Outline of the state of California
State
California
Required

Category
Professional Development for Cultural Competency

Category
Professional Development for Cultural Competency

State law requires districts to provide professional development for school personnel on cultural competency.

5 California Code of Regulations 80632.1. Generic Program of Instruction in Basic Pupil Personnel Services for all Specializations.

(a) Programs approved by the Commission pursuant to Sections 80632.2, 80632.3, and 80632.4 shall provide that each candidate demonstrates knowledge in the following areas of generic pupil personnel services:

(1) KNOWLEDGE OF TECHNIQUES FOR FACILITATING INDIVIDUAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT TO ACHIEVE ACADEMIC SUCCESS, to include:

  • (A) Human growth and development, including:
      1. Normal and abnormal human growth and development.
      1. Individual strengths and weaknesses affecting learning.
      1. Effects of cultural, racial, life-style and sex stereotyping.
      1. Effects of family socio-economic status and life-style on pupil growth and development.
  • (B) Scope and degree of high school graduation requirements and curriculum Standard.
  • (C) Existing remedial, developmental and special programs available to pupils in the school and the community.
  • (D) Individual and group counseling techniques.
  • (E) Principles and methods to help pupils learn effective ways to plan and give direction to their own learning.
  • (F) The effect of the Pupil Personnel Services Credential holder's values and biases upon the manner in which he/she provides services to pupils who come from differing socio-economic, racial, social backgrounds.
  • (G) Culturally appropriate communication styles and counseling techniques.

(2) KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN ASSESSMENT, to include: Assessment methods and theories related to emotional, intellectual and physical characteristics of typical and atypical pupils including limited English-proficient pupils, as these factors affect learning performance.

(3) KNOWLEDGE OF PROBLEM PREVENTION AND EARLY INTERVENTION, to include:

  • (A) Methods for early identification of pupils at risk of failing in school.
  • (B) Methods of working with school staff and parents, including planned prevention programs, to prevent school failure of pupils with special physical, social, intellectual and emotional problems and needs and to increase pupil success in school.
  • (C) Methods for effective conflict resolution.

(4) KNOWLEDGE OF CONSULTATION SERVICES, to include:

  • (A) Individual and team consultation processes.
  • (B) Pupil-advocacy processes.
  • (C) Principles and practices of effective classroom management.
  • (D) Principles and procedures of effective school discipline.
  • (E) Methods of initiating consultative relationships with and between teachers, other staff, and parents.

(5) KNOWLEDGE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL EDUCATION, to include:

  • (A) Theories of learning and teaching.
  • (B) Strategies to infuse into the classroom concepts and principles of human relations as contained in state-adopted frameworks.

(6) KNOWLEDGE OF COORDINATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICES, to include:

  • (A) How school professions work together.
  • (B) Methods to increase services to pupils and other school personnel.
  • (C) Use of paraprofessionals and volunteers.
  • (D) Principles of supervision and program planning.
  • (E) Personal and programmatic factors affecting school climate.
  • (F) Methods on how to bring about change within the school.
Policy Type
Regulation

California Education Code 44238. Study of availability and effectiveness of cultural competency training for teachers and administrators; Contract with independent evaluator; Report to Legislature

(a) The Commission on Teacher Credentialing, in consultation with the State Department of Education, shall contract with an independent evaluator with proven expertise in design and research to conduct a study of the availability and effectiveness of cultural competency training for teachers and administrators. (b) The study shall focus on 10 culturally diverse schools that reflect the diverse demography and geography of California. The schools shall be selected for the study based on appropriate research methods. The criteria for school selection shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

