(a) (1) The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification Incentive Program is hereby established to award grants to school districts for the purpose of providing awards to teachers who are employed by school districts or charter schools, are assigned to teach in California public schools, and have attained or will attain certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Awards shall be granted to the extent that funds have been appropriated for this purpose in the annual Budget Act.
(2) (A) Commencing July 1, 2021, any teacher who has attained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
is eligible to receive an award of up to twenty-five
thousand dollars ($25,000) if the teacher agrees to teach at a high-priority school for at least five years. Teaching service before July 1, 2021, may not be counted towards satisfaction of this five-year commitment.
(B) Awards granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be disbursed in annual payments of five thousand dollars ($5,000) over a five-year period. The annual payment shall be made upon completion of the school year, and upon approval of a district-certified application pursuant to the guidelines of subdivision (c) of Section 44396.
(3) (A) Commencing July 1, 2021, any teacher who initiates the process of pursuing a certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards when teaching at a high-priority school is
eligible to receive an award of two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500).
(B) Awards granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be disbursed from the department to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Any unused funds shall be applied to future candidates.
(C) A teacher who receives an award pursuant to this paragraph may still apply to receive funds under paragraph (2) after completion of a certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to the extent funds are available.
(4) (A) (i) Commencing July 1, 2023, any teacher who initiates the process of maintenance of certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards when teaching at a high-priority school is eligible to receive an award of four hundred
ninety-five dollars ($495).
(ii) Awards granted pursuant to this paragraph shall be disbursed from the department to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Any unused funds shall be applied to future candidates.
(iii) A teacher who receives an award pursuant to this paragraph may still apply to receive funds under paragraph (2).
(B) This paragraph may be implemented using funds appropriated pursuant to Section 137 of Chapter 44 of the Statutes of 2021.
(b) The department shall administer the awards authorized by subdivision (a), and shall develop, in consultation with the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, certification
and award information, criteria, procedures, and applications, all of which shall be submitted to the state board for approval. Amendments requested by the state board to that information, criteria, procedures, and applications shall be made before the dissemination of the material and the granting of any award under this article.
(c) The department shall distribute the materials described in subdivision (b) to school districts. Each school district is strongly encouraged to ensure that teachers employed by the district or by charter schools affiliated with the district are informed about the program and can acquire the necessary application and information materials.
(d) School districts are encouraged to provide for adequate release time and support for a teacher to complete the
certification process. As a condition to providing that release time and support, a school district may require that a teacher serve in a mentor teacher capacity.
(e) For purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:
(1) “School district” means school district, county board of education, county superintendent of schools, a state operated program, including a special school, a regional occupational center or program operated by a joint powers authority or a county office of education, or an education program providing instruction in transitional kindergarten, kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that is offered by a state agency, including the Department of Youth and Community Restoration and the State Department of Developmental Services.
(2) “High-priority school” means a school with 55 percent or more of its pupils being unduplicated pupils, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 42238.02. This designation shall be determined by the department.
(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 819, Sec. 2. (AB 908) Effective October 13, 2023.)
(a) (1) To the extent that funds are available for that purpose, a teacher who meets the criteria approved by the state board pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44395 is eligible and may apply for an award by following the procedures and instructions developed pursuant to that subdivision.
(2) A teacher who attained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards before January 1, 2021, and who was employed by a school district or charter school and assigned to teach in a California public school on the date of certification may apply for an award authorized pursuant to this article if the teacher meets all the other requirements for that award specified by this article. For awards pursuant to this subdivision, teaching service before July 1, 2021, may not be counted toward satisfaction of the teacher’s five-year agreement to teach in a high-priority school.
(b) Teachers shall submit their applications for an award authorized by this article to the school district employing them. Teachers employed by a charter school shall submit their application through the school district granting the school’s charter.
(c) The department shall approve applications submitted by school districts that meet the criteria established pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44395. To the extent funds are available, the department shall apportion funds to the appropriate school districts in the amount of the award authorized by Section 44395 for each approved application. The school district shall use funds apportioned to it
pursuant to this subdivision to provide the amount of the award authorized by subdivision (a) of Section 44395 to each teacher whose application is approved.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 44, Sec. 43. (AB 130) Effective July 9, 2021.)
(a) Notwithstanding any provision of law except Sections 44332.6, 44340, 44346.1, and 44830.1, a person who is licensed to teach or provide services in the public schools of a state other than California and who is certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards shall be issued a clear teaching or services credential authorizing teaching or service in the area, as determined by the commission, in which the person has received national certification.
(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede the requirements of Section 44253.3.
(Amended by Stats. 2009, Ch. 316, Sec. 7. (AB 239) Effective January 1, 2010.)
(a) The commission shall issue an authorization for an additional subject or for a new teaching credential type to the holder of a valid California multiple subject or single subject teaching credential, or eligible applicant, who has earned certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the additional single subject content area or the new multiple subject or single subject teaching credential type.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), when there is no direct equivalence between the national certification and the California subject or credential type, the commission shall determine the subject or credential type or may require the applicant to qualify for a commission-approved determination of subject matter competence before issuance of the credential or authorization request. An applicant for a multiple subject teaching credential may also be required to qualify for a commission-approved determination of subject matter competence in order to comply with state subject matter requirements.
(Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 44, Sec. 44. (AB 130) Effective July 9, 2021.)