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SB-837 Early childhood education: professional development.(2013-2014)

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Amended  IN  Assembly  August 04, 2014
Amended  IN  Assembly  July 02, 2014
Amended  IN  Assembly  June 18, 2014
Amended  IN  Senate  May 28, 2014
Amended  IN  Senate  April 22, 2014
Amended  IN  Senate  April 02, 2014

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2013–2014 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 837

Introduced by Senator Steinberg

January 06, 2014

An act relating to early childhood education.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 837, as amended, Steinberg. Early childhood education: professional development.
Existing law authorizes a school district or charter school to maintain a transitional kindergarten program and defines transitional kindergarten as the first year of a 2-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer all California state preschool programs. Existing law requires those programs to include part-day age and developmentally appropriate programs designed to facilitate the transition to kindergarten for three- 3- and four-year-old 4-year-old children. Existing law requires the county board of supervisors and the county superintendent of schools to select members of a local planning council. Existing law requires a local planning council to conduct an assessment of child care needs in the county no less than once every 5 years.
Of the moneys appropriated in the Budget Act of 2014, this bill would allocate certain of those moneys for purposes of professional development stipends, to be administered by local planning councils, for teachers in transitional kindergarten and teachers in the California state preschool program, as provided. By imposing a new duty on a local planning council, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. The bill would require the State Department of Education to consult with various entities, including the California Community Colleges, for purposes of administering the above provisions.
Funds allocated by this bill would be applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, as provided.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NOYES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 (a) Of the moneys appropriated in Item 6110-196-0001 of the Budget Act of 2014, the sum of fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) shall be allocated to the State Department of Education to be used to fund professional development stipends for teachers, to be administered by local planning councils established pursuant to Chapter 2.3 (commencing with Section 8499) of the Education Code. The funds shall be allocated as follows:
(1) (A) First priority shall be for professional development stipends for transitional kindergarten teachers.
(B) For purposes of this paragraph, professional development stipends shall include, but shall not be limited to, all of the following:
(i)Stipends stipends for credentialed teachers to complete at least 24 units in early childhood education or childhood development, or a combination of both, pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 48000 of the Education Code.

(ii)Strengthening teacher knowledge of the California Preschool Learning Foundations, as developed by the department.

(2) Second priority shall be for professional development stipends for teachers in the California state preschool program, pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 8235) of Chapter 2 of Part 6 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code for the costs of credit bearing coursework in early childhood education, child development, or both.
(b) Of the moneys appropriated in Item 6110-196-0001 of the Budget Act of 2014, the sum of ten million dollars ($10,000,000) shall be allocated to the State Department of Education to be used for other professional development projects, not described in subdivision (a), for transitional kindergarten and California state preschool program teachers, as determined by the department, including, but not limited to, professional development that strengthens teacher knowledge of the California Preschool Learning Foundations, as developed by the department.
(c) The State Department of Education shall consult with the California Community Colleges, the California State University, resource and referral programs, the California Children and Families Commission, local planning councils, school administrators, and teachers in administering this section.
(d) For purposes of making the computations required by Section 8 of Article XVI of the California Constitution, the allocations for professional development activities pursuant to this section are “General Fund revenues appropriated for school districts,” as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 41202 of the Education Code, for the 2014–15 fiscal year, and included within the “total allocations to school districts and community college districts from General Fund proceeds of taxes appropriated pursuant to Article XIII  B,” as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 41202 of the Education Code, for that fiscal year.

SEC. 2.

 If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.