AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 17, 2023

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 30, 2023

AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 14, 2023
california legislature—2023–24 regular session

ASSEMBLY BILL No. 238

Introduced by Assembly Member Muratsuchi

January 13, 2023

An act to add Section 44416.5 to the Education Code, relating to

teachers.

legislative counsel’s digest

AB 238, as amended, Muratsuchi. California Student Teacher Support
Grant Program.
Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to
establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials,
certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the commission to adopt
standards for the accreditation of postsecondary teacher preparation
programs. Existing law prescribes “clinical practice” as one of the
commission-adopted standards and requires that teaching credential
candidates perform 600 hours of clinical practice throughout the
candidate’s teacher preparation program, including, as a component of
those hours, unpaid student teaching.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature, to improve
teacher retention and recruitment in California’s public school system,
to create a grant program to compensate student teachers to help alleviate
financial stress at an important time in the teacher preparation process.
The bill would, contingent upon an appropriation of one-time funding,
funding by the Legislature, establish the California Student Teacher

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Support Grant Program, under the administration of the Commission

on Teacher Credentialing, to award grants of an unspecified amount to
teaching credential candidates to compensate the candidates while they
perform the required student teaching. The bill would require stipends
for each student teacher to be equal to the daily substitute teacher rate
for the applicant local educational agency, as defined. In administering
the California Student Teacher Support Grant Program, the bill would
require the commission to issue a request for proposals applications to
all school districts, charter schools, and county offices of education
local educational agencies in the state in order to solicit applications
for funding. The bill would require the commission to adopt criteria for
the selection of local educational agencies to participate in the California
Student Teacher Support Grant Program, including that the applicant
local educational agency requires participating teaching credential
candidates to meet certain requirements pass a criminal background
check before participating in the program and commit to accomplishing
certain criteria, including completing their 600 hours of clinical practice
that is required as part of the participant’s teacher preparation program,
as provided. The bill would require the commission to annually report
to the education and policy committees of both houses of the Legislature
certain information regarding the California Student Teacher Support
Grant Program, as provided.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.​
State-mandated local program: no.​

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

line 1 SECTION 1. Section 44416.5 is added to the Education Code,

line 2 to read:
line 3 44416.5. (a)  To improve both teacher retention and recruitment
line 4 in California’s public school system, it is the intent of the
line 5 Legislature to create a grant program to compensate student
line 6 teachers in order to help alleviate financial stress at an important
line 7 time in the teacher preparation process.
line 8 (b)  Subject to an appropriation of one-time funds by the
line 9 Legislature for this purpose in the annual Budget Act or another
line 10 statute, the California Student Teacher Support Grant Program is
line 11 hereby established under the administration of the commission to
line 12 compensate teaching credential candidates during the student
line 13 teaching component of the 600 hours of clinical practice that is

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line 1 required as part of the candidate’s teacher preparation program.

line 2 Stipends for each student teacher shall be equal to the daily
line 3 substitute teacher rate for the applicant local educational agency.
line 4 The commission shall issue a request for proposals applications
line 5 to all local educational agencies to solicit applications for funding
line 6 pursuant to this section and shall adopt criteria for the selection of
line 7 local educational agencies to participate in the program. The criteria
line 8 adopted by the commission shall include both of the following:
line 9 (1)  An applicant local educational agency shall require
line 10 participants to satisfy both of the following requirements pass a
line 11 criminal background check before participating in the program:
line 12 program.
line 13 (A)  Pass a criminal background check.
line 14 (B)  Provide verification of one of the following:
line 15 (i)  Has earned an associate or higher level degree.
line 16 (ii)  Has successfully completed at least two years of study at
line 17 an institution of higher education.
line 18 (iii)  Has entered a teacher preparation program.
line 19 (2)  An applicant local educational agency shall certify that it
line 20 has received a commitment from each participant that the
line 21 participant will accomplish all both of the following:
line 22 (A)  Graduate from an institution of higher education under the
line 23 program with a bachelor’s degree.
line 24 (B)
line 25 (A)  Complete all of the requirements for, and obtain, a multiple
line 26 subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential.
line 27 (C)
line 28 (B)  Complete their 600 hours of clinical practice that is required
line 29 as part of the participant’s teacher preparation program.
line 30 (c)  Notwithstanding Section 10231.5 of the Government Code,
line 31 the commission shall, on or before January 1 of each year, report
line 32 to the education policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature
line 33 regarding the status of the program, including, but not limited to,
line 34 the number of student teachers paid, the academic progress of the
line 35 student teacher, the number of student teachers who are
line 36 subsequently employed as teachers in the public schools, the degree
line 37 to which the applicant meets the teacher shortage needs of the local
line 38 educational agency, and the ethnic and racial composition of the
line 39 participants in the program. The report shall be submitted in
line 40 compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code.

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line 1 (d)  For purposes of this section, “local educational agency”

line 2 means a school district, charter school, or county office of
line 3 education.
line 4 (e)  It is the intent of the Legislature that any appropriation made
line 5 to fund the grant program established by this section shall be
line 6 applied toward the minimum funding requirements for school
line 7 districts and community college districts imposed by Section 8 of
line 8 Article XVI of the California Constitution.

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