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SPONSOR: |
Sanchez, B. |
DATE TYPED: |
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HB |
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SHORT TITLE: |
Cultural Diversity Training for Teachers |
SB |
399 |
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ANALYST: |
L. Baca |
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APPROPRIATION
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
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FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
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NFI |
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(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Responses
Received From
State
Department of Education (SDE)
Commission
on Higher Education (CHE)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
Senate Bill 399 requires that, in addition to other requirements for certification in elementary or secondary education, candidates seeking standard or alternative certification after January 1, 2005 shall have completed three credit hours in cultural diversity education; that a person who holds a license on the effective date of the act or who applies for a license before January 1, 2005, shall also complete three hours of cultural diversity education by January 1, 2006; and that colleges of education shall develop and offer one or more courses in cultural diversity that focus on teaching future teachers the importance of cultural identity in learning and teaching strategies to improve learning skills of minority students.
Significant
Issues
The CHE and SDE stress that the 128-hour B.A.
degree in teacher education is presently among the most highly prescribed of
undergraduate curricula with virtually no room for electives. In 2001, the
Legislature required an additional six semester hours in reading for elementary
teachers and three semester hours for secondary teachers. This bill proposes the addition of three more
semester hours in cultural diversity.
This prescriptive program required of prospective teachers allows little
room for electives, and any delay or misstep in making a career choice can add
one or more semesters to a student completing a degree program. And, as the SDE points out, even the current
requirements can require a five-year degree plan.
The bill addresses colleges of education at
four-year institutions and makes no reference to two-year institutions, some of
which are presently administering alternative licensure programs.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
There is no fiscal
impact on the general fund or on school districts. Rather, the impact will be on teacher
candidates who must take and colleges of education that must develop and offer
courses in cultural diversity – if the courses aren’t presently offered in some
form.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
There appears to be no
impact on SDE, CHE, or public school districts, but there is a potential impact
on colleges of education.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
The SDE analysis raises an issue related to the
time requirements in the bill:
“Subsection B requires
that those who apply for licensure before
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
Analysis prepared by
SDE and CHE raise two substantive issues:
1.
The bill does not specify consequence
accruing to current license holders who fail to meet the
2.
Representatives form colleges of
education see an inconsistency in statutory provisions that, on the one hand,
minimize requirements for alternative licensure while, on the other hand, seek
to increase specific course requirements for alternative and standard
licensure.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS
1.
Don’t colleges presently offer courses,
or units, on cultural diversity?
2.
What kinds of information would be
covered in cultural diversity courses?
3.
Will these bill
“heavily” impact colleges of education?
4.
What will adding this requirement do to
requirements in the overall teacher education program?
5.
Is it time to revisit the requirements
for prospective teachers?