69612. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) The growing shortage of high-quality teachers is most serious
in particular subject areas, partly due to the shortage of students
in these fields who enter the teaching profession.
(2) Many school districts have difficulty recruiting and retaining
high-quality teachers for schools ranked in decile 1 or 2 on the
Academic Performance Index, for pupils with special needs, for
schools serving rural areas or large populations of pupils from
low-income and linguistic minority families, and for schools with a
high percentage of teachers holding emergency-type permits.
(3) The rising costs of higher education, coupled with a shift in
available financial aid from scholarships and grants to loans, make
the availability of financial aid and loan repayment assistance
options an important consideration in a student's decision to pursue
a postsecondary education.
(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature that the
Assumption Program of Loans for Education be designed to provide
veteran teachers and outstanding postsecondary students, particularly
economically disadvantaged students, with the assurance of financial
assistance to encourage them to complete postsecondary education
programs leading to teaching credentials, and to seek employment as
teachers in designated subject-matter shortage areas or in schools
serving a large population of pupils from low-income families,
schools with a high percentage of teachers holding emergency-type
permits, or schools ranked in the lowest two deciles on the Academic
Performance Index.
69612.5. For purposes of this article, the following terms have the
following definitions:
(a) "Eligible institution" means a postsecondary institution that
is determined by the Student Aid Commission to meet both of the
following requirements:
(1) The institution is eligible to participate in state and
federal financial aid programs.
(2) The institution maintains a program of professional
preparation that has been approved by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing.
(b) "Eligible school" means a school that meets any of the
following criteria:
(1) It serves a large population of pupils from low-income
families, as designated by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(2) The institution has 20 percent or more teachers holding
emergency-type permits including, but not limited to, any of the
following:
(A) Provisional internships.
(B) Short-term staff permits.
(C) Credential waivers.
(D) Substitute permits.
(3) It is a school that is ranked in the lowest two deciles on the
Academic Performance Index.
(4) It is a school that serves a rural area.
69613. (a) Program participants shall meet all of the following
eligibility criteria prior to selection in the program and shall
continue to meet these criteria, as appropriate, during the payment
periods:
(1) The applicant has completed at least 60 semester units, or the
equivalent, and is enrolled in an academic program leading to a
baccalaureate degree at an eligible institution, has agreed to
participate in a teacher internship program, or has been admitted to
a program of professional preparation that has been approved by the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
(2) The applicant is currently enrolled in, or has been admitted
to, a program in which he or she will be enrolled on at least a
half-time basis, as determined by the participating institution. The
applicant shall agree to maintain satisfactory academic progress and
a minimum of half-time enrollment, as defined by the participating
eligible institution.
(A) Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), if a person
participating in the program fails to maintain at least half-time
enrollment, as required by this article, under the terms of the
agreement pursuant to paragraph (2), the loan assumption agreement
shall be invalidated and the participant shall retain full liability
for all student loan obligations. This subparagraph shall not apply
if the participant is in his or her final semester or quarter in
school and has no additional coursework required to obtain his or her
teaching credential.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), if a program participant is
unable to maintain at least half-time enrollment due to serious
illness, pregnancy, or other natural causes, or is called to active
military duty status, the participant is not required to retain full
liability for the student loan obligation for a period not to exceed
one calendar year, unless approved by the commission for a longer
period.
(C) If a natural disaster prevents a program participant from
maintaining at least half-time enrollment due to the interruption of
instruction at the eligible institution, the term of the loan
assumption agreement shall be extended for a period not to exceed one
calendar year, unless approved by the commission for a longer
period.
(3) The applicant has been judged by his or her postsecondary
institution, school district, or county office of education to have
outstanding ability on the basis of criteria that may include, but
need not be limited to, any of the following:
(A) Grade point average.
(B) Test scores.
(C) Faculty evaluations.
(D) Interviews.
(E) Other recommendations.
(4) The applicant has received, or is approved to receive, a loan
under one or more of the following designated loan programs:
(A) The Federal Family Education Loan Program (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1071
et seq.).
(B) Any educational loan program approved by the Student Aid
Commission.
(5) The applicant has agreed to teach full time for at least four
consecutive academic years, or on a part-time basis for the
equivalent of four full-time academic years, after obtaining a
teaching credential in a public elementary or secondary school in
this state, in a subject area that is designated as a current or
projected shortage area by the Superintendent of Public Instruction,
or, on the date the teacher is hired, at an eligible school.
(b) An agreement shall remain valid even if the subject area under
which an applicant becomes eligible to enter into an agreement
ceases to be a designated shortage field by the time the applicant
becomes a teacher.
(c) For the purposes of calculating eligible years of teaching for
the redemption of an award, the inclusion by the Superintendent of
Public Instruction of a school on a list prepared pursuant to Section
69613.1 shall apply retroactively from the date the school first
opened.
(d) A person participating in the program pursuant to this section
shall not enter into more than one agreement.
(e) A person participating in the program pursuant to this section
shall not owe a refund on any state or federal educational grant or
have defaulted on any student loan.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a
credentialed teacher teaching in a public school ranked in the lowest
two deciles on the Academic Performance Index pursuant to Section
52052, possesses a clear multiple subject or single subject teaching
credential or level II education specialist credential and who has
not otherwise participated in the program established by this
article, is eligible to enter into an agreement for loan assumption
pursuant to this article. The number of loan assumption agreements
provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed 400 per year.
The commission shall develop and adopt regulations for the
implementation of this subdivision by January 1, 2010.
