grades 9-12.
   5. Ensure all high schools offer rigorous computer science education.
   6. Promote equity and access to computer science education.
   7. Expand community support for computer science education by developing partnerships with local organizations, business and industry, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education.
   8. Identify public or private partners that will provide technical support.
3. Requires CDE to give priority to applicants that include an arts educational component in their computer science education.
4. Encourages grant recipients to partner with institutions of higher education and professional or nonprofit organizations for the purpose of building a sustainable K-16 pipeline.
5. Authorizes use of funds to provide LEAs with broadband connectivity and infrastructure and access to hardware and software.
6. Requires the grant to support, and not supplant the efforts of the computer science strategic implementation advisory panel.

Surveying STEM Instructional Time and Studying the Feasibility of a Pre-Grade 5 Science Assessment

1. Appropriates $2 million to evaluate the feasibility of assessing pupils in science prior to grade 5, and to survey a representative sample of LEAs to determine how much instructional time pupils receive in math and science during the school year.
2. Requires the feasibility study to review:
   1. The impact of increased instructional time in science on future academic performance.
   2. Performance tasks for individual students and the utility of those tasks for measuring school and district-level performance in science.
   3. Adaptive assessments in science.
3. Requires the survey to include information about the qualifications of the teacher and a description of the math and science instruction provided to students.
4. Requires the CDE to complete the study and survey on or before January 1, 2020 and to submit the report to the Legislature and Director of the Department of Finance.

EXISTING LAW:

1. Requires the Instructional Quality Commission (IQC) to consider developing and recommending computer science content standards to the SBE on or before July 31, 2019 (EC 60605.4).
2. Required the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt science content standards that would replace the previous science standards on or before November 30, 2013 (EC 60605.85).
3. Authorizes the CTC to issue intern credentials as an alternate route to earning a teaching credential. This credential is valid for a period of two years and authorizes the holder to teach in a self-contained classroom while completing their teacher preparation course work. Approved intern programs are sponsored by colleges, universities, school districts, or county offices of education. To qualify, an individual must possess a bachelor’s degree, satisfy the basic skills requirements, meet subject matter competence, and obtain character and identification clearance. University intern programs are cooperative teaching, counseling, school psychology, and administrative programs between a university and an employing school district that are administered by the university. District intern programs are for teachers only and are administered by employing school districts whose programs may or may not involve university course work. Completion of an intern program results in the issuance of a preliminary or clear credential (EC 44325, et seq.).

FISCAL EFFECT: The Office of Legislative Counsel has keyed this bill as a state mandated local program.

COMMENTS:

Need for the bill. The author’s office states: “The issues of access, equity, and student achievement in STEM education are statewide concerns that require statewide leadership. As a state, California must make STEM education a priority and invest accordingly. Under current law, public schools in California do not have the resources, staffing, or support to provide our students with the courses critical to receiving a quality STEM education and preparing for succeeding in STEM careers.”

Limited access to STEM education in grades K-12. A 2016 review of STEM education studies conducted by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences shows that access to advanced math and science courses in high school is a strong predictor for success in post-secondary STEM courses. This finding holds true for both male and female students, and across all ethnicities examined. However, certain populations, including Hispanic and African American students, take fewer high-level high school math and science courses, even though their interest levels in STEM subjects match those of their white peers.

A 2017 report by Ed Trust West shows that many of California’s high school students do not have access to advanced STEM coursework, and that inequities in access are particularly problematic for certain populations of students, including English Learners (EL). The authors state, “In California, only 58 percent of high schools…offer chemistry, 51 percent offer physics, and 7 percent offer math courses title advanced. Only 11 percent of ELs attend schools that offer the “advanced” math courses, and ELs are less likely than their non-EL peers to be enrolled in these courses when available.” Ed Trust West further states that giving EL students access to high quality STEM coursework is beneficial, not only for advancing their STEM knowledge, but for advancing development of their language skills.

Limited access to STEM education is of concern not only at the high school level, but in elementary grades as well. In 2011, WestEd, the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley, and SRI International issued a report on elementary STEM education in California. Among their key findings: 40 percent of K-5 teachers report that their students receive 60 minutes or less of science instruction per week, less than 15 percent have received any science-related professional development in the previous three years, and only a third of elementary school teachers feel very prepared to teach science. In addition, the authors found that racial inequities in STEM knowledge are already apparent in elementary school: in 2009, the state’s fourth graders performed at the lowest level nationally on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) science test, and fewer than 10 percent of African American and Hispanic fourth graders scored proficient, compared to 41 and 45 percent of their white and Asian peers, respectively. Altogether, these findings led the authors to conclude that “children rarely encounter high-quality science learning opportunities in California elementary schools because the conditions that would support them are rarely in place.”

