10600.

 (a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to make complete, current, and reliable information relating to education available to the Legislature and to all public educational agencies in California at maximum efficiency and economy through statewide compatibility in the development and application of information systems and electronic data-processing techniques insofar as they relate to data required in reports to the department.

(b) It is the further intent of the Legislature to recognize the importance, and enhance the stature, of the education profession throughout the state.

(c) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:

(1) According to recent studies, there is a shortage of qualified teachers, particularly in the areas of special education, English language acquisition and development, mathematics, and science, throughout California.

(2) In order for California to remain competitive in the global economy, the Legislature recognizes the necessity of continuing to support the recruitment of individuals to the teaching profession and effective teacher preparation and professional development programs. The Legislature also recognizes the importance of quality instruction to the academic achievement of pupils and of providing each pupil in the public schools with instruction by a highly qualified teacher.

(3) State and local policymakers, local educational agencies, teachers, parents, and pupils all need reliable information regarding participation in the teacher workforce, teacher movement between schools and school districts, the departure of teachers from the workforce before retirement, the appropriateness of teacher assignments, and the effectiveness of teacher credentialing, preparation, induction, recruitment, and support, and would benefit from the availability of more extensive information regarding the teaching profession.

(4) Data regarding the teacher workforce is currently collected and maintained by numerous state and local educational agencies. In order for the Legislature to fulfill its intent in enacting this chapter, it is necessary to integrate the data collected by those existing data systems to provide an understanding of the teacher workforce in the state and the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs. For purposes of integrating data regarding the teacher workforce in the state, Item 6110-001-0890 of Section 2.00 of the Budget Act of 2005 (Chapter 38 of the Statutes of 2005) appropriated funds for the department to contract for a teacher data system feasibility study to determine the feasibility of converting existing data systems into an integrated, comprehensive, longitudinally linked teacher information system that can yield high-quality program evaluations.

(5) It is important that policymakers and teacher candidates have access to information on the quality of teacher preparation programs. It is also the intent of the Legislature that the quality indicators include the extent to which teachers are prepared to work effectively with all pupils, including, but not necessarily limited to, English language learners, special education pupils, and socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils.

(6) It is the intent of the Legislature that, as the California Education Information System is implemented over time, access to public information already available on various measures of the quality of teacher preparation programs be available in electronic format and be accessible to the extent practicable through downloadable pages and reports accessible to the public in a consolidated manner.

(d) It is the intent of the Legislature that the vital goals described in this section be accomplished through the establishment of a comprehensive state education data information system in the department that includes information regarding the teacher workforce.

44225.8.

 (a) All teacher preparation programs, regardless of program sponsor, including, but not limited to, local educational agencies or other programs that are not accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, shall provide information to prospective candidates regarding the license examination passage rates of completers of its program for the most recent available year, if that data is available electronically through the Internet Web site of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

(b) For purposes of subdivision (a), “provide” includes placement of an Internet Web site address labeled as an access point for data on the passage rates of program completers on the Internet Web site of the program where enrollment information for the program is also located, on an Internet Web site that provides centralized admissions information for postsecondary educational systems or programs with multiple campuses, or on an application for enrollment or other program information distributed to prospective candidates.

(c) The commission shall provide all teacher preparation programs with the appropriate electronic link to comply with the provisions of subdivision (a). To the extent feasible, the link may also include access to additional data from the commission and from the California Longitudinal Teacher Integrated Data Education System regarding the types of programs offered and data on program effectiveness.

69432.7.

 As used in this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) An “academic year” is July 1 to June 30, inclusive. The starting date of a session shall determine the academic year in which it is included.

(b) “Access costs” means living expenses and expenses for transportation, supplies, and books.

(c) “Award year” means one academic year, or the equivalent, of attendance at a qualifying institution.

(d) “College grade point average” and “community college grade point average” mean a grade point average calculated on the basis of all college work completed, except for nontransferable units and courses not counted in the computation for admission to a California public institution of higher education that grants a baccalaureate degree.

