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  • 10/04/2024 2:19 PM | Cheryl Casagrande (Administrator)

    California schools will be required to integrate AI into curriculum

    New California law will require schools to incorporate AI literacy into math, science, and history-social science curricula

    By Ryan Macasero | rmacasero@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group

    UPDATED: October 4, 2024 at 4:42 a.m.

    Among at least 17 artificial intelligence-related bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom recently is a bill that will integrate AI literacy into K-12 curriculum throughout the state.

    “AB 2876 responds to the rapid proliferation of AI in nearly every aspect of young people’s lives, as well as the impact AI will have on their futures,” according to a statement from the bill’s author, state Assembly member Marc Berman, a Democrat who represents parts of the Peninsula and South Bay.

    The state’s Instructional Quality Commission will update math, science and history-social science curricula to incorporate AI literacy. The bill also mandates that AI literacy be a factor in reviewing textbooks and teaching materials, covering how AI works, its core concepts, applications, limitations, ethical issues and real-world impacts.

    California has been at the forefront of discussions on how to manage the rapidly developing technology. The state is home to more than half of the world’s 50 leading AI developers, according to Newsom’s office, with many based in Silicon Valley.

    Berman said he believes this new law, which takes effect next year, “will equip all California students with the skills and training they need to be safe, ethical and successful users of AI as it becomes more mainstream.”

    The bill passed the state Assembly and Senate unanimously earlier this year.

    “AI has the potential to positively impact the way we live, but only if we know how to use it and use it responsibly,” Berman said. “Children and young people today must navigate a world—and job market—transformed by fast-moving AI technology.”

    The California Chamber of Commerce, a co-sponsor of the bill, said it worked with Berman to “make sure our children are equipped with the basic skills and foundational knowledge to succeed as consumers, voters and workers in a modern world.”

    While the proliferation of generative AI tools is a relatively new phenomenon, CalChamber believes the state should acknowledge the growing presence of generative AI in daily life by teaching students to harness these tools for their benefit.

    “What we mean by AI literacy is simply the knowledge, skills and attitudes associated with how artificial intelligence works, including its principles, concepts and applications, as well as how to use artificial intelligence, including its limitations, implications and ethical considerations,” said Ronak Daylami, a policy advocate with CalChamber.

    Last year, Newsom signed AB 876, another bill sponsored by Berman, into law, requiring schools to teach media literacy in the classroom.

    Daylami said she believes the AI literacy law will complement existing media literacy requirements without overburdening students.

    “The bill is intended to relieve burdens for students so that they don’t struggle the way some people have struggled with technologies in their lives or workplaces as adults,” she said.


  • 10/01/2024 4:22 PM | Cheryl Casagrande (Administrator)

    What you need to know to become a teacher in California | Quick Guide

    Diana Lambert

    Published

    September 30, 2024

    This article, originally published on Sept. 14, 2022, has been updated to reflect changes in state law that impact teacher credentialing requirements in California.

    Over the last decade, Gov. Gavin Newsom and California legislators have poured billions of dollars of state money into special grants and programs to recruit, train and retain educators in order to ease the state’s persistent teacher shortage. Lawmakers have, since the pandemic, also made permanent changes to teacher credentialing requirements to make it easier to become a teacher.

    Teacher candidates have many choices. They can take the traditional route — attend a teacher preparation program and complete student teaching — or they can take part in a residency, apprenticeship or internship program that allows them to complete required coursework while teaching. 

    Residencies

    Prospective teachers can apply for residency programs through a university teacher preparation program that operates in partnership with one or more school districts. During their residency, candidates are paired with experienced teachers for a year of clinical training and are usually paid a stipend.

    Internships

    Teacher candidates can also enroll in a commission-approved district intern program or a university internship program. Both allow candidates who have bachelor’s degrees to teach while they complete their teacher preparation coursework. Instead of being a student teacher, interns are generally the primary teacher in the classroom. They hold intern credentials until they complete the requirements for a preliminary credential. 

