44390. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that over the next
five years, as many as 50 percent of the classroom teachers in many
urban school districts with large percentages of minority pupils will
be eligible for retirement. The Legislature further finds and
declares that in many school districts there are a number of
classified employees, particularly minority group members, who are
enrolled in, who have been enrolled in, or who would be interested in
enrolling in, a teacher training program leading to a teaching
credential if they were provided assistance in applying for admission
and financial aid for that purpose.
The Legislature also finds and declares that educational
paraprofessionals who serve pupils in the public schools provide
valuable instructional services to public school pupils. A program to
enhance instructional competencies and to prepare school
paraprofessionals to become teachers would result in improved
services in terms of their role in the instructional program in the
classroom.
44391. This article shall be known and may be cited as the
Wildman-Keeley-Solis Exemplary Teacher Training Act of 1997.
44392. For the purposes of this article, unless the context clearly
requires otherwise, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
(a) "Applicant" means a school district or county office of
education applying for program funds under the California School
Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program established pursuant to
Section 44393.
(b) "Institutions of higher education" means the California
Community Colleges, the California State University, the University
of California, and private institutions of higher education that
offer an accredited teacher training program.
(c) "Participant" means a school paraprofessional who elects to
participate in the California School Paraprofessional Teacher
Training Program.
(d) "Program" means the California School Paraprofessional Teacher
Training Program established pursuant to Section 44393.
(e) "School paraprofessional" means the following job
classifications: educational aide, instructional aide, special
education aide, special education assistant, teacher associate,
teacher assistant, teacher aide, pupil service aide, library aide,
child development aide, child development assistant, and physical
education aide.
(f) "Teacher training program" means an undergraduate or graduate
program of instruction conducted by a campus of an institution of
higher education that includes a developmentally sequenced career
ladder to provide instruction, coursework, and clearly defined tasks
for each level of the ladder, and that is designed to qualify
students enrolled in the program for a teaching credential
authorizing instruction in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12,
inclusive.
44393. (a) The California School Paraprofessional Teacher Training
Program is hereby established for the purpose of recruiting school
paraprofessionals to participate in a program designed to encourage
them to enroll in teacher training programs and to provide
instructional service as teachers in the public schools.
(b) The commission, in consultation with the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges, the Chancellor of the California State
University, the President of the University of California, the
chancellors of private institutions of higher education that offer
accredited teacher training programs, and representatives of
certificated and classified employee organizations, shall select 24
or more school districts or county offices of education representing
rural, urban, and suburban areas that apply to participate in the
program. The commission shall ensure that, at a minimum, a total of
600 school paraprofessionals are recruited from among the 24 or more
participating school districts or county offices of education. The
criteria adopted by the commission for the selection of school
districts or county offices of education to participate in the
program shall include all of the following:
(1) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the capacity
and willingness to accommodate the participation of school
paraprofessionals in teacher training programs conducted at
institutions of higher education.
(2) The extent to which the applicant's plan for the
implementation of its recruitment program involves the active
participation of one or more local campuses of the participating
institutions of higher education in the development of coursework and
teaching programs for participating school paraprofessionals. Each
selected applicant shall be required to enter into a written
articulation agreement with the participating campuses of the
institutions of higher education.
(3) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet the demand for bilingual-crosscultural teachers.
(4) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet the demand for multiple subject credentialed
teachers interested in teaching kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 3,
inclusive. For purposes of this paragraph, each paraprofessional
selected to participate shall have completed at least two years of
undergraduate college or university coursework and shall have
demonstrated an interest in obtaining a multiple subject teaching
credential for teaching kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 3,
inclusive.
(5) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet the demand for special education teachers.
(6) The extent to which a developmentally sequenced series of job
descriptions leads from an entry-level school paraprofessional
position to an entry-level teaching position in that school district
or county office of education.
(7) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet its own specific teacher needs.
(8) The extent to which the applicant's plan for implementation of
its recruitment program involves participation in a district
internship program pursuant to Article 7.5 (commencing with Section
44325) and Section 44830.3 or a university internship program
pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 44450) of Chapter 3.
