| STATE OF
CALIFORNIA GRAY DAVIS, Governor
COMMISSION ON TEACHER CREDENTIALING |
1900 Capitol
Avenue
Sacramento, California 95814-4213
(916) 327-0586
FAX (916) 327-7179
OFFICE OF GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS |
 |
Report of the Professional Personnel Development Working Group
Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan K- University
Testimony of Linda G. Bond, Director, Governmental Relations
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
February 12, 2002
Introduction
Good afternoon, Madam Chair and Members, I am Linda Bond, representing
the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. First, I want to acknowledge
the important work and thinking that went into the report by all of your
Working Group Members, but in particular my former boss, my mentor and
my friend, Gary Hart and former Commissioner Arthurlene Towner, as well
as your very capable staff, Alva Johnson and Stephen Blake. This is a thoughtful
and compelling set of recommendations.
Second, I want to tell you that the Commission shares many of the report’s
conclusions and recommendations; most importantly, that quality and consistency
should permeate all aspects of teacher development. We also applaud and
concur with the recommendations regarding data collection, a role for Community
Colleges in teacher preparation and the need for reforms in administrator
preparation. I want to highlight just a few issues today and to share some
tools that you may wish to employ to meet the goals identified by your
Working Group.
Preparation Prior to Employment
The Working Group has identified the crucial importance of qualified
teachers, particularly for students in low-performing schools. We applaud
their attention to this issue. We only want to add that the incentive system
currently operating in California is heavily weighted toward individuals
obtaining a job first, then pursuing preparation. We encourage you to do
all that you can to fund programs that prepare teachers prior to their
taking responsibility for a classroom. For example, three programs that
you already have in place are the Paraprofessional Teacher Training Program,
the Governor’s Teaching Fellowship Program and the Assumption Program of
Loans for Education (APLE).
Quality and Consistency
Specific to the report’s focus on quality and consistency:
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The Commission is implementing SB 2042 (Alpert/Mazzoni) which will introduce
a teaching performance assessment. That should go a long way toward strengthening
quality, consistency and accountability in teacher preparation.
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The SB 2042 assessment is based upon state standards and expectations designed
to measure the ability of each credential candidate to teach, in a classroom,
to the State Board adopted K-12 content standards.
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Data from the assessment can be used first to assist candidates to gain
the knowledge and skills needed to succeed with all students by giving
them important, timely feedback on their performance in a classroom setting
in relation to state standards and expectations. Second, the assessment
results can be used to strengthen teacher preparation programs themselves
by indicating strengths and weaknesses. Finally, the assessment results
can be used to hold colleges, universities and district intern programs
accountable for preparing teacher candidates to teach to the K-12 content
standards and assist students who have difficulty meeting the standards.
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On another front related to consistency and quality, under a Federal Title
II grant secured with the help of the Governor, former Secretary for Education
Gary Hart, and the Governor and administered by the Commission, all segments
of higher education will receive funding to align subject matter coursework
with the K-12 content standards. The grants, together with new SB 2042
subject matter standards, will assure that teachers in colleges are learning
the subject matter content that they need to prepare to assist all students
in California public schools.
Data
With respect to data, we concur with the Working Group’s recommendations
specific to establishing a more comprehensive teacher data system with
particular emphasis on a common identifier. Building on the work called
for by Senator Alpert’s bill, the Commission has explored several avenues
as possible investments specific to a teacher data/accountability system
in California, including a system that would use current technology to
provide more robust and more timely data on teacher retention and assignment.
We have shared some of this information with your staff, and would be happy
to share the details of such a system with members of the committee at
a later time.
The value of such an objective performance data system would be multi-fold:
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Policy makers would have data to track teacher demand, supply, distribution
and attrition;
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Institutions offering teacher preparation programs could use the data to
evaluate and strengthen their programs;
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Teacher preparation institutions whose candidates receive consistently
low scores could be required to make improvements based on objective performance
data;
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State and local policymakers would have greater assurance that state dollars
for teacher preparation are well-spent;
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Taxpayers, parents, students, teachers and school districts would be assured
that the teachers prepared in California can effectively assist public
school students meeting California’s student performance standards; and
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Individuals interested in becoming teachers could use the data in selecting
a teacher preparation program.
Enhancing the role of Community Colleges in teacher preparation
We concur with the Working Group’s recommendation that the Community
Colleges’ role in teacher preparation be enhanced. One way of enhancing
their role is to increase the number of blended programs that include community
colleges. Blended programs are four-year undergraduate programs that "blend"
work in what to teach—subject matter—with work on how to teacher—pedagogy.
Expanding the number of blended programs has the advantage of using existing
mechanisms and funds to meet the goal of enhancing the role of community
colleges in teacher preparation. The Commission is looking to expand these
opportunities, using Title II funds, for community colleges and four-year
institutions to partner in teacher preparation.
Preparation of School Administrators
We share the Working Group’s sense of urgency to reform the administrative
services credential to refocus the requirements on institutional leadership
and "real world" experiences of school site leaders. We agree that the
tenets that let to AB 75 can help illuminate a long-needed review of administrative
preparation, standards, content, structure and delivery.
To this end the Commission has been conducting forums, hearings and
discussions around the state for several months. Last week the Commission
directed staff to produce a plan to:
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Provide greater flexibility to districts in employing individuals for administrative
positions at the district level;
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Recast administrator standards, preparation and induction to focus on instructional
leadership, assisting all students to learn;
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Authorize alternative routes to the credential, including preparation offered
by local school districts;
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Insure licensure portability for principals prepared in other states;
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Totally restructure the professional clear credential requirements to focus
on mentoring, support and assistance;
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Allow capable, experienced individuals to "test out" of credential requirements,
through a combination of written and performance-based measures.
Last year you enacted SB 57 by Senator Jack Scott to allow experienced
individuals to test out of teacher preparation requirements. Building on
the expedited route for teachers, a new Scott legislative proposal, sponsored
by the Commission, would provide an expedited credentialing route for administrators.
School districts, particularly those with hard-to-staff and low-performing
schools, could identify strong teacher leaders with the skills and commitment
to work in challenged schools who could pursue this credentialing option.
Advanced Teaching Credential
The recommendations for an advanced teaching credential are intriguing.
This could go a long way toward involving teachers in school leadership,
while making the job of administrators more manageable.
Conclusion
In closing, the Commission would like to acknowledge the extensive work
of the Professional Personnel Development Working Group, and offer to work
with you in any way you deem appropriate towards meeting the Master Plan
goals.