44395-44399
EDUCATION CODE
SECTION 44395-44399
44395. (a) 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 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. (1) Commencing July 1, 2000, any teacher who has attained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is eligible to receive an award of up to twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) if he or she agrees to teach at a high-priority school for at least four years. Teaching service before July 1, 2000, may not be counted towards satisfaction of this four-year commitment. (2) Awards granted pursuant to this subdivision shall be disbursed in annual payments of five thousand dollars ($5,000) over a four-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. (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 of Education for approval. Amendments requested by the State Board of Education 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, or an education program providing instruction in kindergarten or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, that is offered by a state agency, including the California Youth Authority and the State Department of Developmental Services. (2) "High-priority school" means a school in the bottom half of all schools based on the Academic Performance Index rankings established pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 52056. This designation shall be determined as of the date of the agreement by the teacher described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a). 44395.5. For the purposes of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 44395, "assigned to teach" as used in subdivision (a) of that section may include, but is not limited to, a teacher leadership role as a peer assistance and review coach, mentor, or other teacher support provider if the position does not require an administrative credential. In order to be eligible for an award pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 44395, a teacher shall be assigned to teach for at least 50 percent of a full-time position. 44396. (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, 1999, 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 he or she meets all the other requirements for that award specified by this article. For awards pursuant to this subdivision, teaching service before July 1, 2000, may not be counted toward satisfaction of the teacher's four-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. 44398. (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. 44399. Notwithstanding any provision of law, except Sections 44332.6, 44340, 44346.1, and 44830.1, the commission shall issue a clear credential to the holder of a preliminary teaching or services credential who attains certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The clear credential issued pursuant to this section shall authorize the holder to teach or provide services in the area that the commission determines is equivalent to the certificate field in which the teacher or services provider received certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.