(c) An applicant that is selected to participate pursuant to
subdivision (b) shall provide information and assistance to each
school paraprofessional it recruits under the program regarding
admission to a teacher training program.
(d) (1) The applicant shall recruit and organize groups, or
"cohorts," of participants, of no more than 30, and no less than 10,
in each cohort. Cohorts shall be organized to consist of participants
having approximately equal academic experience and qualifications,
as determined by the school district or county office of education.
To the extent possible, the members of each cohort shall proceed
through the same subject matter and credential programs. The members
of each cohort shall enroll in the same college or university and
shall be provided appropriate support and information throughout the
course of their studies by the applicant.
(2) An applicant shall require participants to satisfy all of the
following requirements prior to participating in the program:
(A) For the purpose of obtaining current criminal history
information from the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, obtain a certificate of clearance from the commission
pursuant to Sections 44339 to 44341, inclusive, and related
regulations adopted by the commission.
(B) Provide verification of one of the following:
(i) Has earned an associate or higher level degree.
(ii) Has completed at least two years of study at a postsecondary
educational institution.
(iii) Has received a passing score on a formal academic assessment
that demonstrates knowledge of, and the ability to assist in the
instruction of, reading, writing, and mathematics. The formal
academic assessment shall be based upon a job analysis for validity
purposes and shall be made readily available to examinees.
(3) An applicant shall certify that it has received a commitment
from each participant that he or she will accomplish all of the
following:
(A) Graduate from an institution of higher education under the
program with a bachelor's degree.
(B) Complete all of the requirements for and obtain a multiple
subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential.
(C) Complete one school year of classroom instruction in the
district or county office of education for each year that he or she
receives assistance for books, fees, and tuition while attending an
institution of higher education under the program.
(4) To the extent that a participant does not fulfill his or her
obligations, as set forth in paragraph (3), the participant shall be
required to repay the assistance. If a participant is laid off, the
participant may not be required to repay the assistance until the
participant is offered reemployment and has an opportunity to fulfill
his or her obligations under this section.
(5) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (4), if a
participant is unable to fulfill his or her obligations pursuant to
paragraph (3) due to a serious illness, a pregnancy, or another
natural cause, the time period for repayment of the assistance shall
be extended by a maximum period of one year.
(6) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (4), if an
interruption in employment caused by a natural disaster prevents a
participant from completing one of the required years of service, the
time period for repayment of the assistance shall be extended by a
period equal to the period between the date the interruption of
employment begins and the date employment resumes.
(e) The commission shall contract with an independent evaluator
with a proven record of experience in assessing career-advancement
programs or teacher training programs to conduct an evaluation to
determine the success of the recruitment programs established
pursuant to subdivision (b). The evaluation shall be conducted once
every five years and shall incorporate data annually collected by the
commission and reported to the Legislature. The commission shall
complete the evaluation with existing resources. By January 1 of each
year in which an evaluation is conducted pursuant to this
subdivision, commencing with January 1, 2009, the commission shall
submit the completed evaluation to the Governor and the education
policy and fiscal committees of the Assembly and Senate. The
evaluation shall include, but is not limited to, all of the
following:
(1) The total cost per person participating in the program who
successfully obtains a teaching credential, based upon all state,
local, federal, and other sources of funding.
(2) The economic status of persons participating in the program.
(3) A description of financial and other resources made available
to each recruitment program by participating school districts or
county offices of education, institutions of higher education, and
other participating organizations.
(4) The extent to which pupil performance on standardized
achievement tests has improved in classes taught by teachers who have
successfully completed the program, in comparison to classes taught
by other teachers who have equivalent teaching experience.
(5) The extent to which pupil dropout rates and other measures of
delinquency have improved in classes taught by teachers who have
successfully completed the program.
(6) The extent to which teachers who have successfully completed
the program remain in the communities in which they reside and in
which they teach.
(7) The attrition rate of teachers who have successfully completed
the program.
