1. LAO Teacher Reform: Rethinking Teacher Accreditation, Credentialing, and Tenure Policies Jennifer Kuhn Director, K-12 Education Legislative Analyst’s Office August 2007 www.lao.ca.gov

2. LAO Ensuring Teacher Quality  California uses three systems to try to ensure teacher quality. Accreditation Credentialing Probationary period

3. LAO Ensuring Teacher Quality (Continued)  Accreditation: Ensure teacher preparation institutions are of sufficient quality  Credentialing: Ensure individual teacher candidates are of sufficient quality  Probationary period: Ensure beginning teachers are of sufficient quality

4. LAO Outline of Workshop  In each of these three areas: Review existing policies Identify shortcomings/areas of concern Discuss recommendations for reform

5. LAO Accreditation

6. LAO Three Accreditation Systems  Types of accreditation Regional accreditation (required) State accreditation (required) National accreditation (voluntary)  Systems operate independently from one another

7. LAO State Accreditation System Accreditation Standards  Each teacher preparation institution must meet: 10 general preconditions Program-specific preconditions 8 common standards 19 program standards 116 program elements

8. LAO State Accreditation System (Continued)  Review of teacher preparation institution conducted by accreditation team  Team ranges in size from 2 to 15 reviewers  Team includes: Reviewers selected from pool of faculty members, K-12 teachers, and administrators Staff from Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)

9. LAO State Accreditation System (Continued)  Team conducts site visit every 5 to 7 years  Team examines program documents and interviews program participants

10. LAO State Accreditation System (Continued)  Team makes a recommendation to CTC’s Committee on Accreditation  Institution can be: Accredited Accredited with stipulations Denied accreditation

11. LAO Most Recent Accreditation Cycle  From 1997-2002, accreditation teams visited 73 campuses.

12. LAO Most Recent Accreditation Cycle (Continued)  How many were denied accreditation? 0 3 7 12

13. LAO Most Recent Accreditation Cycle (Continued)  How many received full accreditation? 73 50 36 25

14. LAO State-Accredited Institutions  Today, 92 state-accredited teacher preparation institutions operate in California. 53 private colleges and universities 22 CSU campuses 8 UC campuses 9 local education agencies

15. LAO Shortcomings of Existing State Accreditation System  Standards vague  Reviews subjective  Reviews occur too infrequently  System almost entirely input-oriented

16. LAO Moving Toward Performance- Based Accreditation System  Institutions would report performance data each year  Intervention would be more targeted  Data would be made easily accessible

17. LAO New System Based on Program Performance  Teacher preparation institutions would be assessed based on: Average scores on state-required teacher assessments Graduation rates Employment rates Three-year retention rates Employer satisfaction rates Student improvement

18. LAO New System Reviews Performance Every Year  Teacher preparation institutions would provide performance data every year  If met set performance thresholds, institution would retain accreditation

19. LAO New System Targets Assistance  If teacher preparation institution fails to meet one or more performance thresholds, state would provide targeted assistance  If program does not improve within reasonable period of time, its accreditation would be revoked

20. LAO New System Maximizes Value of Performance Information  Aggregated performance data would be posted on the Web  Site also would display growth measures and similar-school rankings

21. LAO Credentialing

22. LAO Basic Types of Credentials  The CTC currently issues more than 40 different types of teacher licenses 20 types of teaching credentials 8 types of teaching certificates 4 types of teaching short-term permits 8 types of emergency permits 1 credential waiver  The CTC has more than 90 different types of outdated licensing documents

23. LAO Most Common Types of Credentials  Multiple Subject Credential  Single Subject Credential  Education Specialist Credential  Within each of these categories, CTC issues: Preliminary credentials Professional credentials Renewal credentials

24. LAO Types of Credential Authorizations  Single Subject Credential 21 basic authorizations 26 subject matter authorizations 63 supplementary authorizations  Education Specialist Credential 6 basic authorizations  Career Technical Credential 173 basic authorizations

25. LAO Layers of Requirements  Teachers need to meet: Initial requirements to obtain preliminary credential Subsequent requirements to obtain professional clear credential Supplemental requirements to obtain an authorization Fill out paperwork to receive renewal credential

26. LAO Layers of Duplication  Credential applications reviewed by: Teacher preparation institution CTC staff County office of education

27. LAO Recommend Major Credential Reform  Reduce the types of credential documents issued  Simplify credential requirements  Eliminate duplication

28. LAO Simplify While Still Ensuring Quality  Authorize credentials in broad categories  Eliminate preliminary, professional, renewal documents  Eliminate most authorizations  Fund beginning teacher support

29. LAO Eliminate Duplication  State Option: For in-state applications, require universities and CTC to process applications within 30 days of end of term For out-of-state applications, require CTC to process applications within 30 days Eliminate most temporary county certificates

30. LAO Eliminate Duplication (Continued)  Local Option: Require universities to process applications within 30 days of end of term and forward basic data to state Require county offices of education to process out-of-state credentials within 30 days and forward basic data to state

31. LAO Tenure and Evaluation Policies

32. LAO Brief History of California’s Tenure Policies  From 1927 to 1982: California had a three-year probationary period Probationary employees had certain legal rights to challenge dismissal decisions

33. LAO Brief History of California’s Tenure Policies (Continued)  Since 1982: California has had a two-year probationary period Probationary employees have reduced legal rights to challenge dismissal decisions

34. LAO Length of States’ Probationary Period for K-12 Teachers

35. LAO California’s Evaluation Policies  Probationary teachers must be evaluated at least once a year  Permanent/tenured teachers must evaluated at least once every two years  Tenured teachers who receive an unsatisfactory evaluation must be assessed annually until they receive a satisfactory evaluation or are dismissed

36. LAO California’s Dismissal Policies  Statute permits a tenured teacher to be dismissed as a result of unsatisfactory performance  Dismissal process consists of ten-some stages

37. LAO Number of Dismissal Cases  From 1996 to 2005, approximately how many teacher dismissal hearings were conducted in California? 0 100 1,000 10,000

38. LAO Concerns with Existing System  Two-year probationary period can be too short  Evaluation process largely disconnected from job retention, promotion, and compensation  Dismissal process can be time-intensive and expensive

39. LAO Reform Options— Probationary Period  Consider three or four-year probationary period, with permission to grant permanent status any time after 6 months Allows districts to reward especially promising new teachers Allows districts time to transfer teachers to new sites Allows districts time to assist struggling teachers

40. LAO Reform Options— Evaluation Process  Strengthen evaluation process Clarify performance standards/expectations Link evaluation to job retention and promotion Train school leaders to conduct rigorous teacher evaluations Significantly improve teacher information system