69613.1. On or before January 1 of each year, the Superintendent of
Public Instruction shall furnish the commission with all of the
following:
(a) A list of teaching fields that have the most critical shortage
of teachers. The Superintendent shall review this list annually and
revise the list as he or she deems necessary. The list of shortage
areas furnished pursuant to this subdivision shall include the state
special schools as a category separate from special education.
(b) A list of schools that serve a large population of pupils from
low-income families, as designated for purposes of the Perkins Loan
Program, or according to standards the Superintendent deems
appropriate.
(c) A list of schools with a high percentage of teachers holding
emergency-type permits. The list shall be established according to
criteria determined by the Superintendent.
(d) A list of schools serving rural areas. The list shall be
established according to standards deemed appropriate by the
Superintendent.
(e) A list of schools ranked in the lowest two deciles on the
Academic Performance Index.
(f) A list of high priority schools.
69613.2. The commission shall commence loan assumption payments, as
specified in Section 69613.4, upon verification that the applicant
has fulfilled all of the following:
(a) The applicant has received a California preliminary or
professional clear credential, or an equivalent credential from
another state, authorizing service for kindergarten or any of grades
1 to 12, inclusive.
(b) The applicant has provided full-time classroom instruction, or
the equivalent on a part-time basis, in a public elementary or
secondary school for the equivalent of one school year.
(c) The applicant has met the requirements of the agreement and
all other pertinent conditions of this article.
69613.4. (a) The terms of a loan assumption granted under this
article shall be as follows, subject to the specific terms of each
agreement:
(1) After a program participant has completed one school year of
classroom instruction pursuant to Section 69613.2, the commission
shall assume up to two thousand dollars ($2,000) of the participant's
outstanding liability under one or more of the designated
educational loan programs.
(2) After a program participant has completed two consecutive
school years of instruction, the commission shall assume up to an
additional three thousand dollars ($3,000) of the participant's
outstanding liability under one or more of the designated educational
loan programs, for a total loan assumption of up to five thousand
dollars ($5,000).
(3) After a program participant has completed three consecutive
school years of teaching service, the commission shall assume up to a
maximum of an additional three thousand dollars ($3,000) of the
participant's outstanding liability under one or more of the
designated educational loan programs, for a total loan assumption of
up to eight thousand dollars ($8,000).
(4) After a program participant has completed four consecutive
school years of teaching service, the commission shall assume up to a
maximum of an additional three thousand dollars ($3,000) of the
participant's outstanding liability under one or more of the
designated educational loan programs, for a total loan assumption of
up to eleven thousand dollars ($11,000).
(b) For purposes of this section, "school year" means at least 175
school days or its equivalent.
(c) An applicant who teaches on less than a full-time basis may
participate in the program, but shall not be eligible for loan
repayment until that person teaches for the equivalent of a full-time
academic year.
69613.6. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), if a program
participant fails to complete a minimum of four consecutive school
years of classroom instruction on a full-time basis or the equivalent
on a part-time basis as required by this article, under the terms of
the agreement pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of
Section 69613, the participant shall retain full liability for all
student loan obligations remaining after the commission's assumption
of loan liability for the last year of qualifying teaching service
pursuant to Section 69613.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if a program participant
becomes unable to complete one of the four consecutive years of
teaching service on a full-time basis or the equivalent on a
part-time basis due to serious illness, pregnancy, or other natural
causes, or is called to active military duty status, the participant
shall receive a deferral of the resumption of full liability for the
loan for a period not to exceed one calendar year, unless approved by
the commission for a longer period. The commission shall make no
further payments under the loan assumption agreement until the
applicable teaching requirements specified in Section 69613.2 have
been specified.
(c) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a program participant
shall receive a deferral of the resumption of full liability for the
loan for a period not to exceed one calendar year, unless approved by
the commission for a longer period, if the participant becomes
unable to complete one of the four consecutive years of teaching
service due to being laid off, reassigned, or other reasons beyond
the control of the participant, as determined by the commission.
(2) The commission shall make no further payments under the loan
assumption agreement until the applicable teaching requirements
specified in Section 69613.2 have been satisfied.
(d) If a program participant fails to redeem an agreement for
student loan assumption within 10 years of the agreement's issuance,
the participant shall retain full liability for all student loan
obligations.
69613.7. (a) For the purposes of this article, "subject matter
shortage area" may not be construed to include teaching in a
self-contained classroom or teaching pursuant to a multiple subject
credential.
(b) The list, furnished by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction pursuant to Section 69613.1 and relating to teaching
fields that have the most critical shortage of teachers, shall not
include teaching in a self-contained classroom or teaching pursuant
to a multiple subject credential.
69613.8. In addition to the amounts set forth in subdivision (a) of
Section 69613.4, for each of the four years of classroom instruction
referenced in subdivision (a) of Section 69613.4, the following loan
assumption benefits shall be granted:
(a) One thousand dollars ($1,000) of additional liability per year
shall be assumed for a person who holds a credential appropriate for
teaching, and who teaches, mathematics, science, or special
education in the lowest 60 percentile of Academic Performance Index
rankings.
(b) One thousand dollars ($1,000) of additional liability per year
shall be assumed for a person who teaches in a school in the lowest
two deciles on the Academic Performance Index rankings. Eligibility
for the benefit set forth in this subdivision shall be limited to a
person who holds a credential appropriate for teaching, and who
teaches, mathematics, science, or special education.
(c) Not more than a total of five million dollars ($5,000,000)
shall be expended in any academic year for the purposes of this
section.