(f) Each selected school district or county office of education
shall report to the commission regarding the progress of each cohort
of school paraprofessionals, and other information regarding its
recruitment program as the commission may direct.
(g) No later than January 1 of each year, the commission shall
report to the Legislature regarding the status of the program,
including, but not limited to, the number of school paraprofessionals
recruited, the academic progress of the school paraprofessionals
recruited, the number of school paraprofessionals recruited who are
subsequently employed as teachers in the public schools, the degree
to which the program meets the demand for bilingual and special
education teachers as well as meeting teacher needs in shortage areas
as determined by the school district or county office of education,
the degree to which the program or similar programs can meet that
demand if properly funded and executed, and other effects upon the
operation of the public schools.
(h) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that each fiscal year,
funding for the California School Paraprofessional Teacher Training
Program be allocated to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for
grants to applicants pursuant to this section. A grant to an
applicant shall not exceed three thousand five hundred dollars
($3,500) per participant per year. Funding for grants to applicants
pursuant to this subdivision shall be contingent upon an
appropriation in the annual Budget Act.
(2) The commission shall report to the Department of Finance by
March 31 of each year the amount of funds collected by school
districts and county offices of education as repayment of assistance
pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) and the amount of funds
that remain unspent from the funds appropriated to the commission in
the annual Budget Act for purposes of the program.
44390. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that over the next
five years, as many as 50 percent of the classroom teachers in many
urban school districts with large percentages of minority pupils will
be eligible for retirement. The Legislature further finds and
declares that in many school districts there are a number of
classified employees, particularly minority group members, who are
enrolled in, who have been enrolled in, or who would be interested in
enrolling in, a teacher training program leading to a teaching
credential if they were provided assistance in applying for admission
and financial aid for that purpose.
The Legislature also finds and declares that educational
paraprofessionals who serve pupils in the public schools provide
valuable instructional services to public school pupils. A program to
enhance instructional competencies and to prepare school
paraprofessionals to become teachers would result in improved
services in terms of their role in the instructional program in the
classroom.
44391. This article shall be known and may be cited as the
Wildman-Keeley-Solis Exemplary Teacher Training Act of 1997.
44392. For the purposes of this article, unless the context clearly
requires otherwise, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
(a) "Applicant" means a school district or county office of
education applying for program funds under the California School
Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program established pursuant to
Section 44393.
(b) "Institutions of higher education" means the California
Community Colleges, the California State University, the University
of California, and private institutions of higher education that
offer an accredited teacher training program.
(c) "Participant" means a school paraprofessional who elects to
participate in the California School Paraprofessional Teacher
Training Program.
(d) "Program" means the California School Paraprofessional Teacher
Training Program established pursuant to Section 44393.
(e) "School paraprofessional" means the following job
classifications: educational aide, instructional aide, special
education aide, special education assistant, teacher associate,
teacher assistant, teacher aide, pupil service aide, library aide,
child development aide, child development assistant, and physical
education aide.
(f) "Teacher training program" means an undergraduate or graduate
program of instruction conducted by a campus of an institution of
higher education that includes a developmentally sequenced career
ladder to provide instruction, coursework, and clearly defined tasks
for each level of the ladder, and that is designed to qualify
students enrolled in the program for a teaching credential
authorizing instruction in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12,
inclusive.
44393. (a) The California School Paraprofessional Teacher Training
Program is hereby established for the purpose of recruiting school
paraprofessionals to participate in a program designed to encourage
them to enroll in teacher training programs and to provide
instructional service as teachers in the public schools.
(b) The commission, in consultation with the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges, the Chancellor of the California State
University, the President of the University of California, the
chancellors of private institutions of higher education that offer
accredited teacher training programs, and representatives of
certificated and classified employee organizations, shall select 24
or more school districts or county offices of education representing
rural, urban, and suburban areas that apply to participate in the
program. The commission shall ensure that, at a minimum, a total of
600 school paraprofessionals are recruited from among the 24 or more
participating school districts or county offices of education. The
criteria adopted by the commission for the selection of school
districts or county offices of education to participate in the
program shall include all of the following:
(1) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the capacity
and willingness to accommodate the participation of school
paraprofessionals in teacher training programs conducted at
institutions of higher education.
