California Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program.

The Wildman-Keeley-Solis Exemplary Teacher Training Act of 1997 establishes the California School Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program for the purpose of recruiting 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. The act requires, among other things, that the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, in consultation with certain other educational entities, select, pursuant to specified criteria, 24 or more school districts or county offices of education representing rural, urban, and suburban areas that apply to participate in the program. The act requires a school district or county office of education to require a person participating in the program to commit to fulfilling certain specified obligations relating to obtaining a teaching credential and employment as a teacher in the school district or county office of education. The act requires a school district or county office of education to require a program participant to obtain a certificate of clearance from the commission and provide verification of a specified level of academic achievement prior to participating in the program. The act expresses the intent of the Legislature that, in each fiscal year, funding for the California School Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program be allocated to the commission for grants to school districts and county offices of education, limits grants to $3,500 per program participant per year, and makes funding for the grants contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act. This bill would substantially revise those provisions to instead establish the California Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program for the purpose of recruiting classified school employees 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. Subject to an appropriation for these purposes in the annual Budget Act, the bill would require the commission to issue a request for proposals to all school districts and county offices of education in the state in order to solicit applications for funding. The bill would require the criteria adopted by the commission for the selection of school districts or county offices of education to participate in the program to include, among other things, the extent to which the applicant's plan for recruitment attempts to meet the demand of teacher shortages in shortage areas in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. The bill would require an applicant that is selected to participate to provide information about the program to all eligible classified school employees in the school district or county office of education and to provide assistance to each classified school employee it recruits under the program regarding admission to a teacher training program. The bill would also require an applicant to require participants to satisfy specified requirements before participating in the program, including passing a background check, and to certify that it has received a commitment from each participant that he or she will accomplish certain things, including completing all of the requirements for, and obtain, a multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential. The bill would require the commission to contract with an independent evaluator with a proven record of experience in assessing teacher training programs to conduct an evaluation to determine the success of the program and would require the evaluation to be conducted once every 5 years, with the first evaluation being completed on or before July 1, 2021. The bill would also require the commission, on or before January 1 of each year, to report to the Legislature regarding the status of the program, as specified. The bill would state the Legislature's intent that, each fiscal year, funding for the program be allocated to the commission for grants for up to 1,000 new participants per year and would prohibit a grant to an applicant from exceeding $4,000 per participant per year. The bill would make funding for grants to applicants contingent upon an appropriation in the annual Budget Act.