Plain English Breakdown
The official digest text shows conflicting edits regarding who must evaluate the program: it lists both 'Legislative Analyst's Office' and 'commission' with strikethroughs or unclear formatting. The final version likely assigns this to the Commission, but the source provided is ambiguous.
Changes to Teacher Credentials for Career Technical Education
This law changes how community college bachelor's degrees count toward teaching credentials and creates a pilot program allowing career technical education teachers to use their degree instead of work experience.
What This Bill Does
- Removes the automatic inclusion of baccalaureate-granting community colleges in the definition of 'regionally accredited' institutions for teacher credential purposes unless they meet new coursework standards.
- Requires that a bachelor's degree from an accredited community college include specific coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills to qualify for teaching credentials.
- Creates a pilot program running from January 1, 2027, to January 1, 2033, allowing approved community colleges to recommend career technical education teaching credentials based on personalized preparation programs aligned with their degree majors.
- Allows candidates with a bachelor's degree in the specific subject area or industry sector to meet requirements for a preliminary designated subjects credential instead of needing three years of work experience.
- Requires an evaluation of these new preparation programs and mandates that results be reported to state leaders by January 1, 2032.
Who It Names or Affects
- People seeking teaching credentials in career technical education subjects
- Community colleges offering baccalaureate degree programs
- The Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Terms To Know
- Designated Subjects Career Technical Education Credential
- A teaching license for instructors who teach specific career and technical skills.
- Baccalaureate Degree
- Another name for a bachelor's degree earned from an institution of higher education.
Limits and Unknowns
- The pilot program is limited to the time period between January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2033.
- Only community colleges that meet specific standards set by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing can participate in recommending credentials under this new system.