Published: 2015-07-08
Key Benefits:
The State Department of Education shall administer a program of staff development grants to reimburse school districts and county offices of education for fees and materials costs for teachers to take mathematics courses offered by the mathematics departments at accredited institutions of higher education. The purpose of the staff development coursework is to increase the content knowledge of teachers who teach mathematics to pupils in grades 4 to 12, inclusive, in order to increase the teacher’s capability to impart knowledge of mathematics content consistent with the academically rigorous content standards adopted by the State Board of Education in the subject of mathematics. The department shall do all of the following:
(a) Develop criteria, guidelines, and procedures as necessary and submit these to the State Board of Education for amendments, if any, and approval.
(b) Identify school districts that meet eligibility requirements for grant awards.
(c) Calculate an allotment for eligible school districts pursuant to Section 44695.5.
(d) Allocate funds to eligible school districts pursuant to Section 44695.5 based on the actual cost of fees and materials.
(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 646, Sec. 21. Effective January 1, 2000.)
A school district shall do all of the following to be eligible for receiving grants pursuant to this article:
(a) Meet either of the following criteria:
(1) Have employed teachers who are assigned to teach mathematics outside the authorization of their credential.
(2) Have employed teachers who hold a credential for teaching in a self-contained classroom, who are assigned to teach pupils in any of grades 4 to 6, inclusive, and who have not completed more than three college-level courses in mathematics.
(b) Inform all district teachers who teach mathematics to pupils in grades 4 to 12, inclusive, of the availability of payments for fees and materials in courses in mathematics.
(c) From the funds allotted to the school district pursuant to Section 44695.5, pay for the fees and materials costs of teachers based on their need for mathematics training. Highest priority shall be given to teachers with the least college-level mathematics training. Consideration shall be given to the needs of a school in extending its course offerings.
(d) Ensure that each teacher who receives the staff development training in mathematics, as authorized in this chapter, meets all of the following conditions:
(1) Has designed a professional development plan that specifies the sequence of courses that the teacher will take in order to fulfill the course requirements for a mathematics minor, major, teaching credential, or advanced degree, as appropriate.
(2) Obtains a grade of C or better in the course.
(3) For a teacher described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), the teacher has a professional development plan that specifies the course or sequence of courses that the teacher will need to complete in order for the teacher to have the appropriate knowledge of mathematics necessary to teach the subject.
(e) Apply to the State Department of Education for a staff development grant pursuant to this chapter and certify the number of teachers employed by the district meeting the criteria in subdivision (a).
(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 316, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1999.)
The State Department of Education shall calculate an allotment of funding that each school district is eligible to receive in reimbursement of fees and materials costs of coursework completed by teachers for the purpose of increasing mathematics teachers’ content knowledge in the subject of mathematics. The amount of the funding that each district is eligible to receive shall be equal to the amount of funding provided for the purpose of this chapter in the Budget Act of 1998, divided by the number of teachers reported in subdivision (e) of Section 44695.3 for the school year in which the application is made. The amount shall not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per eligible teacher.
(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 316, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1999.)
Funds received pursuant to this article may be expended only for fees and required course materials for courses in mathematics offered by the mathematics departments at accredited institutions of higher education.
(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 646, Sec. 22. Effective January 1, 2000.)
A teacher may be eligible to receive payment for fees and materials costs of more than one course during a fiscal year, provided that the priorities established pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 44695.3 are being addressed and the courses taken are consistent with the teacher’s professional development plan developed pursuant to paragraph (1) or (3) of subdivision (d) of Section 44695.3.
(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 316, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1999.)
For the purposes of this chapter, “school district” includes a county office of education.
(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 316, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1999.)
Any funds appropriated for the purposes of this chapter in the 1997–98 Regular Session shall be available for expenditure for three years.
(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 316, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1999.)