The above reports raise the question of whether today’s K-12 students are being adequately and equitably prepared to take full advantage of emerging opportunities in STEM professions. In 2012, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology stated that the United States will need 1 million more STEM professionals than the country will produce at the current rate over the next decade, if the country is to maintain its status as a global leader in science and technology.

California’s STEM teacher shortage. Multiple reports highlight California’s ongoing teacher shortages, which are especially chronic and severe in certain subject areas, including bilingual education, special education, and STEM subjects. In a 2016 report (entitled Addressing California’s Emerging Teacher Shortage: An Analysis of Sources and Solutions), the Learning Policy Institute (LPI) summarizes the problem: “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.” LPI also reports 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—intended to help districts hire teachers on an emergency basis, when fully-prepared, credentialed candidates are unavailable—nearly tripled relative to the number issued two years previous, 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 teacher education programs at the University of California (UC) and California State University increased by only about 3.8 percent.
  5. The pipeline of prepared STEM teachers is shrinking. From 2012-16, the proportion of math and science teachers entering the field on substandard credentials or permits doubled, from 20 to 40 percent, while the number of STEM teachers entering with full credentials dropped from 3,200 to 2,200.

Local Solutions Grants. This bill addresses the STEM teacher shortage by mirroring the local solutions grant proposed in the Governor’s budget this year. The bill appropriates $50 million for local education agencies (LEAs) to recruit, develop, and retain STEM teachers using the following methods, including, but not limited to, teacher career pathways, signing bonuses, service awards, student debt payment, living stipends, or other transformational solutions that address a local need for STEM teachers.  This proposal focuses on both recruitment and retention in the same grant program. While LEAs can easily operate programs to provide signing bonuses and stipends to teachers, it is unclear whether an LEA could operate a service award (teacher scholarship) or student debt payment program. Typically, teacher scholarship grant programs in other states operate through a single statewide grant agency, and teacher candidates across the state apply through that agency. Once they receive a scholarship and complete their preparation, the teacher can work anywhere in the state to fulfill their service commitment. The Committee may wish to consider whether it is appropriate for a school district to select a first-year teacher preparation candidate, award them a scholarship, commit to hire them in two years when they complete their preparation, and then have the teacher commit to work for that district for four years. The Committee may wish to consider whether it’s more appropriate to have a single statewide agency administer the teacher scholarship grant program, so that teachers can then work anywhere in the state.

According to the Learning Policy Institute, "The more debt college students incur, the less likely they are to choose to work in a lower-wage profession. A recent study of students at a highly selective undergraduate institution found that incurring debt increased the odds that students chose “substantially higher-salary jobs” and “reduce[d] the probability that students [chose] low-paid ‘public interest’ jobs.” The influence of debt on job choice was “most notable on the propensity to work in the education industry.”  In other words, the top-performing students were more likely to pursue a career in education when they did not have a large debt. Other research has found that minority students and students from low-income households perceive student loans as a greater burden than other students with similar student debt earning similar salaries. This research suggests that loan forgiveness and service scholarships may be especially effective for recruiting teacher candidates from low-income and minority backgrounds."

Roll-out of new science standards in 2018. In 2013, the SBE adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as California’s content standards in science, with some modifications of the national model. In contrast to California’s previous science standards, NGSS shifts focus from having students memorize scientific information to teaching students how to think critically about core scientific ideas, how to connect key concepts across disciplines, and how to implement processes used by practicing scientists. In 2017, CDE, the California Science Teachers Association (CSTA), COEs, and several other organizations began offering multiple two-day symposia to help teachers and administrators understand the new standards and develop plans for implementation in their schools. Although SBE will not finalize adoption of NGSS-aligned instructional materials until November 2018, CSTA reports that some school districts are already implementing NGSS using materials that they have developed themselves.