(e) “Commission” means the Student Aid Commission.

(f) “Enrollment status” means part- or full-time status.

(1) “Part time,” for purposes of Cal Grant eligibility, means 6 to 11 semester units, inclusive, or the equivalent.

(2) “Full time,” for purposes of Cal Grant eligibility, means 12 or more semester units or the equivalent.

(g) “Expected family contribution,” with respect to an applicant, shall be determined using the federal methodology pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 69506 (as established by Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1070 et seq.)) and applicable rules and regulations adopted by the commission.

(h) “High school grade point average” means a grade point average calculated on a 4.0 scale, using all academic coursework, for the sophomore year, the summer following the sophomore year, the junior year, and the summer following the junior year, excluding physical education, reserve officer training corps (ROTC), and remedial courses, and computed pursuant to regulations of the commission. However, for high school graduates who apply after their senior year, “high school grade point average” includes senior year coursework.

(i) “Instructional program of not less than one academic year” means a program of study that results in the award of an associate or baccalaureate degree or certificate requiring at least 24 semester units or the equivalent, or that results in eligibility for transfer from a community college to a baccalaureate degree program.

(j) “Instructional program of not less than two academic years” means a program of study that results in the award of an associate or baccalaureate degree requiring at least 48 semester units or the equivalent, or that results in eligibility for transfer from a community college to a baccalaureate degree program.

(k) “Maximum household income and asset levels” means the applicable household income and household asset levels for participants in the Cal Grant Program, as defined and adopted in regulations by the commission for the 2001–02 academic year, which shall be set pursuant to the following income and asset ceiling amounts:

*Applies to independent students with dependents other than a
spouse.

**Applies to independent students with dependents other than a
spouse.

 

The commission shall annually adjust the maximum household income and asset levels based on the percentage change in the cost of living within the meaning of paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) of Section 8 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution. An applicant who qualifies to be considered under the simplified needs test established by federal law for student assistance shall be presumed to meet the asset level test under this section. Prior to disbursing any Cal Grant funds, a qualifying institution shall be obligated, under the terms of its institutional participation agreement with the commission, to resolve any conflicts that may exist in the data the institution possesses relating to that individual.

(l) (1) “Qualifying institution” means an institution that complies with paragraph (2) and is any of the following:

(A) A California private or independent postsecondary educational institution that participates in the Pell Grant Program and in at least two of the following federal campus-based student aid programs:

(i) Federal Work-Study.

(ii) Perkins Loan Program.

(iii) Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program.

(B) A nonprofit institution headquartered and operating in California that certifies to the commission that 10 percent of the institution’s operating budget, as demonstrated in an audited financial statement, is expended for the purposes of institutionally funded student financial aid in the form of grants, that demonstrates to the commission that it has the administrative capacity to administer the funds, that is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and that meets any other state-required criteria adopted by regulation by the commission in consultation with the Department of Finance. A regionally accredited institution that was deemed qualified by the commission to participate in the Cal Grant Program for the 2000–01 academic year shall retain its eligibility as long as it maintains its existing accreditation status.

(C) A California public postsecondary educational institution.

(2) (A) The institution shall provide information on where to access California license examination passage rates for the most recent available year from graduates of its undergraduate programs leading to employment for which passage of a California licensing examination is required, if that data is electronically available through the Internet Web site of a California licensing or regulatory agency. For purposes of this paragraph, “provide” may exclusively include placement of an Internet Web site address labeled as an access point for the data on the passage rates of recent program graduates on the Internet Web site where enrollment information is also located, on an Internet Web site that provides centralized admissions information for postsecondary educational systems with multiple campuses, or on applications for enrollment or other program information distributed to prospective students.

(B) The institution shall be responsible for certifying to the commission compliance with the requirements of subparagraph (A).

(m) “Satisfactory academic progress” means those criteria required by applicable federal standards published in Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The commission may adopt regulations defining “satisfactory academic progress” in a manner that is consistent with those federal standards.