(a) A teacher with a basic teaching credential may be assigned to provide specially designed content instruction delivered in English, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 44253.2, to limited-English-proficient pupils only if both of the following conditions are met:

(1) The teacher, as of January 1, 1999, is a permanent employee of a school district, county office of education, or school administered under the authority of the Superintendent, or was previously a permanent employee and then was employed in a school district within 39 months of the previous permanent status, or has been employed in a school district with an average daily attendance of not more than 250 for at least two years.

(2) The teacher completes 45 clock hours of staff development in methods of specially designed content instruction delivered in English before January 1, 2008. The extension of the date by which a teacher is required to complete this staff development shall not be construed as authorizing teachers to teach limited-English-proficient pupils without a certificate issued pursuant to this section or Sections 44253.3 and 44253.4.

(b) (1) The commission, in consultation with the Superintendent, shall establish guidelines for the provision of staff development pursuant to this section. The commission and the Superintendent shall use their best efforts to establish these guidelines as soon as possible, but not later than January 1, 1996. Staff development pursuant to this section shall be consistent with the commission’s guidelines.

(2) To ensure the highest standards of program quality and effectiveness, the guidelines shall include quality standards for the persons who train others to perform staff development training and for those who provide the training. The guidelines may require that teachers who qualify to provide instruction pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) include a portion, within the total 45 clock hours of training provided in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), in English language development.

(3) The guidelines for training to meet the requirements of paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) may provide for 20 hours, or fewer hours as the commission may specify, of training in any aspect of English language development or specially designed content instruction delivered in English.

(4) The guidelines shall require that the staff development offered pursuant to this section be aligned to the teacher preparation leading to the issuance of a certificate pursuant to Section 44253.3 and any amendments made to that section. This alignment, however, shall not result in any increase in the number of hours of staff development necessary to meet the requirements of this section.

(5) The guidelines and standards established by the commission to implement this section shall require and maintain compliance with any requirements mandated by federal law for purposes of assuring continued federal financial assistance.

(6) The commission shall review staff development programs in relation to the guidelines and standards established pursuant to this section. The review shall include all programs offered pursuant to this section except programs previously approved pursuant to subdivision (c). If the commission finds that a program meets the applicable guidelines and standards, the commission shall forward a report of its findings to the chief executive officer of the sponsoring school district, county office of education, or regionally accredited college or university. If the commission finds that a program does not meet the applicable guidelines or standards, or both, the report of the commission shall specify the areas of noncompliance and the time period in which a second review shall occur. If a second review of a program by the commission reveals a pattern of continued noncompliance with the applicable guidelines or standards, or both, the sponsoring agency shall not offer the program to teachers who have not already enrolled in it. The effective date for commission approval of staff development programs not currently approved as of January 1, 2000, shall be on or before January 1, 2002, except for persons already enrolled in programs by January 1, 2002.

(7) By December 4, 2007, the commission shall report to the Legislature on the status of the 45-hour and the 90-hour alternative programs, including the strengths and weaknesses of the process and programs. In preparing the report, the commission shall include a summary of its review pursuant to paragraph (6) of the staff development programs.

(c) The staff development may be sponsored by any school district, county office of education, or regionally accredited college or university that meets the standards included in the guidelines established pursuant to subdivision (b) or any organization that meets those standards and is approved by the commission. Any equivalent three semester unit or four quarter unit class may be taken by the teacher at a regionally accredited college or university to satisfy the staff development requirement described in either subdivision (a) or (d), or both. Once the commission has made a determination that a college or university class is equivalent, no further review of the class shall be required pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (b), regardless of the date of the initial review.

(d) (1) A teacher who completes the staff development described in subdivision (a) shall be awarded a certificate of completion of staff development in methods of specially designed content instruction delivered in English.

(2) A teacher who completes the staff development described in subdivision (a) may provide specially designed content instruction delivered in English, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 44253.2, and instruction for English language development, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 44253.2, in any departmentalized teaching assignment consistent with the authorization of the teacher’s basic credential. This authorization also applies to teachers who completed the required staff development before January 1, 2000.

(3) A teacher who completes the staff development described in subdivision (a) shall not be assigned to provide content instruction delivered in the pupil’s primary language, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 44253.2.