According to CSTA, the focus of NGSS on hands-on, discovery-based learning through experimentation necessitates access to a wide variety of instructional materials, including materials that will allow students to learn about natural phenomena by constructing models, as well as computer software to support data analysis and computational thinking. Teacher interviews conducted by EdSource highlight the challenges of implementing NGSS due to the cost of instructional materials. In the article, a science education professor from San Jose State University states, “You don’t need a $3,000 piece of fancy equipment to teach Next Generation Science Standards, but you do need the basics. You need a working Wi-Fi connection. You need beakers. You need measuring equipment. You want your students to participate in real science, like real scientists do, and that costs money.” Because this bill is designed to address multiple funding challenges within STEM education, the Committee may wish to consider whether this bill should also include a grant program to help school districts purchase NGSS-aligned instructional materials that will be adopted by the SBE in November 2018.

NGSS-aligned assessments are undergoing field tests. This bill appropriates funds to study the feasibility of assessing students in science before grade 5. According to CDE, the new California Science Test (CAST) will undergo field testing between April and July 2018 and become fully operational between January and July 2019. The CAST “measures what students know and can do using the California NGSS” and will be given in grades 5 and 8, and once during high school. The Committee may wish to consider whether it would be prudent to postpone consideration of a pre-5^th grade assessment, given that the state is still in the process of testing its 5^th grade, 8^th grade, and high school NGSS-aligned assessments.

New computer science standards are being developed. In 2014, Governor Brown signed AB 1539 into law, which required the IQC to consider developing and recommending computer science content standards for grades K-12 to the SBE. Between July 2017 and January 2018, a Standards Advisory Committee was appointed and developed guidance for the new standards. A public review period for the first draft of the computer science standards is scheduled to occur between April and June 2018, and SBE is expected to take action on IQC’s recommended computer science standards in September 2018.

Recommended amendments. Staff recommends the following amendments:

1. Remove the requirement for a study that would determine the feasibility of a science assessment before grade 5.
2. Remove the requirement for a survey that would examine instructional time in math and science. Information that is currently available, some of which is summarized in this analysis, already demonstrates key issues in STEM education in California, including inadequate and inequitable access to STEM instruction across grade levels, geographic regions, and ethnic groups.
3. Add a $50 million grant program that would assist school districts with purchasing state-adopted, NGSS-aligned instructional materials.
4. Separate the local solutions grant into two grant programs. One grant program of $25 million focused on retention of STEM teachers using teacher career pathways, signing bonuses, living stipends, or other transformational solutions. And one grant program of $25 million, administered by a single county office of education, focused on recruitment of new STEM teachers using teacher scholarships.

Related legislation. AB 2609 (O’Donnell) of this Session, which is pending before this Committee, establishes a competitive grant program, to be administered by CDE, for the purposes of recruiting, training, supporting, and retaining STEM scientists with doctoral and master's degrees as K-12 STEM teachers.

AB 2547 (McCarty) of this Session establishes the California Teacher Corps program, subject to funding in the budget, to provide matching grants to local school districts to create or expand teacher residency programs in which the funds can be used to pay for master teacher stipends, stipends for residents, tuition assistance, and the costs of mentoring and induction.

AB 169 (O’Donnell) of this Session establishes the Golden State Teacher Grant Program to provide one-time grant funds of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) to each student enrolled on or after January 1, 2018, in a professional preparation program leading to a preliminary teaching credential, if the student commits to working in a high-need field for four years after he or she receives a teaching credential. The bill targets teacher shortages in the following areas: bilingual education, mathematics, science, STEM, and special education.

Prior legislation. SB 436 (Allen) would have established the California STEM Professional Teaching Pathway to recruit, train, support, and retain qualified science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals, including military veterans, as mathematics and science teachers in California. The bill also included an unspecified and ongoing appropriation, beginning in 2017-18, for allocation to the California Center on Teaching Careers (Cal-Teach) to support the purposes of the bill. This bill was held by the author prior to hearing by this Committee.

AB 1539 (Hagman), Chapter 876, Statutes of 2014 required the IQC to consider developing and recommending computer science content standards for grades K-12 to the SBE, on or before July 31, 2019.

REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:

Support

The California STEM Network (sponsor)

American Association of University Women of California

California Educational Technology Professionals Association

California Science Teachers Association

Code.org

Common Sense Kids Action

Level Playing Field Institute

Kapoor Center for Social Impact

Make Knowledge

Microsoft

Project Lead the Way

San Francisco Unified School District

San Joaquin County Office of Education

Silicon Valley Leadership Group

The Tech Museum of Innovation

Opposition

None on file.

Analysis Prepared by: Naomi Ondrasek / ED. / (916) 319-2087