Education Code section 52178

All principal teachers providing instruction in programs defined by subdivision (a), (b), or, unless waived by the board, (c), and insofar as teachers are available, (d) of Section 52163 shall be bilingual-crosscultural teachers as defined pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 52163, or shall be bilingual in English and the primary language of the pupils of limited-English proficiency in the bilingual class and hold an internship credential or an emergency bilingual-crosscultural credential.
In recognition of the shortage of qualified bilingual-crosscultural teachers, a school district may request a renewable two-year waiver from the board for each teacher who is not bilingual-crosscultural but who is enrolled and participating in a program leading to a bilingual specialist credential or a certificate of competence for bilingual-crosscultural instruction pursuant to Section 44253.5. Such a teacher, with the assistance of a bilingual-crosscultural aide, may teach in a program of bilingual instruction mandated by Section 52165 for not more than four school years, except as otherwise provided by this section, commencing with the first year that the teacher was under waiver, so long as continuing progress toward the certificate of competence is indicated in accordance with this section.
Each school district which requests waivers shall file its application for such a waiver with the State Board of Education on or before October 1 of the appropriate year, and shall give assurance that all teachers receiving such a waiver are, or will be, participating in, and fulfilling the requirements of, an appropriate program, as specified in this section, leading to a bilingual specialist credential or a certificate of competence for bilingual-crosscultural instruction pursuant to Section 44253.5 during each of the school years for which the waiver is granted, and shall state who is in charge of the program and which institution or district is conducting it. Existing state and federal staff development funds may be used for training and assessment leading to a bilingual specialist credential or a bilingual-crosscultural certificate of competence. The district shall further assure that all teachers receiving such a waiver have been notified in writing by the school board as to their obligations while under waiver.
The waiver application shall list the names of the teachers who are to receive the waiver, the school to which they are assigned, and the date by which the teacher is expected to obtain a bilingual specialist credential or the certificate of competence. Each district, whether or not it requests a waiver, shall report the number of classrooms for which a bilingual teacher is required pursuant to Section 52165, the total number of certificated bilingual-crosscultural teachers employed by the district in classroom positions, and, in the event the district requests a waiver, the total number of teachers for whom a waiver is being requested. If a district hires new teachers, no waiver shall be granted unless the board finds that the district made a good faith effort to contact, recruit, and hire bilingual-crosscultural teachers.
It is not the intent of the Legislature, by amending this section in the 1979–80 Regular Legislative Session, to expand the requirements for the certificate of bilingual-crosscultural competence.
For purposes of this section, programs for the study of language, culture, and methodology offered by accredited postsecondary institutions shall be approved and regulated by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Courses for the study of language, culture, and methodology established by the State Department of Education pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 52180) of Chapter 7 of Part 28 shall be approved by the State Department of Education and shall be deemed appropriate. All other courses for the study of language, culture, or methodology offered for bilingual teachers on waiver shall meet the standards and criteria published by the State Department of Education. The department shall adopt standards and criteria for training programs in language, culture, and methodology for teachers on waiver lacking competencies in those areas.
District applications for initial waivers to commence on or after July 1, 1984, and applications for two-year renewals, shall include certification by the district that the applicant is enrolled in or will be enrolled in an approved language, culture, or methodology course or a course for the study of language, culture, or methodology that meets the standards and criteria adopted by the State Department of Education, and certification by the employing school district or education agency that the applicant teacher is making the following progress toward meeting the requirements for the bilingual-crosscultural certificate of competence:

(a)

For the teacher who is just entering the bilingual program: no requirement.

(b)

For the teacher beginning his or her second year on waiver: (1) competence in language, culture, or methodology, as required by subdivision (a), (b), or (c) of Section 44253.5, and (2), for the teacher who is not competent in language, enrollment in a program for the study of language which is approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing or enrollment in a course for the study of language which is established or approved by the State Department of Education, or a program which meets the standards and criteria prescribed by the department under this section.

(c)

For the teacher beginning his or her third year on waiver: (1) competence in language as required by subdivision (a) of Section 44253.5, or (2) continued enrollment in a program for the study of language which is approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing or continued enrollment in a course for the study of language which is established and approved by the State Department of Education, or a program which meets the standards and criteria prescribed by the department under this section.

(d)

For the teacher beginning his or her fourth year on waiver: (1) competence in two of the three areas required by Section 44253.5 and (2), for the teacher who is not competent in language, continued enrollment in a program for the study of language which is approved by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing or continued enrollment in a course for the study of language which is established and approved by the State Department of Education, or a program which meets the standards and criteria prescribed by the department under this section.

Source: Section 52178, https://leginfo.­legislature.­ca.­gov/faces/codes_displaySection.­xhtml?lawCode=EDC§ionNum=52178.­ (accessed May 26, 2025).

Last Updated

May 12, 2025

§ 52178’s source at ca​.gov