44419.
(a) For purposes of this article, “applicant” means one of, or any combination of, the following: (1) A school district.
(2) A county office of education.
(3) A charter school.
(b) The California Diversifying the Teacher Workforce Grant Program is hereby established in the department to provide one-time competitive grants to local educational agencies to develop and implement new, or expand existing, programs that address a local need to develop a teacher workforce that serves all
pupil populations, including Black pupils.
(c) Grant program funding may be used for local efforts to recruit, develop support systems for, provide outreach and communication strategies to, and retain teachers. These efforts can include, but are not limited to, recruitment and retention solutions that address a local need for teachers that can serve all pupil populations, including Black pupils. Allowable grant activities include any of the following:
(1) Collaborating with existing California State University teacher education programs
at institutions of higher education, including minority-serving institutions, as defined in Section 1067q of Title 20 of the United States Code, or existing regional teacher coaching programs, or developing new support and coaching networks for teachers.
(2) Professional learning for teacher educators. Funding shall support programs for three-year intensive, mentored, and clinical teacher preparation programs dedicated to preparing and retaining teachers. educators, including, but not limited to, intensive mentorship programs dedicated to retaining teachers.
(3)Designing and implementing a comprehensive recruitment strategy with the goal of developing and maintaining a teacher workforce that serves the entire student body.
(4)
(3) Efforts to transform the local educational agency’s or schoolsite’s culture to one that values diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
(5)
(4) Creating career pathways to encourage teachers to pursue administrative positions.
(6)
(5) Implementing practices to create a positive school climate, including restorative justice.
(7)
(6) Strategically planning communications and outreach to engage stakeholders in activities to create positive school climate through community engagement.
(8)
(7) Offering
structured feedback and coaching systems organized around social-emotional learning, including, but not limited to, promoting teacher self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships, and responsible decisionmaking skills, improving teacher attitudes and beliefs about one’s self and others, and supporting learning communities for educators to engage in a meaningful classroom teaching experience.
(9)Other recruitment and
(8) Other retention solutions that address a local
need for a pool of teachers that can serve the entire student body.
(d) The department shall prescribe rules regarding the timing, manner, and the information required to be included in grant applications.
(e) When selecting grant recipients, the department shall require grant applicants to demonstrate all of the following:
(1)Difficulty recruiting teachers, specifically teachers in high-need schools.
(2)
(1) Significant turnover of teachers.
(3)
(2) Receipt of federal Title I funds at the time of the application.
(4)
(3) A disproportionate number of novice teachers compared to the statewide average.
(5)
(4) A commitment to developing culturally responsive teachers with a special emphasis on improving outcomes of high-needs, low-performing pupil populations.
(6)
(5) Experience with social and emotional learning practices and restorative justice.
(f) For purposes of administering the California Diversifying the Teacher Workforce Grant Program, the department shall do all of the
following:
(1) Provide technical assistance and guidelines on the recruitment retention
of teachers, social and emotional learning, school climate, and restorative justice for purposes of professional development. These core competencies shall be published on the department’s internet website and be made available to local educational agencies.
(2) Determine the number of grants to be awarded and the total amount awarded to each grant applicant.
(3) Require grant recipients to submit annual reports on the status and progress of the grant program and to submit a final implementation report within three years of receiving a grant award that describes the outcomes and effectiveness of the grant program.
(g)The Superintendent and the department shall submit a report to the Legislature and the Governor on or before June 30, 2026, on the results of the California Diversifying the Teacher Workforce Grant Program. The report submitted to the Legislature pursuant to this subdivision shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.
(h)
(g) The department shall conduct an evaluation of the California Diversifying the Teacher Workforce Grant Program to determine the effectiveness of the various initiatives in recruiting, developing support systems for, for and retaining teachers, and shall submit a report this evaluation to the Department of Finance and the appropriate fiscal and
policy committees of the Legislature on or before June 30, 2026.
(i)
(h) Implementation of this article is contingent on an appropriation being made for its purposes by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
(1) This funding shall be available for encumbrance until June 30, 2026, and shall be available for liquidation until June 30, 2027.
(2) Of the funds appropriated for purposes of this article, one hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($175,000)
shall be made available annually until June 30, 2027, for the department to administer the California Diversifying the Teacher Workforce Grant Program.