(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.