PK-3 early childhood education specialist credential: grant program.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to award planning grants of up to $250,000 each to regionally accredited institutions of higher education to develop plans for the creation of integrated programs of professional preparation that lead to more credentialed teachers with an emphasis on identified shortage fields, as provided. Existing law requires the commission to also award implementation or expansion grants of up to $500,000 each for regionally accredited institutions of higher education to develop new programs of professional preparation or to establish a new partnership with a California community college, as provided. This bill would, separate from those grants, require the commission to develop and implement a program to award, on a competitive basis, planning grants of up to $250,000 each to regionally accredited institutions of higher education for the development of plans to guide the creation of programs of professional preparation, and implementation grants of up to $500,000 each to regionally accredited institutions of higher education for the implementation of programs of professional preparation, that lead to more credentialed teachers obtaining the PK-3 Early Childhood Education Specialist Credential, as provided. This bill would authorize a regionally accredited institution of higher education awarded a planning grant or an implementation grant to use the grant funds to create a new 4-year integrated program of professional preparation, adapt an existing integrated program of professional preparation, or establish a stand-alone program of professional preparation, and for any purpose in support of planning for, or for implementation of, those programs of professional preparation, as applicable, as specified. This bill would, as a condition of the receipt of a planning or implementation grant, require a regionally accredited institution of higher education to provide to the commission specified program and outcome data for at least 5 years after receiving the grant. The bill would require applicants for either grant to provide certain assurances, as provided. This bill would require the commission to give first and 2nd priority to grant applicants that make specified commitments, and would require the commission to annually report to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the Legislature on any grants funded until funds are fully expended, as specified. This bill would make implementation of these provisions contingent upon an appropriation by the Legislature for these purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.