In this chapter the following terms shall be defined as specified in this section:

(a) “Professional teacher certification requirements” means a policy of requiring each beginning teacher to complete a program of planned support and systematic assessment, as determined by the commission, as a condition for earning a professional teaching credential.

(b) “Beginning teacher support” means a combination of assistance, guidance, encouragement, and diagnostic assessment that helps the holders of preliminary teaching credentials to fulfill their professional responsibilities effectively during the first year or two years of classroom teaching, and that satisfies standards of support adopted by the commission.

(c) “Beginning teacher assessment” means a process that has been adopted or approved by the commission for measuring the performances of the holders of preliminary teaching credentials in order to help them improve, and to determine whether their performances satisfy the commission’s standards of performance for earning the professional teaching credential.

(d) “Authorization” means the designation that appears on a credential, certificate, or permit that identifies the subjects and circumstances in which the holder of the credential, certificate, or permit may teach, or the services which the holder may render in the public schools of this state.

(e) “Basic teaching credential” means either of the following:

(1) A credential that authorizes the holder to teach the subjects named on the credential, and for which possession of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and completion of a professional preparation program that includes student teaching are minimum requirements.

(2) A clear designated subjects teaching credential that authorizes the holder to teach the subjects named on the credential on a full-time basis if the holder also possesses a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and has passed the state basic skills proficiency test.

A basic teaching credential meets the prerequisite teaching credential requirement for any other teaching, specialist, or service credential the commission is authorized to issue.

(Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 859, Sec. 1. Effective October 6, 1993.)