On July 9, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 130, enacting various programmatic and budgetary changes for the 2021-22 fiscal year. This report will cover the changes that impact the educator preparatory, retention and professional training programs.

21st Century California School Leadership Academy

The enacted budget provides $25 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund to the 21st Century California School Leadership Academy to support high-quality professional learning for administrators and other school leaders. The California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) administers and selects professional learning providers, free of charge, to local education agencies (LEAs) that receive federal Title II funds on a statewide basis.

  • Timeframe. Encumbrance until June 30, 2026.

(AB 130, Page 271, Section 142)

Classified School Employee Summer Assistance Program

The enacted budget provides $60 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for eligible classified employees who can extend their pay over a 12-month period when they work fewer than 11 months per year, providing the participating classified employee up to $1 for each $1 they have elected to have withheld from the monthly paychecks for intersessional pay.

For the 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2022-23 school years, to determine a classified employee’s total months employed by the LEA, the employing LEA shall exclude any hours worked by the classified employee as a result of an extension of the academic school year directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic if the hours are in addition to the employees’ regular assignment and would prevent the employee from being eligible for this program.

  • Eligibility Criteria. LEAs that elect to participate in the program shall notify classified employees by January 1, and notify CDE by April 1, during a fiscal year in which the funds are appropriated for this purpose. When notifying the department, the LEA will include information such as the number of classified employees who have elected to participate in the program and the total estimated amount to be withheld from participating classified employee paychecks for the applicable school year. Eligible classified employees who participate in this program must have been employed by the LEA for at least one year and shall notify the LEA in writing the specific amount to be withheld from their monthly paychecks by March 1.
  • Timeframe. Encumbrance until June 30, 2024.

(AB 130, Page 135, Section 50, Amends Education Code Section 45500; Page 269, Section 140)

Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program

The enacted budget provides $125 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to support the recruitment of non-certificated school employees to become certificated classroom teachers in LEAs that have not previously participated in this credentialing program and have a higher share than other applicants of unduplicated students.

  • Grant Amount. Grants shall not exceed $24,000 over five years per teacher candidate, and an LEA shall not use more than 10% of a grant award for program administration costs. CTC shall do both of the following:
    1. Allocate grants for at least 5,208 new participants, and
    2. Give priority to an LEA that meets any of these conditions: has not previously received funding from this program and has a higher share than other applicants of unduplicated students.
  • Timeframe. Encumbrance until June 30, 2026.

(AB 130, Page 261, Section 129)

Educator Effectiveness Block Grant

The enacted budget provides $1.5 billion one-time Proposition 98 General Fund to support professional development in specified high-need topics, including accelerated learning, social-emotional learning, re-engaging students, restorative practices and implicit bias training.

  • Grant Amount. The California State Superintendent of Public Instruction shall apportion these funds to LEAs in an equal amount per full-time equivalent certificated staff and classified staff, which shall not exceed the total certificated staff and classified staff count for each eligible LEA, in the 2020–21 fiscal year. The State Superintendent shall make the calculations using the data submitted through the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System and classified staff data submitted through the California Basic Educational Data System as of October 2020.
  • Use of Funds. An LEA will provide professional learning for teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals who work with pupils and classified staff that interact with pupils, with a focus on any of the following areas:
    1. Coaching and mentoring of staff serving in an instructional setting and beginning teacher or administrator induction with a focus on retaining teachers, offering structured feedback and coaching systems organized around social-emotional learning, and supporting learning communities for educators.
    2. Programs that lead to effective, standards-aligned instruction and improve instruction in literacy across all subject areas.
    3. Practices and strategies that reengage pupils and lead to accelerated learning.
    4. Strategies to implement approaches that improve student well-being.
    5. Practices to create a positive school climate.
    6. Strategies to improve inclusive practices, best practices for early identification, and development of individual education plans for individuals with exceptional needs.
    7. Instruction and education to support implementing effective language acquisition programs for English learners.
    8. New professional learning networks for educators not already engaged in an education-related professional learning network.
    9. Instruction and strategies to incorporate ethnic studies curricula for grades 7 to 12.
    10. Instruction, education and strategies for certificated and classified educators in early childhood education or childhood development.
  • Two Conditions of Receiving Funds.
    1. On or before December 30, 2021, LEAs will develop and adopt a plan delineating the expenditure of funds. The plan shall be presented in a public meeting of the governing board of the LEA before its adoption in a subsequent public meeting.
    2. On or before September 30, 2026, LEAs will report detailed expenditure information to CDE, including, but not limited to, specific purchases made and the number of teachers, administrators, paraprofessional educators or classified staff that received professional development. CDE will determine the format for this report.
  • State Annual Audit Requirement. Funding apportioned for this purpose is subject to the annual audits required by Education Code Section 41020.
  • Timeframe. Expend funds from the 2021–22 fiscal year through the 2025–26 fiscal year.