    Apprenticeships

    There are also apprenticeship programs that allow teacher candidates to work as a paid member of school staff, while they gain clinical experience and complete their bachelor’s degree and a teacher preparation program. Generally, they receive free or reduced-price tuition.

    Most apprenticeship programs in California are limited to early childhood education, but the state is developing a registered apprenticeship program for K-12 teachers that will greatly expand access. 

    Classified school employee program

    The state also has a California Classified School Employee Teacher Credentialing Program, which offers financial assistance and academic guidance to school staff who want to complete an undergraduate degree and earn a teaching credential. The staff members must work in districts that have been awarded a grant through the state. 

    College students who know they want to be a teacher before completing their degree can select a university that offers an integrated undergraduate program that allows them to complete teacher preparation coursework during their undergraduate education. 

    Choose a teaching credential

    Most California teachers hold one of three basic teaching credentials — multiple-subject, single-subject and education specialist. Multiple-subject credentials are for elementary school teachers, single-subject credentials are generally for middle and high school teachers who teach one subject, and an education specialist credential is for special education teachers. 

    There also is a newly authorized PK-3 early childhood education specialist instruction credential. The credential is intended to meet the need for qualified teachers specially trained to teach preschool through third grade students. 

    But before earning a clear credential, all teachers must first earn a preliminary credential and complete a two-year induction program. The induction program provides additional training and mentorship during the first two years of teaching. Teachers with preliminary credentials who are nationally board certified in either early childhood or middle childhood do not have to participate in induction.

    To earn a preliminary teaching credential, a teacher must have:

    • A bachelor’s degree.
    • Completed an accredited teacher preparation program.
    • Completed 600 hours of student teaching.
    • Been fingerprinted and passed a background check.
    • Taken required tests or completed university-approved coursework.
    • Completed a course or passed a test on the provisions and principles of the U.S. Constitution.
    • Earned a recommendation from their teacher preparation program.

     A preliminary credential is good for five years.

    Tests and their alternatives

    Teachers must prove they have the skills needed to educate students. Before the pandemic, tests were traditionally used to determine if a teacher candidate was ready for a teacher preparation program or the classroom, but new legislation gives them the option to use university-approved coursework or a college degree in most cases. Teacher candidates can check with their teacher preparation program administrator to determine which courses to take or have their transcript evaluated by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

    Basic skills requirement

    For years, teachers have been required to take the California Basic Educational Skills Test or otherwise prove they have the basic skills to teach – generally, before they begin a teacher preparation program. The 2024-25 state budget trailer bill has removed the requirement for those who have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.

    Subject-matter competence

    Teacher candidates are required to demonstrate proficiency in the subject they will teach before they can earn a credential. This has traditionally been done by passing the appropriate tests in the California Subject Examinations for Teachers, or CSET, but teachers can have the option to take coursework or a combination of tests in the CSET and coursework to satisfy this requirement.

    Teacher candidates also can complete a bachelor’s degree in the subject area of the credential they are seeking. A teacher preparation program will evaluate the major to see if it is acceptable, but the Commission on Teacher Credentialing will make the call for candidates who have a degree major that aligns with a statutory single-subject area, and who are applying to the commission directly for credentials, such as those seeking emergency-style permits.

    Reading Instruction Competence Assessment

    The RICA measures how well candidates for multiple-subject credentials and education specialists teach reading. The test is scheduled to be eliminated in 2025 when it will be incorporated into the Teacher Performance Assessment, which requires teachers to demonstrate their ability to teach.

    Performance assessment

    Once a teacher is in the classroom, they are required to complete a performance assessment that demonstrates how well they assess students, design instruction, organize subject matter and perform other skills. There are three assessment models — the California Teaching Performance Assessment, edTPA and Fresno Assessment of Student Teachers. Each requires that teachers take video clips of classroom instruction, submit lesson plans, student work and written reflections on their practice to prove they are prepared to become teachers.

    Special education credentials

    Special education candidates must complete all the basic requirements of other teachers, as well as instruction in one of four areas — mild to moderate support needs; extensive support needs; deaf and hard of hearing, visual impairments; and early childhood special education — to earn a credential in that specialty.

