AB 2473

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law establishes the English Language Learner Acquisition and Development Pilot Program, under the administration of the State Department of Education, as a 3-year competitive grant pilot project of 25,000 or more English language learners to be conducted during the 2007–08 to 2009–10, inclusive, school years. Under the program, grants are made to local educational agencies, as defined, to identify existing best practices regarding topics including, but not limited to, curriculum, instruction, and staff development for teaching English language learners and promoting English language acquisition and development. The program requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a 13-to-20 member advisory committee, with specified responsibilities. This bill would repeal the statutes that establish the program. (2) Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the commission to issue only teaching and service credentials, with specified authorizations. Existing law provides authorization to the holder of a multiple subject or single subject teaching credential who has completed certain coursework at an institution of higher education in another commonly taught subject than the one for which they are currently certificated for, to teach that subject, as provided. Existing law requires, as a minimum requirement for a preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential, verification of subject matter competence that is demonstrated through any one of a list of specified methods. This bill would also provide authorization to the holder of a multiple or single subject teaching credential who has met subject matter competence, demonstrated through one of those methods referenced above, in another commonly taught subject than the one for which they are currently credentialed for, without taking the above-described coursework, to teach that subject, as provided. (3) Existing law requires the commission to issue a preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential to an out-of-state teacher who satisfies specified requirements, including having earned a valid corresponding elementary, secondary, or special education authorization based upon the out-of-state teacher preparation program. If an out-of-state teaching credential authorizes the credentialholder to teach a commonly taught subject, in addition to the credentialholder having earned a valid corresponding teaching authorization based upon the out-of-state teacher preparation program, this bill would require the commission to issue a preliminary multiple subject or single subject teaching credential along with an authorization to teach that commonly taught subject, as provided. (4) Existing law requires the commission to submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice of all noncertificated candidates seeking an Activity Supervisor Clearance to assume a paid or volunteer position in a pupil activity program, for the purposes of obtaining information on the existence and content of a record of state or federal convictions and arrests, as provided. This bill would require the commission to submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice of specified commission-related individuals, including employees, prospective employees, and contractors, as provided. The bill would require the Department of Justice to provide a state- or federal-level response to the commission, as provided. (5) Existing law requires local educational agencies to exempt a newcomer pupil, as defined, and who is in their 3rd or 4th year of high school from all coursework and other requirements adopted by the governing body of the local educational agency that are in addition to the statewide coursework requirements necessary to receive a diploma of graduation from high school, unless the local educational agency makes a finding that the pupil is reasonably able to complete the local educational agency's graduation requirements in time to graduate from high school by the end of the pupil's 4th year of high school. Existing law requires local educational agencies to comply with other procedures in relation to newcomer pupils, including, among other things, pupil consultation and notice requirements. Existing law requires local educational agencies to issue, and new local educational agencies to accept, full or partial credit for all full or partial coursework satisfactorily completed by a newcomer pupil while attending a public school, a juvenile court school, a charter school, a school in a country other than the United States, or a nonpublic, nonsectarian school, as provided. This bill would require local educational agencies to comply with the above-described coursework exemptions, pupil consultation and notice requirements, acceptance of coursework completed at other schools, and other requirements for pupils participating in a newcomer program, as defined, who were enrolled before January 1, 2024, and would authorize local educational agencies to extend these provisions to other pupils participating in a newcomer program, as specified. By imposing new duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (6) 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. (7) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.