44580-44591
EDUCATION CODE
SECTION 44580-44591
44580. It is the intent of the Legislature to encourage California' s institutions of higher education, whether public or private, to enter into cooperative arrangements with local school districts for the provision of training programs designed to improve elementary teachers' instructional skills. The Legislature recognizes that the usual teacher preparation required by law and provided by most teacher-training institutions--while meeting high quality standards--may not provide desirable exposure to the range of new and innovative teaching techniques being developed and tested by and in cooperation with major universities throughout the United States; nor does the usual preparation provide, even with practice teaching, on-the-job experience under the guidance of resource and consulting personnel involved in development of new techniques or of so-called master teachers chosen for their exceptional ability and supplementary research in the field. The Legislature, therefore, intends, in enacting this article, to facilitate the process whereby institutions of higher education, research centers, or regional educational laboratories may provide resource personnel and special courses under contracts or other cooperative arrangements with local school districts. 44581. As used in this article, the term "staff development project," means training programs established to improve elementary teachers' instructional skills pursuant to this article. 44582. Staff development projects shall be made available whenever possible to the following personnel: (a) New elementary teachers of the district who have not yet completed the fifth year of university or college education requirements for a standard teaching credential with a specialization in elementary teaching; (b) New teachers of the district, whether from California or out of state, who may already have completed all requirements for a standard teaching credential with a specialization in elementary teaching; (c) Teachers who may already be teaching in the district, including those who have, as well as those who have not, completed the fifth year requirement for a standard teaching credential with a specialization in elementary teaching; (d) Elementary school counselors or visiting teachers; and (e) Elementary school administrators. 44583. The governing board of any school district desiring to establish a staff development project shall submit one or more project proposals to the State Department of Education for review and for final approval by the State Board of Education. No funds appropriated for purposes of this article shall be allocated to a school district for a staff development project until the State Board of Education approves of the project. 44584. A staff development project proposal shall include, but not be limited to, the following components, as well as any other components which the State Board of Education determines meet the needs and purposes of a staff development project: (a) A statement of the school district's objectives in establishing the project, specifying the school district's particular needs with reference to specialized instructional personnel. (b) A description of the component parts of the proposed staff development project, including: (1) Courses to be made available to trainees through arrangements with an institution of higher education, research center, or regional education laboratory; and (2) Other planned trainee activities. (c) A statement outlining methods and criteria to be used in selecting trainees for the project. (d) A statement indicating generally the duration of the program and the number of hours per week each trainee would be involved in designated activities. (e) A statement describing the manner in which the staff development project is to be evaluated upon termination of a unit of training. (f) A statement of proposed expenditures and reasonably expected costs, and an outline of proposed federal or state and local fund matching arrangements. 44585. The governing board of any school district may contract with institutions of higher education, including the University of California, the California State University, and private institutions, and with research centers or regional education laboratories for any of these institutions, centers, or laboratories, to furnish academic and consulting services for purposes of a staff development project. The school district shall be deemed the contracting agency and shall be responsible for coordination and administration of the staff development project. 44586. The school district shall bear 50 percent of the cost of a staff development project coordinator's salary, and shall provide the necessary facilities, equipment, and instructional materials for the project. 44587. Certificated employees participating as trainees in a staff development project shall be remunerated on a basis consistent with usual procedures of the school district. 44588. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall allow, out of funds appropriated to the Department of Education for the purpose, to each school district an amount sufficient to pay the tuition costs and other fees necessary for trainees to take courses prescribed in the staff development project at the college or university level, and to pay the consultation costs of the project, and to pay 50 percent of the cost of the salary of the staff development project coordinator. 44589. Any institution of higher learning participating in a staff development project pursuant to this article shall grant academic credit for the courses established under terms of the contract arranged when a staff development project has been approved by the State Board of Education. Such academic credit shall be granted on whatever hour or unit basis is the practice at the participating institution. 44590. A staff development project submitted by a school district may be renewed, but it shall include any modifications recommended by the State Board of Education upon review of the school district's evaluation of the staff development project. 44591. The Department of Education shall, subject to the approval of the State Board of Education, establish rules and regulations for the administration of this article, including the use of any federal funds that may be available for purposes of this article.