(4) A teacher who completes the staff development described in subdivision (a) may be assigned to provide instruction for English language development, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 44253.2, in a self-contained classroom under either of the following circumstances:

(A) The teacher has taught for at least nine years in California public schools, certifies that the teacher has had experience or training in teaching limited-English-proficient pupils, and authorizes verification by the entity that issues the certificate of completion. The teacher shall be awarded a certificate of completion in methods of instruction for English language development in a self-contained classroom.

(B) The teacher has taught for less than nine years in California public schools, or has taught for at least nine years in California public schools but is unable to certify that the teacher has had experience or training in teaching limited-English-proficient pupils, but has, within three years of completing the staff development described in subdivision (a), completed an additional 45 hours of staff development, including specially designed content instruction delivered in English and English language development training, as set forth in the guidelines developed pursuant to subdivision (b). Upon completion of this additional staff development, the teacher shall be awarded a certificate of completion in methods of instruction for English language development in a self-contained classroom.

(e) During the period in which a teacher is pursuing the training specified in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) or subdivision (d), or both, including the period for the assessment and awarding of the certificate, the teacher may be provisionally assigned to provide instruction for English language development, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 44253.2, or to provide specially designed content instruction delivered in English, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 44253.2.

(f) (1) A teacher who completes the staff development with any provider specified in subdivision (c), and who meets the requirements of subdivision (a) or (d) for a certificate of completion of staff development in methods of specially designed content instruction delivered in English or English language development in a self-contained classroom, or both, shall be issued the certificate or certificates.

(2) A teacher who completes a staff development program in methods of specially designed content instruction delivered in English or English language development in a self-contained classroom, or both, who has been determined by the commission to meet the applicable guidelines and standards pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (b), shall receive a certificate or certificates of completion from the commission upon submitting an application, a staff development verification form to be furnished by the commission, and payment of a fee to be set by the commission, not to exceed forty-five dollars ($45).

(3) A person who is enrolled in, or who has completed, a staff development program not approved by the commission before January 1, 2002, may, until January 1, 2003, apply to any of the following agencies for the certificate or certificates, but the teacher shall be issued the certificate or certificates by only one of these agencies:

(A) The school district in which the teacher is a permanent employee.

(B) The county office of education in the county in which the teacher is an employee for an agency specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).

(C) Any school district or county office of education that provides staff development pursuant to subdivision (c). Before issuing a certificate or certificates based on an equivalent class or classes, as provided for in subdivision (c), the issuing agency shall determine if the class or classes meet the guidelines established pursuant to subdivision (b).

(4) Any school district or county office of education that issues a certificate of completion shall forward a copy of the certificate to the commission within 90 days of issuing the certificate.

(5) (A) An agency that issues a certificate or certificates of completion may charge the teacher requesting the certificate or certificates of completion a fee that will cover the actual costs of the agency in issuing, forwarding to the commission a copy of, and paying any fee charged by the commission for receiving and servicing, the certificate or certificates of completion.

(B) The commission may charge the agency that forwards a copy of a certificate or certificates of completion a one-time fee to cover the actual costs to the commission to file the copy or copies, and to issue duplicates when requested by the teacher. The fee shall not exceed an amount equal to one-half the fee the commission charges for issuing a credential.

(g) The certificate of completion is valid in all California public schools. A teacher who has been issued a certificate of completion may be assigned indefinitely to provide the instructional services named on the certificate in any school district, county office of education, or school administered under the authority of the Superintendent.

(h) The governing board of each school district shall make reasonable efforts to provide limited-English-proficient pupils in need of English language development instruction with teachers who hold appropriate credentials, language development specialist certificates, or cross-cultural language and academic development certificates that authorize English language development instruction. However, any teacher awarded a certificate or certificates of completion shall be deemed certificated and competent to provide the services listed on that certificate of completion. A teacher who completes staff development pursuant to this section may use those hours of staff development to meet the requirements of subdivision (b) of Section 44277.

(i) Any teacher completing staff development pursuant to this section shall be credited with three semester units or four quarter units for each block of 45 hours of staff development completed for the purpose of meeting the requirements set forth in subdivision (b) of Section 44253.3.

(j) Any school district may use funds allocated to it for the purposes of Chapter 3.1 (commencing with Section 44681) to provide staff development pursuant to this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 782, Sec. 2. (AB 1219) Effective January 1, 2020.)