(2) The extent to which the applicant's plan for the
implementation of its recruitment program involves the active
participation of one or more local campuses of the participating
institutions of higher education in the development of coursework and
teaching programs for participating school paraprofessionals. Each
selected applicant shall be required to enter into a written
articulation agreement with the participating campuses of the
institutions of higher education.
(3) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet the demand for bilingual-crosscultural teachers.
(4) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet the demand for multiple subject credentialed
teachers interested in teaching kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 3,
inclusive. For purposes of this paragraph, each paraprofessional
selected to participate shall have completed at least two years of
undergraduate college or university coursework and shall have
demonstrated an interest in obtaining a multiple subject teaching
credential for teaching kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 3,
inclusive.
(5) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet the demand for special education teachers.
(6) The extent to which a developmentally sequenced series of job
descriptions leads from an entry-level school paraprofessional
position to an entry-level teaching position in that school district
or county office of education.
(7) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet its own specific teacher needs.
(8) The extent to which the applicant's plan for implementation of
its recruitment program involves participation in a district
internship program pursuant to Article 7.5 (commencing with Section
44325) and Section 44830.3 or a university internship program
pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 44450) of Chapter 3.
(c) An applicant that is selected to participate pursuant to
subdivision (b) shall provide information and assistance to each
school paraprofessional it recruits under the program regarding
admission to a teacher training program.
(d) (1) The applicant shall recruit and organize groups, or
"cohorts," of participants, of no more than 30, and no less than 10,
in each cohort. Cohorts shall be organized to consist of participants
having approximately equal academic experience and qualifications,
as determined by the school district or county office of education.
To the extent possible, the members of each cohort shall proceed
through the same subject matter and credential programs. The members
of each cohort shall enroll in the same college or university and
shall be provided appropriate support and information throughout the
course of their studies by the applicant.
(2) An applicant shall require participants to satisfy all of the
following requirements prior to participating in the program:
(A) For the purpose of obtaining current criminal history
information from the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, obtain a certificate of clearance from the commission
pursuant to Sections 44339 to 44341, inclusive, and related
regulations adopted by the commission.
(B) Provide verification of one of the following:
(i) Has earned an associate or higher level degree.
(ii) Has completed at least two years of study at a postsecondary
educational institution.
(iii) Has received a passing score on a formal academic assessment
that demonstrates knowledge of, and the ability to assist in the
instruction of, reading, writing, and mathematics. The formal
academic assessment shall be based upon a job analysis for validity
purposes and shall be made readily available to examinees.
(3) An applicant shall certify that it has received a commitment
from each participant that he or she will accomplish all of the
following:
(A) Graduate from an institution of higher education under the
program with a bachelor's degree.
(B) Complete all of the requirements for and obtain a multiple
subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential.
(C) Complete one school year of classroom instruction in the
district or county office of education for each year that he or she
receives assistance for books, fees, and tuition while attending an
institution of higher education under the program.
(4) To the extent that a participant does not fulfill his or her
obligations, as set forth in paragraph (3), the participant shall be
required to repay the assistance. If a participant is laid off, the
participant may not be required to repay the assistance until the
participant is offered reemployment and has an opportunity to fulfill
his or her obligations under this section.
(5) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (4), if a
participant is unable to fulfill his or her obligations pursuant to
paragraph (3) due to a serious illness, a pregnancy, or another
natural cause, the time period for repayment of the assistance shall
be extended by a maximum period of one year.
(6) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (4), if an
interruption in employment caused by a natural disaster prevents a
participant from completing one of the required years of service, the
time period for repayment of the assistance shall be extended by a
period equal to the period between the date the interruption of
employment begins and the date employment resumes.