  • (1) The cultural demographics of the pupil population within the school including, but not limited to, linguistic demographics and the number of English learners.
  • (2) The Academic Performance Index scores for each school. The study shall include schools that were previously low–performing schools that have shown significant progress in their Academic Performance Index scores and include schools that were low–performing schools that have not shown significant progress in their Academic Performance Index scores.
  • (3) The experience of teachers, including, but not limited to, the number of teachers with emergency credentials. (c) The study shall entail all of the following:
  • (1) Evaluating cultural competency training programs by doing all of the following:
    • (A) Assessing the availability and effectiveness of cultural competency training in teacher credentialing programs and professional development programs in which the teachers and administrators of each school have participated, including, but not limited to, university teacher preparation programs, university and district intern programs, distance learning schools, programs implemented pursuant to the California Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment System (Art. 4.5 (commencing with Sec. 44279.1), Ch. 2, Part 25), preinternship programs, and professional development institutes.
      • (i) The study shall consider pupil performance as one of many measures to determine the effectiveness of cultural competency training programs.
      • (ii) The study shall also consider the Academic Performance Index score of each school and their correlation to cultural competency training.
    • (B) Describing the cultural competency component of the training programs in which the teachers and administrators of each school have participated.
    • (C) Reporting on identifiable differences in cultural competency training in schools with a higher score on the Academic Performance Index compared to schools with a lower score on the Academic Performance Index.
    • (D) Determining whether cultural competency training programs at each school are correlated to higher pupil performance.
    • (E) Summarizing the participation rate of the teachers and administrators of each school in teacher credentialing programs, professional development programs, and other training programs.
  • (2) Evaluating teacher demographics at each school by doing both of the following:
    • (A) Summarizing the training, experience, cultural demographics, and other background characteristics of the teacher and administrative population at each school.
    • (B) Summarizing the patterns, criteria, and attributes that are priorities for staff hiring, compensation, and training at each school.
  • (3) Evaluating the cultural demographics of the pupil population at each school.
  • (4) Evaluating the commitment of each school to cultural competency by doing both of the following:
    • (A) Determining whether each school and its school district have a plan or timeline for achieving cultural competency in the classroom.
    • (B) Discussing the responsiveness of each school and its school district to their communities with regard to developing cultural competency training programs.
  • (5) Evaluating parent interactions at each school by doing all of the following:
    • (A) Describing the interaction between parents, parent organizations, teachers, administrators, and pupils at each school.
    • (B) Describing the procedures and policies that influence the interactions between each school and its administrators, teachers, parents, parent organizations, and pupils.
    • (C) Determining whether cultural competency training is effective in building connections between teachers, administrators, pupils, and their families.
    • (D) Reporting on identifiable differences in community and parental involvement in schools with higher scores on the Academic Performance Index compared to schools with lower scores on the Academic Performance Index. (d) Upon the conclusion of the study, and on or before May 1, 2005, the independent evaluator shall submit to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature a report that includes recommendations of all of the following, based on the results of the study:
  • (1) Ways to improve access to cultural competency training programs for teachers and administrators who attend teacher credentialing programs and professional development programs.
  • (2) Criteria for cultural competency training programs.
  • (3) Further studies that are necessary to provide information about types of cultural competency training programs that correlate to higher pupil performance.
  • (4) A model program related to the results of the study that may be implemented as a pilot program in other schools. (e) For purposes of this section, the following phrases are defined as follows:
  • (1) “Cultural competency” includes, but is not limited to, adequate knowledge of diverse cultures, including languages, that may be encountered by a teacher in the classroom and the appropriate skills to work with pupils and their families.
  • (2) “Cultural demographics” includes, but is not limited to, familial country of origin and language, cultural traditions, and beliefs.
  • (3) “Low–performing schools” means schools that are ranked in the lowest two deciles on the Academic Performance Index.
  • (4) “Pupil performance” includes, but is not limited to, test scores, attendance rates, and graduation rates.
Policy Type
Statute

California Education Code 44261.2 Credential Types

(b) The commission shall adopt Standard and requirements pursuant to paragraphs (3) and (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259, Section 44265, Sections 44266 to 44270.1, inclusive, and Section 44372 that emphasize the preparation of prospective teachers and other certificated educators to serve as active partners with parents and guardians in the education of pupils. The Standard shall address, through appropriate instruction and field experiences, the roles of parents and guardians in the educational process, strategies for involving and working with parents and guardians, and the changing conditions of childhood and adolescence, including, but not limited to, the changing family structure and ethnic and cultural diversity.

Policy Type
Statute