    Out-of-state teachers

    Teachers moving to California must submit their college transcripts and a copy of their out-of-state teaching license, as well as proof they have been fingerprinted to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. 

    To avoid taking unnecessary tests and training, the commission recommends that applicants submit their score on out-of-state basic skills tests and proof of two years or more of teaching experience.

    Where to apply

    Applications for California-prepared teachers are generally submitted by the teacher preparation program to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Out-of-state applicants must submit documents directly to the commission. It generally takes about 50 business days for the commission to process applications. Application fees vary depending on the document, but generally are under $100 each. 


  • 08/30/2024 9:53 AM | Cheryl Casagrande (Administrator)

    California passes bill to limit student cellphone use on K-12 campuses

    Diana Lambert

    Published

    August 29, 2024

    What’s the latest?

    A student uses their cell phone after unlocking the pouch that secures it from use during the school day at Bayside Academy on Aug. 16, 2024, in San Mateo.

    Credit: Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

    California state legislators passed a bill Wednesday requiring school districts to ban or restrict student smartphone use on campuses during school hours.

    Assembly Bill 3216, renamed the Phone-Free School Act, requires that every school district, charter school and county office of education develop a policy limiting the use of smartphones by July 1, 2026.

    “Extended studies have demonstrated that the use of smartphones in classrooms can detract from students’ academic performances while contributing to higher rates of academic dishonesty and cyberbullying,” said the authors' statement. “In consideration of California’s deficiency when it comes to academic performance, as compared to other states, it is imperative for the legislature to take action to resolve this issue.” 

    The Phone-Free School Act was authored by a bipartisan group of Assembly members that includes Republican Josh Hoover and Democrats Josh Lowenthal and Al Muratsuchi.

    PODCAST

    Should cell phones be banned from all California schools?

    August 29, 2024

    The legislation comes as states, school districts and individual schools are increasingly banning cellphones, smartwatches and other personal devices on campuses in an effort to curb classroom distractions, bullying and addiction to the devices. 

    At least five other states, including Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina and Ohio have similar laws in place.

    It is likely that Gov. Gavin Newsom will sign the legislation into law. He sent a letter to school district leaders earlier this month urging them to take immediate action to restrict cellphone use this school year. Excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression and other mental health issues in children, he said.

    The use of personal devices increased during pandemic school closures, resulting in some students doubling their recreational screen time, according to research. This has led to concerns about addiction to the devices.

    Related Reading

    How parents can limit children’s harmful cellphone use at home

    August 27, 2024

    This legislation builds on a previous law passed in 2019 that gave school districts the authority, but did not require them, to regulate smartphones during school hours. 

    Assembly Bill 3216 allows school districts to enforce their cellphone policies by limiting student access to their smartphones. Currently, some schools enforce phone bans by requiring students to check them into “cellphone hotels” or stow them in locked pouches that can only be unlocked by school staff with a special magnet. 

    Many schools with cellphone prohibitions confiscate phones until the end of the school day if students flout the rules.

    The legislation allows for some exemptions. Students will not be prohibited from using their phones if there is an emergency, when they are given permission by school staff, when a doctor says that the student needs the phone for medical reasons or when a smartphone is required in a special education student's individualized education program.

    The legislation also prohibits school officials and staff from accessing or monitoring a student’s online activities.

    School districts are required to have “significant stakeholder participation” in developing their cellphone policy to ensure it is responsive to the needs of students, teachers and parents, according to the legislation. The policies must be updated every five years.

    Adopting cellphone policies could collectively cost school districts hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a state analysis of the legislation. Because it is a state mandate, the costs could be reimbursed by the state.

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    Diana Lambert is based in Sacramento and among other topics writes about teachers and teaching in California.

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    LegislationPolicy & FinanceStudent HealthStudent Well-BeingJosh Hoover

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    1. Why would it cost the school thousands and why are students activities and searches not subject to being monitored? They are policed now as they should be. EdSource Special Reports

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