(e) The commission shall contract with an independent evaluator
with a proven record of experience in assessing career-advancement
programs or teacher training programs to conduct an evaluation to
determine the success of the recruitment programs established
pursuant to subdivision (b). The evaluation shall be conducted once
every five years and shall incorporate data annually collected by the
commission and reported to the Legislature. The commission shall
complete the evaluation with existing resources. By January 1 of each
year in which an evaluation is conducted pursuant to this
subdivision, commencing with January 1, 2009, the commission shall
submit the completed evaluation to the Governor and the education
policy and fiscal committees of the Assembly and Senate. The
evaluation shall include, but is not limited to, all of the
following:
(1) The total cost per person participating in the program who
successfully obtains a teaching credential, based upon all state,
local, federal, and other sources of funding.
(2) The economic status of persons participating in the program.
(3) A description of financial and other resources made available
to each recruitment program by participating school districts or
county offices of education, institutions of higher education, and
other participating organizations.
(4) The extent to which pupil performance on standardized
achievement tests has improved in classes taught by teachers who have
successfully completed the program, in comparison to classes taught
by other teachers who have equivalent teaching experience.
(5) The extent to which pupil dropout rates and other measures of
delinquency have improved in classes taught by teachers who have
successfully completed the program.
(6) The extent to which teachers who have successfully completed
the program remain in the communities in which they reside and in
which they teach.
(7) The attrition rate of teachers who have successfully completed
the program.
(f) Each selected school district or county office of education
shall report to the commission regarding the progress of each cohort
of school paraprofessionals, and other information regarding its
recruitment program as the commission may direct.
(g) No later than January 1 of each year, the commission shall
report to the Legislature regarding the status of the program,
including, but not limited to, the number of school paraprofessionals
recruited, the academic progress of the school paraprofessionals
recruited, the number of school paraprofessionals recruited who are
subsequently employed as teachers in the public schools, the degree
to which the program meets the demand for bilingual and special
education teachers as well as meeting teacher needs in shortage areas
as determined by the school district or county office of education,
the degree to which the program or similar programs can meet that
demand if properly funded and executed, and other effects upon the
operation of the public schools.
(h) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that each fiscal year,
funding for the California School Paraprofessional Teacher Training
Program be allocated to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for
grants to applicants pursuant to this section. A grant to an
applicant shall not exceed three thousand five hundred dollars
($3,500) per participant per year. Funding for grants to applicants
pursuant to this subdivision shall be contingent upon an
appropriation in the annual Budget Act.
(2) The commission shall report to the Department of Finance by
March 31 of each year the amount of funds collected by school
districts and county offices of education as repayment of assistance
pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) and the amount of funds
that remain unspent from the funds appropriated to the commission in
the annual Budget Act for purposes of the program.
44390. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that over the next
five years, as many as 50 percent of the classroom teachers in many
urban school districts with large percentages of minority pupils will
be eligible for retirement. The Legislature further finds and
declares that in many school districts there are a number of
classified employees, particularly minority group members, who are
enrolled in, who have been enrolled in, or who would be interested in
enrolling in, a teacher training program leading to a teaching
credential if they were provided assistance in applying for admission
and financial aid for that purpose.
The Legislature also finds and declares that educational
paraprofessionals who serve pupils in the public schools provide
valuable instructional services to public school pupils. A program to
enhance instructional competencies and to prepare school
paraprofessionals to become teachers would result in improved
services in terms of their role in the instructional program in the
classroom.
44391. This article shall be known and may be cited as the
Wildman-Keeley-Solis Exemplary Teacher Training Act of 1997.
44392. For the purposes of this article, unless the context clearly
requires otherwise, the following terms shall have the following
meanings:
(a) "Applicant" means a school district or county office of
education applying for program funds under the California School
Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program established pursuant to
Section 44393.
(b) "Institutions of higher education" means the California
Community Colleges, the California State University, the University
of California, and private institutions of higher education that
offer an accredited teacher training program.
(c) "Participant" means a school paraprofessional who elects to
participate in the California School Paraprofessional Teacher
Training Program.
(d) "Program" means the California School Paraprofessional Teacher
Training Program established pursuant to Section 44393.
