Section 44468.

(a) An internship program, established pursuant to Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 44325) of Chapter 2 or this article, that is accredited by the commission shall provide interns who meet entrance criteria and are accepted to a multiple subject teaching credential program, a single subject teaching credential program, or a level 1 education specialist credential program that provides instruction to individuals with mild to moderate disabilities, the opportunity to choose an early program completion option, culminating in a five-year preliminary teaching credential. The early completion option shall be made available to interns who meet the following requirements:

(1) Pass a written assessment that assesses knowledge of teaching foundations, is adopted for this purpose by the commission, and includes all of the following:

(A) Human development as it relates to teaching and learning aligned with the state content and performance standards for pupils adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 60605.

(B) Techniques to address learning differences including working with pupils with special needs.

(C) Techniques to address working with English learners to provide access to the curriculum.

(D) Reading instruction as set forth in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259.

(E) The assessment of pupil progress based upon the state content and performance standards for pupils adopted pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 60605 and planning intervention based on the assessment.

(F) Classroom management techniques.

(G) Methods of teaching the subject fields.

(2) Pass the teaching performance assessment as set forth in Section 44320.2.

(A) An intern participating in the early completion option may take the teaching performance assessment only one time as part of the early completion option. An intern who takes the teaching performance assessment but is not successful may complete his or her internship program. Scores on this assessment shall be used by the internship programs in providing the individualized professional development plan for interns that emphasizes preparation in areas where additional growth is warranted and waiving preparation in areas where the candidate has demonstrated competence. The intern must retake and pass the teaching performance assessment at the end of the internship in order to be considered for recommendation by the internship program to the commission.

(B) Pending implementation of the teaching performance assessment, an internship program shall provide for early recommendation of an intern for a preliminary multiple subject teaching credential, single subject teaching credential, or level 1 education specialist credential that authorizes instruction to individuals with mild to moderate disabilities, based upon demonstrated competence of the field experience component of the internship program.

(3) Pass the reading instruction competence assessment described in Section 44283, unless the written assessment adopted by the commission pursuant to paragraph (1) is validated as covering content equivalent to the reading assessment.

(4) Meet the requirements for teacher fitness as set forth in Sections 44339, 44340, and 44341.

(b) An intern who chooses the early completion option must first pass the assessment required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) in order to qualify to take the teaching performance assessment required pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a). Individuals who have passed the written assessment may receive individualized support within the cohort group of like individuals in preparation for the teaching performance assessment.

(c) An intern who challenges the teacher preparation coursework by taking the assessment described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), but is not successful in passing the assessment, may complete his or her full internship program. Scores on this assessment shall be used by the internship program in providing the individualized professional development plan for interns that emphasizes preparation in areas where additional growth is warranted and waiving preparation areas where the intern has demonstrated competence.

(d) An intern who passes the assessments described in subdivision (a) and is recommended by the internship program to the commission is eligible for a five-year preliminary multiple subject teaching credential, single subject teaching credential, or level 1 education specialist credential that authorizes instruction to individuals with mild to moderate disabilities.

(e) The commission shall issue a professional clear multiple or single subject teaching credential to an applicant whose employing public school district documents, in a manner prescribed by the commission, that he or she has fulfilled the following requirements:

(1) Holds a preliminary five-year teaching credential issued by the commission.

(2) Completes one of the following in accordance with the determination of the employing public school district based upon the experience and individual needs of the applicant:

(A) A program of beginning teacher support and assessment established pursuant to Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 44279.1) of Chapter 2 of Part 24, including the California formative assessment and support system for teachers.

(B) An alternative program of beginning teacher induction that the commission determines, in conjunction with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, meets state standards for teacher induction and includes the California formative assessment and support system for teachers or an alternative assessment deemed to meet the standards.

(3) As an alternative to the requirements in paragraph (2), an applicant may choose to complete the California formative assessment and support system for teachers or the equivalent at a faster pace as determined by the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment System program.

(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 130, Sec. 71. Effective January 1, 2008.)