(AB 130, Page 75, Section 22, Adds Education Code Section 41480)

Credentialing Requirements Changes

The enacted budget allows CTC and CTC-approved teacher preparation programs to verify that a candidate or applicant has demonstrated basic skills proficiency via a new method: by earning at least a letter grade of B in qualifying coursework determined by a credential preparation program, or determined by CTC for an applicant not enrolled in a California credential preparation program, to sufficiently serve as an indicator of proficiency in basic reading, writing and mathematics skills in the English language. This enables a candidate to bypass taking the California Basic Educational Skills Test™.

Defines “qualifying coursework” as a course or courses taken at a regionally accredited institution of higher education for academic credit that applies toward the requirements for an associate, baccalaureate or higher degree. Qualifying coursework does not include professional development or continuing education units, in-service training or workshops, or courses where credits do not apply toward the requirements for an associate, baccalaureate or higher degree. Qualifying coursework shall be a semester-length course of at least three units or the equivalent number of quarter units. The following courses are sufficient to serve as indicators of proficiency:

  • Reading proficiency: a course in the subjects of critical thinking, literature, philosophy, reading, rhetoric or textual analysis.
  • Writing proficiency: a course in the subjects of composition, English, rhetoric, written communications or writing.
  • Mathematics proficiency: a course in the subjects of algebra, geometry, mathematics, quantitative reasoning or statistics.

Qualifying coursework does not include:

  • Professional development or continuing education units.
  • In-service training or workshops.
  • Courses where credits do not apply toward the requirements for an associate, baccalaureate or higher degree.

When a course does not fall within a subject listed above, an alternative indicator of proficiency may be proven if the applicant provides documentation in writing from the registrar or relevant department chair of the regionally accredited institution of higher education where the course was taken that the course includes the study of subjects in reading, writing or mathematics, as those terms are described above. A course that meets these standards may combine the study of reading and writing.

New Subject Matter Competence Options. The enacted budget also expands the options to allow teaching candidates to meet the subject matter requirement through any one of the following methods:

  • Successful completion of coursework, as verified by a CTC-approved preparation program that addresses each of the CTC-adopted domains of the subject matter requirements.
  • Successful completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited higher education institution, as follows:
    • Single Subject Credential: A major in one of the subject areas approved in Education Code Section 44257.
    • Multiple Subject Credential: A major in liberal studies or other degree that includes course content areas identified in subdivision (b) of Education Code Section 44282.
    • Education Specialist Credential: A major that aligns with one of the acceptable majors for the Multiple Subject credential or Single Subject credential.
  • A candidate can demonstrate through a combination of coursework and examination options that they have met or exceeded the domains of the subject matter requirements if enrolled in a CTC-approved preparation program that allows for this option.

This alternative option allows a teacher candidate to bypass taking the California Subject Matter Examinations for Teachers®. CTC will enact emergency regulations and guidance for preparation programs seeking to conduct coursework evaluations and clarify the degree types that may be used for the major option.

The enacted budget also provided CTC with $20 million for credential fee waivers to individuals entering the preschool through Grade 12 teaching workforce. The funds can be applied to an applicant’s initial application for the credentials and approved permits if application is received from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.

(AB 130, Page 113, Section 38, Amends Education Code Section 44252; Page 117, Section 39, Amends Education Code Section 44259; Page 121, Section 40, Amends Education Code Section 44280; Page 128, Section 47, Amends Education Code Section 44830; Page 254, Section 120)

Golden State Teacher Grant Program

The enacted budget provides $500 million one-time General Fund to subsidize credentialing for at least 25,000 aspiring teachers agreeing to teach for four years in low-income areas with a teacher shortage. The California Student Aid Commission will be provided an additional $15 million in Federal Trust Fund support grants to special education teachers through this program, which funds are to be encumbered or expended by June 30, 2023.

  • Timeframe. Encumbrance or expenditure until June 30, 2026.

(Senate Bill [SB] 129, Page 324, Section 232; AB 130, Page 252, Section 115)

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification Incentive Program

The enacted budget provides $250 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for incentive grants to attract and retain National Board Certified teachers to teach in high-priority schools, serve as mentors for other instructional staff and support other teachers in pursuing National Board certification.