(d) The commission shall award benefits payable under this section
upon receipt of all documentation necessary to establish eligibility
for the additional loan assumption benefits. Payments shall be made
to applicants in the order received until the five million dollars
($5,000,000) authorized by subdivision (c) has been expended.
69614. (a) The commission shall distribute program information and
student applications to participate in the loan assumption program to
each eligible institution and to each school district or county
office of education operating a district intern program pursuant to
Section 44381. Each eligible institution shall receive at least one
allocation, and the remainder shall be distributed to eligible
institutions proportionate to the number of teaching candidates from
each institution who completed the coursework required for a teaching
credential based on the most recent data available from the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing. In addition, the commission
shall reexamine its outreach and marketing strategies to inform both
potential undergraduates and persons employed outside of academia
about the availability and benefits of the loan assumption program.
To this end, the commission shall enlist the advice and support of
the California Center for the Teaching Profession, the University of
California, the California State University, the Association of
Independent California Colleges and Universities, and private
employers and their associations throughout the state.
(b) Each eligible institution, school district, and county office
of education shall sign an institutional agreement with the
commission, certifying its intent to administer the loan assumption
program according to all applicable published rules, regulations, and
guidelines, and to make special efforts to notify students regarding
the availability of the program, particularly economically
disadvantaged students.
(c) To the extent feasible, each eligible institution shall
coordinate the loan assumption program with other programs designed
to recruit students to enter the teaching profession.
69615. (a) The commission shall administer this article, and shall
adopt rules and regulations for that purpose. The rules and
regulations shall include, but need not be limited to, provisions
regarding the period of time during which an agreement shall remain
valid, the reallocation of resources in light of agreements that are
not utilized by program participants, the failure, for any reason, of
a program participant to complete a minimum of four consecutive
years of classroom instruction, and the development of projections
for funding purposes.
(b) The commission shall solicit the advice of representatives
from postsecondary education institutions, the State Department of
Education, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, school districts,
and county offices of education regarding proposed rules and
regulations.
69615.4. The commission shall report annually to the Legislature
regarding all of the following, on the basis of sex, age, and
ethnicity:
(a) The total number of program participants.
(b) The number of agreements entered into with juniors, seniors,
students enrolled in teacher training programs, and persons who agree
to enroll in teacher internship programs.
(c) The number of participants who agree to teach in a subject
matter shortage area.
(d) The number of participants who agree to teach in schools with
a high ratio of pupils from low-income families and in schools ranked
in the lowest two deciles on the Academic Performance Index.
(e) The number of participants who agree to teach in schools
serving rural areas.
(f) The number of participants who agree to teach in schools with
a high percentage of teachers holding provisional internship permits.
(g) The number of participants who receive a loan assumption
benefit, classified by payment year.
(h) The number of out-of-state teachers who enter into agreements.
(i) The number of participants who have participated in teacher
internship programs, classified by school district or county office
of education.
69615.6. (a) For each school year, all of the following shall
apply:
(1) The commission shall enter into agreements for the assumption
of up to 6,500 student loans for program participants eligible under
this article.
(2) Priority for these agreements shall be given to applicants who
are recipients of federally subsidized loans or other need-based
loans, as determined by the commission.
(3) Priority for these agreements shall be given to applicants who
agree to obtain, or who have obtained, a teaching credential in
mathematics, science, or special education.
(b) In any school year, the commission may enter into no more than
100 agreements with applicants who participate in a district intern
program operated by a school district or a county office of
education.
69615.8. Notwithstanding any other law, in any fiscal year, the
commission shall award no more than the number of loan assumption
agreements that are authorized by the Governor and the Legislature in
the annual Budget Act for that year for the assumption of loans
pursuant to this article.
69612. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) The growing shortage of high-quality teachers is most serious
in particular subject areas, partly due to the shortage of students
in these fields who enter the teaching profession.
(2) Many school districts have difficulty recruiting and retaining
high-quality teachers for schools ranked in decile 1 or 2 on the
Academic Performance Index, for pupils with special needs, for
schools serving rural areas or large populations of pupils from
low-income and linguistic minority families, and for schools with a
high percentage of teachers holding emergency-type permits.
(3) The rising costs of higher education, coupled with a shift in
available financial aid from scholarships and grants to loans, make
the availability of financial aid and loan repayment assistance
options an important consideration in a student's decision to pursue
a postsecondary education.
(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature that the
Assumption Program of Loans for Education be designed to provide
veteran teachers and outstanding postsecondary students, particularly
economically disadvantaged students, with the assurance of financial
assistance to encourage them to complete postsecondary education
programs leading to teaching credentials, and to seek employment as
teachers in designated subject-matter shortage areas or in schools
serving a large population of pupils from low-income families,
schools with a high percentage of teachers holding emergency-type
permits, or schools ranked in the lowest two deciles on the Academic
Performance Index.
69612.5. For purposes of this article, the following terms have the
following definitions:
(a) "Eligible institution" means a postsecondary institution that
is determined by the Student Aid Commission to meet both of the
following requirements:
(1) The institution is eligible to participate in state and
federal financial aid programs.
(2) The institution maintains a program of professional
preparation that has been approved by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing.
(b) "Eligible school" means a school that meets any of the
following criteria:
(1) It serves a large population of pupils from low-income
families, as designated by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(2) The institution has 20 percent or more teachers holding
emergency-type permits including, but not limited to, any of the
following:
(A) Provisional internships.
(B) Short-term staff permits.
(C) Credential waivers.
(D) Substitute permits.
(3) It is a school that is ranked in the lowest two deciles on the
Academic Performance Index.
