SECTIONS 44580-44591 - California Statutes

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.