(e) "School paraprofessional" means the following job
classifications: educational aide, instructional aide, special
education aide, special education assistant, teacher associate,
teacher assistant, teacher aide, pupil service aide, library aide,
child development aide, child development assistant, and physical
education aide.
(f) "Teacher training program" means an undergraduate or graduate
program of instruction conducted by a campus of an institution of
higher education that includes a developmentally sequenced career
ladder to provide instruction, coursework, and clearly defined tasks
for each level of the ladder, and that is designed to qualify
students enrolled in the program for a teaching credential
authorizing instruction in kindergarten and grades 1 to 12,
inclusive.
44393. (a) The California School Paraprofessional Teacher Training
Program is hereby established for the purpose of recruiting school
paraprofessionals to participate in a program designed to encourage
them to enroll in teacher training programs and to provide
instructional service as teachers in the public schools.
(b) The commission, in consultation with the Chancellor of the
California Community Colleges, the Chancellor of the California State
University, the President of the University of California, the
chancellors of private institutions of higher education that offer
accredited teacher training programs, and representatives of
certificated and classified employee organizations, shall select 24
or more school districts or county offices of education representing
rural, urban, and suburban areas that apply to participate in the
program. The commission shall ensure that, at a minimum, a total of
600 school paraprofessionals are recruited from among the 24 or more
participating school districts or county offices of education. The
criteria adopted by the commission for the selection of school
districts or county offices of education to participate in the
program shall include all of the following:
(1) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates the capacity
and willingness to accommodate the participation of school
paraprofessionals in teacher training programs conducted at
institutions of higher education.
(2) The extent to which the applicant's plan for the
implementation of its recruitment program involves the active
participation of one or more local campuses of the participating
institutions of higher education in the development of coursework and
teaching programs for participating school paraprofessionals. Each
selected applicant shall be required to enter into a written
articulation agreement with the participating campuses of the
institutions of higher education.
(3) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet the demand for bilingual-crosscultural teachers.
(4) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet the demand for multiple subject credentialed
teachers interested in teaching kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 3,
inclusive. For purposes of this paragraph, each paraprofessional
selected to participate shall have completed at least two years of
undergraduate college or university coursework and shall have
demonstrated an interest in obtaining a multiple subject teaching
credential for teaching kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 3,
inclusive.
(5) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet the demand for special education teachers.
(6) The extent to which a developmentally sequenced series of job
descriptions leads from an entry-level school paraprofessional
position to an entry-level teaching position in that school district
or county office of education.
(7) The extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment
attempts to meet its own specific teacher needs.
(8) The extent to which the applicant's plan for implementation of
its recruitment program involves participation in a district
internship program pursuant to Article 7.5 (commencing with Section
44325) and Section 44830.3 or a university internship program
pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 44450) of Chapter 3.
(c) An applicant that is selected to participate pursuant to
subdivision (b) shall provide information and assistance to each
school paraprofessional it recruits under the program regarding
admission to a teacher training program.
(d) (1) The applicant shall recruit and organize groups, or
"cohorts," of participants, of no more than 30, and no less than 10,
in each cohort. Cohorts shall be organized to consist of participants
having approximately equal academic experience and qualifications,
as determined by the school district or county office of education.
To the extent possible, the members of each cohort shall proceed
through the same subject matter and credential programs. The members
of each cohort shall enroll in the same college or university and
shall be provided appropriate support and information throughout the
course of their studies by the applicant.
(2) An applicant shall require participants to satisfy all of the
following requirements prior to participating in the program:
(A) For the purpose of obtaining current criminal history
information from the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, obtain a certificate of clearance from the commission
pursuant to Sections 44339 to 44341, inclusive, and related
regulations adopted by the commission.
(B) Provide verification of one of the following:
(i) Has earned an associate or higher level degree.
(ii) Has completed at least two years of study at a postsecondary
educational institution.
(iii) Has received a passing score on a formal academic assessment
that demonstrates knowledge of, and the ability to assist in the
instruction of, reading, writing, and mathematics. The formal
academic assessment shall be based upon a job analysis for validity
purposes and shall be made readily available to examinees.