(4) It is a school that serves a rural area.
69613. (a) Program participants shall meet all of the following
eligibility criteria prior to selection in the program and shall
continue to meet these criteria, as appropriate, during the payment
periods:
(1) The applicant has completed at least 60 semester units, or the
equivalent, and is enrolled in an academic program leading to a
baccalaureate degree at an eligible institution, has agreed to
participate in a teacher internship program, or has been admitted to
a program of professional preparation that has been approved by the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
(2) The applicant is currently enrolled in, or has been admitted
to, a program in which he or she will be enrolled on at least a
half-time basis, as determined by the participating institution. The
applicant shall agree to maintain satisfactory academic progress and
a minimum of half-time enrollment, as defined by the participating
eligible institution.
(A) Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), if a person
participating in the program fails to maintain at least half-time
enrollment, as required by this article, under the terms of the
agreement pursuant to paragraph (2), the loan assumption agreement
shall be invalidated and the participant shall retain full liability
for all student loan obligations. This subparagraph shall not apply
if the participant is in his or her final semester or quarter in
school and has no additional coursework required to obtain his or her
teaching credential.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), if a program participant is
unable to maintain at least half-time enrollment due to serious
illness, pregnancy, or other natural causes, or is called to active
military duty status, the participant is not required to retain full
liability for the student loan obligation for a period not to exceed
one calendar year, unless approved by the commission for a longer
period.
(C) If a natural disaster prevents a program participant from
maintaining at least half-time enrollment due to the interruption of
instruction at the eligible institution, the term of the loan
assumption agreement shall be extended for a period not to exceed one
calendar year, unless approved by the commission for a longer
period.
(3) The applicant has been judged by his or her postsecondary
institution, school district, or county office of education to have
outstanding ability on the basis of criteria that may include, but
need not be limited to, any of the following:
(A) Grade point average.
(B) Test scores.
(C) Faculty evaluations.
(D) Interviews.
(E) Other recommendations.
(4) The applicant has received, or is approved to receive, a loan
under one or more of the following designated loan programs:
(A) The Federal Family Education Loan Program (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1071
et seq.).
(B) Any educational loan program approved by the Student Aid
Commission.
(5) The applicant has agreed to teach full time for at least four
consecutive academic years, or on a part-time basis for the
equivalent of four full-time academic years, after obtaining a
teaching credential in a public elementary or secondary school in
this state, in a subject area that is designated as a current or
projected shortage area by the Superintendent of Public Instruction,
or, on the date the teacher is hired, at an eligible school.
(b) An agreement shall remain valid even if the subject area under
which an applicant becomes eligible to enter into an agreement
ceases to be a designated shortage field by the time the applicant
becomes a teacher.
(c) For the purposes of calculating eligible years of teaching for
the redemption of an award, the inclusion by the Superintendent of
Public Instruction of a school on a list prepared pursuant to Section
69613.1 shall apply retroactively from the date the school first
opened.
(d) A person participating in the program pursuant to this section
shall not enter into more than one agreement.
(e) A person participating in the program pursuant to this section
shall not owe a refund on any state or federal educational grant or
have defaulted on any student loan.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a
credentialed teacher teaching in a public school ranked in the lowest
two deciles on the Academic Performance Index pursuant to Section
52052, possesses a clear multiple subject or single subject teaching
credential or level II education specialist credential and who has
not otherwise participated in the program established by this
article, is eligible to enter into an agreement for loan assumption
pursuant to this article. The number of loan assumption agreements
provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed 400 per year.
The commission shall develop and adopt regulations for the
implementation of this subdivision by January 1, 2010.
69613.1. On or before January 1 of each year, the Superintendent of
Public Instruction shall furnish the commission with all of the
following:
(a) A list of teaching fields that have the most critical shortage
of teachers. The Superintendent shall review this list annually and
revise the list as he or she deems necessary. The list of shortage
areas furnished pursuant to this subdivision shall include the state
special schools as a category separate from special education.
(b) A list of schools that serve a large population of pupils from
low-income families, as designated for purposes of the Perkins Loan
Program, or according to standards the Superintendent deems
appropriate.
(c) A list of schools with a high percentage of teachers holding
emergency-type permits. The list shall be established according to
criteria determined by the Superintendent.
(d) A list of schools serving rural areas. The list shall be
established according to standards deemed appropriate by the
Superintendent.
(e) A list of schools ranked in the lowest two deciles on the
Academic Performance Index.
(f) A list of high priority schools.
69613.2. The commission shall commence loan assumption payments, as
specified in Section 69613.4, upon verification that the applicant
has fulfilled all of the following:
(a) The applicant has received a California preliminary or
professional clear credential, or an equivalent credential from
another state, authorizing service for kindergarten or any of grades
1 to 12, inclusive.
(b) The applicant has provided full-time classroom instruction, or
the equivalent on a part-time basis, in a public elementary or
secondary school for the equivalent of one school year.
(c) The applicant has met the requirements of the agreement and
all other pertinent conditions of this article.
69613.4. (a) The terms of a loan assumption granted under this
article shall be as follows, subject to the specific terms of each
agreement:
(1) After a program participant has completed one school year of
classroom instruction pursuant to Section 69613.2, the commission
shall assume up to two thousand dollars ($2,000) of the participant's
outstanding liability under one or more of the designated
educational loan programs.
(2) After a program participant has completed two consecutive
school years of instruction, the commission shall assume up to an
additional three thousand dollars ($3,000) of the participant's
outstanding liability under one or more of the designated educational
loan programs, for a total loan assumption of up to five thousand
dollars ($5,000).
