BILL NUMBER: AB 148INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Coto JANUARY 22, 2009 An act relating to education. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 148, as introduced, Coto. Commission on Teacher Credentialing: study on transformational leadership. Existing law establishes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other things, establish professional standards, assessments, and examinations for entry and advancement in the education profession. This bill would require the commission to conduct a one-year study to recommend more effective paths to transformational leadership, as defined, through the administrative credential process on the part of school principals and leaders. The bill would require the commission to conduct the study between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011, and to report its findings to the Legislature by no later than December 31, 2011. The bill would repeal those provisions as of January 1, 2012. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: (a) Many California middle and secondary schools remain significantly underperforming. (b) A California economic and social imperative is to produce a well-trained workforce to maintain its status as one of the world's top 10 economic powers. (c) Latino students, who currently make up 49 percent of California students, remain one of the least successful populations in our public schools. (d) Out of every 100 Latino students who enter grade 9, only seven enroll in four-year universities upon graduation. (e) Studies, including the 2007 Getting Down to Facts study, have identified effective leadership as a key to school improvement. (f) The Multiple Pathways approach to high school reform identifies four essential components to school improvement: (1) A college-preparatory academic knowledge core for all. (2) A professional/technical knowledge core. (3) Demanding opportunities for authentic learning. (4) Support services to meet unique student needs. SEC. 2. (a) The Commission on Teacher Credentialing shall administer a one-year study to recommend more effective paths to transformational leadership through the administrative credential process on the part of school principals and leaders. (b) The study shall define how the transformational leadership philosophies, knowledge, values, skills, competencies, and values can be added as part of the initial credential process and as an authorization added to an administrative credential for those already credentialed. (c) The goal of the study is to recommend to the commission and to the Legislature the most effective means by which California's school principals and leaders can gain, demonstrate, and apply the educational philosophy, values, knowledge, skills and habits of mind to lead schools and educational communities in the process of transforming schools to places that: (1) Believe in the capacity of all students. (2) Commit to the success of all students at high levels. (3) Prepare all students for college and other important educational steps beyond high school. (4) Individualize educational experiences for the unique needs of each student. (d) The study shall determine the following: (1) Whether the commission should recommend to colleges and universities programs leading to a supplementary authorization to administrative credentials authorizing the holder as having met the standards as a transformational leader. (2) How to amend the existing administrative credentialing process to include demonstration that the standards as a transformational leader have been met. (e) The study shall examine the standards for school leadership to determine whether they already include the requisite standards for transformational leadership or whether they should be revised to include added standards or the deletion of less critical standards. (f) The study shall examine and recommend the means by which administrators seeking the credential or authorization can demonstrate mastery of the standards necessary to serve as transformational leaders in schools. (g) For purposes of this section, "transformational leadership" means the body of knowledge and set of skills needed to transform an organization. (h) The commission shall conduct the study between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011, and shall report its findings to the Legislature by no later than December 31, 2011. SEC. 3. This act shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2012, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2012, deletes or extends that date.