  • Grant Amount. Up to $25,000 if a teacher agrees to teach at a high-priority school for at least five years, disbursed in annual payments of $5,000 over a five-year period. Teaching service prior to July 1, 2021, will not be counted towards satisfaction of this five-year commitment. For current teachers in high-priority schools may be eligible to receive an award of $2,500, disbursed in two parts (50% upon application for funds and 50% upon completion of the National Board certification).

(AB 130, Page 121, Section 42, Amends Education Code Section 44395)

Teacher Residency Grant Program

The enacted budget provides $350 million one-time Proposition 98 General Fund for CTC to continue to support the Teacher Residency Grant Program, an applicant-based program that allows a prospective teacher to work with a regionally accredited institution and teach at least one-half time, alongside a teacher of record who is designated as the experienced mentor teacher, for at least one full school year while engaging in initial preparation coursework.

CTC shall provide one-time grants for applicants of $25,000 per teacher candidate, with 80% matching requirement per participant, to establish, expand, strengthen or improve teacher residency programs that support either of the following:

  • Designated shortage fields (i.e., special education, bilingual education, science, computer science, technology, engineering, mathematics, transitional kindergarten or kindergarten, and any other CTC-identified fields).
  • Local efforts to recruit and develop support systems for outreach and communication strategies and retention of diverse workforce that reflects the LEA’s community.
  • Grant Applicant and Recipient. A grant applicant may consist of one or more, or any combination of, school districts, county offices of education (COE), charter schools, and/or regional occupational centers or programs operated by a joint powers authority or a COE. The grant recipient will work with one or more CTC-accredited teacher preparation programs and may work with other community partners to develop and implement mentoring and support services. The grant recipients shall not charge a teacher resident a fee to participate in the program. Grant recipients will do all of the following:
    1. Ensure that candidates are prepared to earn a preliminary teaching credential that will authorize the candidate to teach either in a designated shortage field or in furtherance of hiring a diverse workforce that reflects the LEA’s community upon completion of the program.
    2. Ensure that candidates are provided instruction in all of the following:
      • Teaching the content area or areas in which the teacher will become certified to teach.
      • Planning, curriculum development and assessment.
      • Learning and child development.
      • Management of the classroom environment.
      • Use of culturally responsive practices, supports for language development and supports for serving pupils with disabilities.
      • Professional responsibilities, including interaction with families and colleagues.
    1. Provide each candidate mentoring and beginning teacher induction support following the completion of the initial credential program necessary to obtain a clear credential and ongoing professional development and networking opportunities during the candidate’s first years of teaching at no cost to the candidate.
    2. Prepare candidates to teach in a school within the jurisdiction of the grant recipient in which they will work and learn the instructional initiatives and curriculum of the grant recipient.
    3. Group teacher candidates in cohorts to facilitate professional collaboration among residents, and ensure candidates are enrolled in a teaching school or professional development program that is organized to support a high-quality teacher learning experience in a supportive work environment.
  • Use of Funds. Grant funding shall be used for, but not limited to, any of the following:
    1. Teacher preparation costs.
    2. Stipends for mentor teachers, including, but not limited to, housing stipends.
    3. Residency program staff costs.
    4. Mentoring and beginning teacher induction costs following initial preparation.
      • A grant recipient cannot use more than 5% of a grant award for program administrative costs.
  • Priority Consideration. CTC will give priority consideration to grant applicants who demonstrate a commitment to increasing diversity in the teaching workforce, have a higher percentage than other applicants of unduplicated pupils, and have one or more schools that exhibit one or both of the following characteristics:
    1. A school where 50% or more of the enrolled pupils are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
    2. A school that is in either a rural location or a densely populated region.
  • Timeframe. Encumbrance by June 30, 2026.

(AB 130, Page 124, Section 45, Adds Education Code Section 44415.5; Page 128, Section 46, Adds Education Code Section 44417.5)

Contractor Fingerprinting Requirements

The enacted budget requires that, commencing January 1, 2022, any entity that has a contract with an LEA shall ensure that any employee who interacts with pupils, outside of the immediate supervision and control of the pupil’s parent or guardian or a school employee, has a valid criminal records summary. When the contracting entity performs the criminal background check, it shall immediately provide any subsequent arrest and conviction information it receives to any LEA with which it is contracting.

On a case-by-case basis, an LEA may require an entity with whom it has a contract to comply with the requirements of this section for employees. The entity shall prepare and submit that employee’s fingerprints to the Department of Justice.

(AB 130, Page 133, Section 49, Adds Education Code Section 45125.1)

Other Professional Programs

Materials