(3) After a program participant has completed three consecutive
school years of teaching service, the commission shall assume up to a
maximum of an additional three thousand dollars ($3,000) of the
participant's outstanding liability under one or more of the
designated educational loan programs, for a total loan assumption of
up to eight thousand dollars ($8,000).
(4) After a program participant has completed four consecutive
school years of teaching service, the commission shall assume up to a
maximum of an additional three thousand dollars ($3,000) of the
participant's outstanding liability under one or more of the
designated educational loan programs, for a total loan assumption of
up to eleven thousand dollars ($11,000).
(b) For purposes of this section, "school year" means at least 175
school days or its equivalent.
(c) An applicant who teaches on less than a full-time basis may
participate in the program, but shall not be eligible for loan
repayment until that person teaches for the equivalent of a full-time
academic year.
69613.6. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), if a program
participant fails to complete a minimum of four consecutive school
years of classroom instruction on a full-time basis or the equivalent
on a part-time basis as required by this article, under the terms of
the agreement pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of
Section 69613, the participant shall retain full liability for all
student loan obligations remaining after the commission's assumption
of loan liability for the last year of qualifying teaching service
pursuant to Section 69613.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if a program participant
becomes unable to complete one of the four consecutive years of
teaching service on a full-time basis or the equivalent on a
part-time basis due to serious illness, pregnancy, or other natural
causes, or is called to active military duty status, the participant
shall receive a deferral of the resumption of full liability for the
loan for a period not to exceed one calendar year, unless approved by
the commission for a longer period. The commission shall make no
further payments under the loan assumption agreement until the
applicable teaching requirements specified in Section 69613.2 have
been specified.
(c) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a program participant
shall receive a deferral of the resumption of full liability for the
loan for a period not to exceed one calendar year, unless approved by
the commission for a longer period, if the participant becomes
unable to complete one of the four consecutive years of teaching
service due to being laid off, reassigned, or other reasons beyond
the control of the participant, as determined by the commission.
(2) The commission shall make no further payments under the loan
assumption agreement until the applicable teaching requirements
specified in Section 69613.2 have been satisfied.
(d) If a program participant fails to redeem an agreement for
student loan assumption within 10 years of the agreement's issuance,
the participant shall retain full liability for all student loan
obligations.
69613.7. (a) For the purposes of this article, "subject matter
shortage area" may not be construed to include teaching in a
self-contained classroom or teaching pursuant to a multiple subject
credential.
(b) The list, furnished by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction pursuant to Section 69613.1 and relating to teaching
fields that have the most critical shortage of teachers, shall not
include teaching in a self-contained classroom or teaching pursuant
to a multiple subject credential.
69613.8. In addition to the amounts set forth in subdivision (a) of
Section 69613.4, for each of the four years of classroom instruction
referenced in subdivision (a) of Section 69613.4, the following loan
assumption benefits shall be granted:
(a) One thousand dollars ($1,000) of additional liability per year
shall be assumed for a person who holds a credential appropriate for
teaching, and who teaches, mathematics, science, or special
education in the lowest 60 percentile of Academic Performance Index
rankings.
(b) One thousand dollars ($1,000) of additional liability per year
shall be assumed for a person who teaches in a school in the lowest
two deciles on the Academic Performance Index rankings. Eligibility
for the benefit set forth in this subdivision shall be limited to a
person who holds a credential appropriate for teaching, and who
teaches, mathematics, science, or special education.
(c) Not more than a total of five million dollars ($5,000,000)
shall be expended in any academic year for the purposes of this
section.
(d) The commission shall award benefits payable under this section
upon receipt of all documentation necessary to establish eligibility
for the additional loan assumption benefits. Payments shall be made
to applicants in the order received until the five million dollars
($5,000,000) authorized by subdivision (c) has been expended.
69614. (a) The commission shall distribute program information and
student applications to participate in the loan assumption program to
each eligible institution and to each school district or county
office of education operating a district intern program pursuant to
Section 44381. Each eligible institution shall receive at least one
allocation, and the remainder shall be distributed to eligible
institutions proportionate to the number of teaching candidates from
each institution who completed the coursework required for a teaching
credential based on the most recent data available from the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing. In addition, the commission
shall reexamine its outreach and marketing strategies to inform both
potential undergraduates and persons employed outside of academia
about the availability and benefits of the loan assumption program.
To this end, the commission shall enlist the advice and support of
the California Center for the Teaching Profession, the University of
California, the California State University, the Association of
Independent California Colleges and Universities, and private
employers and their associations throughout the state.
(b) Each eligible institution, school district, and county office
of education shall sign an institutional agreement with the
commission, certifying its intent to administer the loan assumption
program according to all applicable published rules, regulations, and
guidelines, and to make special efforts to notify students regarding
the availability of the program, particularly economically
disadvantaged students.
(c) To the extent feasible, each eligible institution shall
coordinate the loan assumption program with other programs designed
to recruit students to enter the teaching profession.
69615. (a) The commission shall administer this article, and shall
adopt rules and regulations for that purpose. The rules and
regulations shall include, but need not be limited to, provisions
regarding the period of time during which an agreement shall remain
valid, the reallocation of resources in light of agreements that are
not utilized by program participants, the failure, for any reason, of
a program participant to complete a minimum of four consecutive
years of classroom instruction, and the development of projections
for funding purposes.
(b) The commission shall solicit the advice of representatives
from postsecondary education institutions, the State Department of
Education, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, school districts,
and county offices of education regarding proposed rules and
regulations.