(3) An applicant shall certify that it has received a commitment
from each participant that he or she will accomplish all of the
following:
(A) Graduate from an institution of higher education under the
program with a bachelor's degree.
(B) Complete all of the requirements for and obtain a multiple
subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential.
(C) Complete one school year of classroom instruction in the
district or county office of education for each year that he or she
receives assistance for books, fees, and tuition while attending an
institution of higher education under the program.
(4) To the extent that a participant does not fulfill his or her
obligations, as set forth in paragraph (3), the participant shall be
required to repay the assistance. If a participant is laid off, the
participant may not be required to repay the assistance until the
participant is offered reemployment and has an opportunity to fulfill
his or her obligations under this section.
(5) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (4), if a
participant is unable to fulfill his or her obligations pursuant to
paragraph (3) due to a serious illness, a pregnancy, or another
natural cause, the time period for repayment of the assistance shall
be extended by a maximum period of one year.
(6) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (4), if an
interruption in employment caused by a natural disaster prevents a
participant from completing one of the required years of service, the
time period for repayment of the assistance shall be extended by a
period equal to the period between the date the interruption of
employment begins and the date employment resumes.
(e) The commission shall contract with an independent evaluator
with a proven record of experience in assessing career-advancement
programs or teacher training programs to conduct an evaluation to
determine the success of the recruitment programs established
pursuant to subdivision (b). The evaluation shall be conducted once
every five years and shall incorporate data annually collected by the
commission and reported to the Legislature. The commission shall
complete the evaluation with existing resources. By January 1 of each
year in which an evaluation is conducted pursuant to this
subdivision, commencing with January 1, 2009, the commission shall
submit the completed evaluation to the Governor and the education
policy and fiscal committees of the Assembly and Senate. The
evaluation shall include, but is not limited to, all of the
following:
(1) The total cost per person participating in the program who
successfully obtains a teaching credential, based upon all state,
local, federal, and other sources of funding.
(2) The economic status of persons participating in the program.
(3) A description of financial and other resources made available
to each recruitment program by participating school districts or
county offices of education, institutions of higher education, and
other participating organizations.
(4) The extent to which pupil performance on standardized
achievement tests has improved in classes taught by teachers who have
successfully completed the program, in comparison to classes taught
by other teachers who have equivalent teaching experience.
(5) The extent to which pupil dropout rates and other measures of
delinquency have improved in classes taught by teachers who have
successfully completed the program.
(6) The extent to which teachers who have successfully completed
the program remain in the communities in which they reside and in
which they teach.
(7) The attrition rate of teachers who have successfully completed
the program.
(f) Each selected school district or county office of education
shall report to the commission regarding the progress of each cohort
of school paraprofessionals, and other information regarding its
recruitment program as the commission may direct.
(g) No later than January 1 of each year, the commission shall
report to the Legislature regarding the status of the program,
including, but not limited to, the number of school paraprofessionals
recruited, the academic progress of the school paraprofessionals
recruited, the number of school paraprofessionals recruited who are
subsequently employed as teachers in the public schools, the degree
to which the program meets the demand for bilingual and special
education teachers as well as meeting teacher needs in shortage areas
as determined by the school district or county office of education,
the degree to which the program or similar programs can meet that
demand if properly funded and executed, and other effects upon the
operation of the public schools.
(h) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature that each fiscal year,
funding for the California School Paraprofessional Teacher Training
Program be allocated to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing for
grants to applicants pursuant to this section. A grant to an
applicant shall not exceed three thousand five hundred dollars
($3,500) per participant per year. Funding for grants to applicants
pursuant to this subdivision shall be contingent upon an
appropriation in the annual Budget Act.
(2) The commission shall report to the Department of Finance by
March 31 of each year the amount of funds collected by school
districts and county offices of education as repayment of assistance
pursuant to paragraph (4) of subdivision (d) and the amount of funds
that remain unspent from the funds appropriated to the commission in
the annual Budget Act for purposes of the program.