69615.4. The commission shall report annually to the Legislature
regarding all of the following, on the basis of sex, age, and
ethnicity:
(a) The total number of program participants.
(b) The number of agreements entered into with juniors, seniors,
students enrolled in teacher training programs, and persons who agree
to enroll in teacher internship programs.
(c) The number of participants who agree to teach in a subject
matter shortage area.
(d) The number of participants who agree to teach in schools with
a high ratio of pupils from low-income families and in schools ranked
in the lowest two deciles on the Academic Performance Index.
(e) The number of participants who agree to teach in schools
serving rural areas.
(f) The number of participants who agree to teach in schools with
a high percentage of teachers holding provisional internship permits.
(g) The number of participants who receive a loan assumption
benefit, classified by payment year.
(h) The number of out-of-state teachers who enter into agreements.
(i) The number of participants who have participated in teacher
internship programs, classified by school district or county office
of education.
69615.6. (a) For each school year, all of the following shall
apply:
(1) The commission shall enter into agreements for the assumption
of up to 6,500 student loans for program participants eligible under
this article.
(2) Priority for these agreements shall be given to applicants who
are recipients of federally subsidized loans or other need-based
loans, as determined by the commission.
(3) Priority for these agreements shall be given to applicants who
agree to obtain, or who have obtained, a teaching credential in
mathematics, science, or special education.
(b) In any school year, the commission may enter into no more than
100 agreements with applicants who participate in a district intern
program operated by a school district or a county office of
education.
69615.8. Notwithstanding any other law, in any fiscal year, the
commission shall award no more than the number of loan assumption
agreements that are authorized by the Governor and the Legislature in
the annual Budget Act for that year for the assumption of loans
pursuant to this article.
69612. (a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) The growing shortage of high-quality teachers is most serious
in particular subject areas, partly due to the shortage of students
in these fields who enter the teaching profession.
(2) Many school districts have difficulty recruiting and retaining
high-quality teachers for schools ranked in decile 1 or 2 on the
Academic Performance Index, for pupils with special needs, for
schools serving rural areas or large populations of pupils from
low-income and linguistic minority families, and for schools with a
high percentage of teachers holding emergency-type permits.
(3) The rising costs of higher education, coupled with a shift in
available financial aid from scholarships and grants to loans, make
the availability of financial aid and loan repayment assistance
options an important consideration in a student's decision to pursue
a postsecondary education.
(b) It is, therefore, the intent of the Legislature that the
Assumption Program of Loans for Education be designed to provide
veteran teachers and outstanding postsecondary students, particularly
economically disadvantaged students, with the assurance of financial
assistance to encourage them to complete postsecondary education
programs leading to teaching credentials, and to seek employment as
teachers in designated subject-matter shortage areas or in schools
serving a large population of pupils from low-income families,
schools with a high percentage of teachers holding emergency-type
permits, or schools ranked in the lowest two deciles on the Academic
Performance Index.
69612.5. For purposes of this article, the following terms have the
following definitions:
(a) "Eligible institution" means a postsecondary institution that
is determined by the Student Aid Commission to meet both of the
following requirements:
(1) The institution is eligible to participate in state and
federal financial aid programs.
(2) The institution maintains a program of professional
preparation that has been approved by the Commission on Teacher
Credentialing.
(b) "Eligible school" means a school that meets any of the
following criteria:
(1) It serves a large population of pupils from low-income
families, as designated by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
(2) The institution has 20 percent or more teachers holding
emergency-type permits including, but not limited to, any of the
following:
(A) Provisional internships.
(B) Short-term staff permits.
(C) Credential waivers.
(D) Substitute permits.
(3) It is a school that is ranked in the lowest two deciles on the
Academic Performance Index.
(4) It is a school that serves a rural area.
69613. (a) Program participants shall meet all of the following
eligibility criteria prior to selection in the program and shall
continue to meet these criteria, as appropriate, during the payment
periods:
(1) The applicant has completed at least 60 semester units, or the
equivalent, and is enrolled in an academic program leading to a
baccalaureate degree at an eligible institution, has agreed to
participate in a teacher internship program, or has been admitted to
a program of professional preparation that has been approved by the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
(2) The applicant is currently enrolled in, or has been admitted
to, a program in which he or she will be enrolled on at least a
half-time basis, as determined by the participating institution. The
applicant shall agree to maintain satisfactory academic progress and
a minimum of half-time enrollment, as defined by the participating
eligible institution.
(A) Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), if a person
participating in the program fails to maintain at least half-time
enrollment, as required by this article, under the terms of the
agreement pursuant to paragraph (2), the loan assumption agreement
shall be invalidated and the participant shall retain full liability
for all student loan obligations. This subparagraph shall not apply
if the participant is in his or her final semester or quarter in
school and has no additional coursework required to obtain his or her
teaching credential.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), if a program participant is
unable to maintain at least half-time enrollment due to serious
illness, pregnancy, or other natural causes, or is called to active
military duty status, the participant is not required to retain full
liability for the student loan obligation for a period not to exceed
one calendar year, unless approved by the commission for a longer
period.
(C) If a natural disaster prevents a program participant from
maintaining at least half-time enrollment due to the interruption of
instruction at the eligible institution, the term of the loan
assumption agreement shall be extended for a period not to exceed one
calendar year, unless approved by the commission for a longer
period.
(3) The applicant has been judged by his or her postsecondary
institution, school district, or county office of education to have
outstanding ability on the basis of criteria that may include, but
need not be limited to, any of the following:
(A) Grade point average.
(B) Test scores.
(C) Faculty evaluations.
(D) Interviews.
(E) Other recommendations.
(4) The applicant has received, or is approved to receive, a loan
under one or more of the following designated loan programs:
(A) The Federal Family Education Loan Program (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1071
et seq.).
(B) Any educational loan program approved by the Student Aid
Commission.
(5) The applicant has agreed to teach full time for at least four
consecutive academic years, or on a part-time basis for the
equivalent of four full-time academic years, after obtaining a
teaching credential in a public elementary or secondary school in
this state, in a subject area that is designated as a current or
projected shortage area by the Superintendent of Public Instruction,
or, on the date the teacher is hired, at an eligible school.
(b) An agreement shall remain valid even if the subject area under
which an applicant becomes eligible to enter into an agreement
ceases to be a designated shortage field by the time the applicant
becomes a teacher.
(c) For the purposes of calculating eligible years of teaching for
the redemption of an award, the inclusion by the Superintendent of
Public Instruction of a school on a list prepared pursuant to Section
69613.1 shall apply retroactively from the date the school first
opened.
(d) A person participating in the program pursuant to this section
shall not enter into more than one agreement.
(e) A person participating in the program pursuant to this section
shall not owe a refund on any state or federal educational grant or
have defaulted on any student loan.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a
credentialed teacher teaching in a public school ranked in the lowest
two deciles on the Academic Performance Index pursuant to Section
52052, possesses a clear multiple subject or single subject teaching
credential or level II education specialist credential and who has
not otherwise participated in the program established by this
article, is eligible to enter into an agreement for loan assumption
pursuant to this article. The number of loan assumption agreements
provided pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed 400 per year.
The commission shall develop and adopt regulations for the
implementation of this subdivision by January 1, 2010.
69613.1. On or before January 1 of each year, the Superintendent of
Public Instruction shall furnish the commission with all of the
following:
(a) A list of teaching fields that have the most critical shortage
of teachers. The Superintendent shall review this list annually and
revise the list as he or she deems necessary. The list of shortage
areas furnished pursuant to this subdivision shall include the state
special schools as a category separate from special education.
(b) A list of schools that serve a large population of pupils from
low-income families, as designated for purposes of the Perkins Loan
Program, or according to standards the Superintendent deems
appropriate.
(c) A list of schools with a high percentage of teachers holding
emergency-type permits. The list shall be established according to
criteria determined by the Superintendent.
(d) A list of schools serving rural areas. The list shall be
established according to standards deemed appropriate by the
Superintendent.
(e) A list of schools ranked in the lowest two deciles on the
Academic Performance Index.
(f) A list of high priority schools.
69613.2. The commission shall commence loan assumption payments, as
specified in Section 69613.4, upon verification that the applicant
has fulfilled all of the following:
(a) The applicant has received a California preliminary or
professional clear credential, or an equivalent credential from
another state, authorizing service for kindergarten or any of grades
1 to 12, inclusive.
(b) The applicant has provided full-time classroom instruction, or
the equivalent on a part-time basis, in a public elementary or
secondary school for the equivalent of one school year.
(c) The applicant has met the requirements of the agreement and
all other pertinent conditions of this article.
69613.4. (a) The terms of a loan assumption granted under this
article shall be as follows, subject to the specific terms of each
agreement:
(1) After a program participant has completed one school year of
classroom instruction pursuant to Section 69613.2, the commission
shall assume up to two thousand dollars ($2,000) of the participant's
outstanding liability under one or more of the designated
educational loan programs.
(2) After a program participant has completed two consecutive
school years of instruction, the commission shall assume up to an
additional three thousand dollars ($3,000) of the participant's
outstanding liability under one or more of the designated educational
loan programs, for a total loan assumption of up to five thousand
dollars ($5,000).
(3) After a program participant has completed three consecutive
school years of teaching service, the commission shall assume up to a
maximum of an additional three thousand dollars ($3,000) of the
participant's outstanding liability under one or more of the
designated educational loan programs, for a total loan assumption of
up to eight thousand dollars ($8,000).
(4) After a program participant has completed four consecutive
school years of teaching service, the commission shall assume up to a
maximum of an additional three thousand dollars ($3,000) of the
participant's outstanding liability under one or more of the
designated educational loan programs, for a total loan assumption of
up to eleven thousand dollars ($11,000).
(b) For purposes of this section, "school year" means at least 175
school days or its equivalent.
(c) An applicant who teaches on less than a full-time basis may
participate in the program, but shall not be eligible for loan
repayment until that person teaches for the equivalent of a full-time
academic year.
69613.6. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), if a program
participant fails to complete a minimum of four consecutive school
years of classroom instruction on a full-time basis or the equivalent
on a part-time basis as required by this article, under the terms of
the agreement pursuant to paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of
Section 69613, the participant shall retain full liability for all
student loan obligations remaining after the commission's assumption
of loan liability for the last year of qualifying teaching service
pursuant to Section 69613.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), if a program participant
becomes unable to complete one of the four consecutive years of
teaching service on a full-time basis or the equivalent on a
part-time basis due to serious illness, pregnancy, or other natural
causes, or is called to active military duty status, the participant
shall receive a deferral of the resumption of full liability for the
loan for a period not to exceed one calendar year, unless approved by
the commission for a longer period. The commission shall make no
further payments under the loan assumption agreement until the
applicable teaching requirements specified in Section 69613.2 have
been specified.
(c) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), a program participant
shall receive a deferral of the resumption of full liability for the
loan for a period not to exceed one calendar year, unless approved by
the commission for a longer period, if the participant becomes
unable to complete one of the four consecutive years of teaching
service due to being laid off, reassigned, or other reasons beyond
the control of the participant, as determined by the commission.
(2) The commission shall make no further payments under the loan
assumption agreement until the applicable teaching requirements
specified in Section 69613.2 have been satisfied.
(d) If a program participant fails to redeem an agreement for
student loan assumption within 10 years of the agreement's issuance,
the participant shall retain full liability for all student loan
obligations.
69613.7. (a) For the purposes of this article, "subject matter
shortage area" may not be construed to include teaching in a
self-contained classroom or teaching pursuant to a multiple subject
credential.
(b) The list, furnished by the Superintendent of Public
Instruction pursuant to Section 69613.1 and relating to teaching
fields that have the most critical shortage of teachers, shall not
include teaching in a self-contained classroom or teaching pursuant
to a multiple subject credential.
69613.8. In addition to the amounts set forth in subdivision (a) of
Section 69613.4, for each of the four years of classroom instruction
referenced in subdivision (a) of Section 69613.4, the following loan
assumption benefits shall be granted:
(a) One thousand dollars ($1,000) of additional liability per year
shall be assumed for a person who holds a credential appropriate for
teaching, and who teaches, mathematics, science, or special
education in the lowest 60 percentile of Academic Performance Index
rankings.
(b) One thousand dollars ($1,000) of additional liability per year
shall be assumed for a person who teaches in a school in the lowest
two deciles on the Academic Performance Index rankings. Eligibility
for the benefit set forth in this subdivision shall be limited to a
person who holds a credential appropriate for teaching, and who
teaches, mathematics, science, or special education.
(c) Not more than a total of five million dollars ($5,000,000)
shall be expended in any academic year for the purposes of this
section.
(d) The commission shall award benefits payable under this section
upon receipt of all documentation necessary to establish eligibility
for the additional loan assumption benefits. Payments shall be made
to applicants in the order received until the five million dollars
($5,000,000) authorized by subdivision (c) has been expended.
69614. (a) The commission shall distribute program information and
student applications to participate in the loan assumption program to
each eligible institution and to each school district or county
office of education operating a district intern program pursuant to
Section 44381. Each eligible institution shall receive at least one
allocation, and the remainder shall be distributed to eligible
institutions proportionate to the number of teaching candidates from
each institution who completed the coursework required for a teaching
credential based on the most recent data available from the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing. In addition, the commission
shall reexamine its outreach and marketing strategies to inform both
potential undergraduates and persons employed outside of academia
about the availability and benefits of the loan assumption program.
To this end, the commission shall enlist the advice and support of
the California Center for the Teaching Profession, the University of
California, the California State University, the Association of
Independent California Colleges and Universities, and private
employers and their associations throughout the state.
(b) Each eligible institution, school district, and county office
of education shall sign an institutional agreement with the
commission, certifying its intent to administer the loan assumption
program according to all applicable published rules, regulations, and
guidelines, and to make special efforts to notify students regarding
the availability of the program, particularly economically
disadvantaged students.
(c) To the extent feasible, each eligible institution shall
coordinate the loan assumption program with other programs designed
to recruit students to enter the teaching profession.
69615. (a) The commission shall administer this article, and shall
adopt rules and regulations for that purpose. The rules and
regulations shall include, but need not be limited to, provisions
regarding the period of time during which an agreement shall remain
valid, the reallocation of resources in light of agreements that are
not utilized by program participants, the failure, for any reason, of
a program participant to complete a minimum of four consecutive
years of classroom instruction, and the development of projections
for funding purposes.
(b) The commission shall solicit the advice of representatives
from postsecondary education institutions, the State Department of
Education, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, school districts,
and county offices of education regarding proposed rules and
regulations.
69615.4. The commission shall report annually to the Legislature
regarding all of the following, on the basis of sex, age, and
ethnicity:
(a) The total number of program participants.
(b) The number of agreements entered into with juniors, seniors,
students enrolled in teacher training programs, and persons who agree
to enroll in teacher internship programs.
(c) The number of participants who agree to teach in a subject
matter shortage area.
(d) The number of participants who agree to teach in schools with
a high ratio of pupils from low-income families and in schools ranked
in the lowest two deciles on the Academic Performance Index.
(e) The number of participants who agree to teach in schools
serving rural areas.
(f) The number of participants who agree to teach in schools with
a high percentage of teachers holding provisional internship permits.
(g) The number of participants who receive a loan assumption
benefit, classified by payment year.
(h) The number of out-of-state teachers who enter into agreements.
(i) The number of participants who have participated in teacher
internship programs, classified by school district or county office
of education.
69615.6. (a) For each school year, all of the following shall
apply:
(1) The commission shall enter into agreements for the assumption
of up to 6,500 student loans for program participants eligible under
this article.
(2) Priority for these agreements shall be given to applicants who
are recipients of federally subsidized loans or other need-based
loans, as determined by the commission.
(3) Priority for these agreements shall be given to applicants who
agree to obtain, or who have obtained, a teaching credential in
mathematics, science, or special education.
(b) In any school year, the commission may enter into no more than
100 agreements with applicants who participate in a district intern
program operated by a school district or a county office of
education.
69615.8. Notwithstanding any other law, in any fiscal year, the
commission shall award no more than the number of loan assumption
agreements that are authorized by the Governor and the Legislature in
the annual Budget Act for that year for the assumption of loans
pursuant to this article.
