Note: Please refer to the Fiscal Issues Relating to Budget Reductions and Flexibility Provisions guidance letter for information on provisions that apply to all programs. The letter covers such matters as the public hearing requirement, base year funding provisions, and how funding reductions will be calculated.
This page contains the questions most frequently asked to date, organized by subject. It will be updated on a regular basis.
Participant Training | Program Funding | Waivers | Provider Information | Consortia | CPDIs | Participant Information
State-Adopted Materials
- Does a middle school teacher need to be using all state-adopted textbooks in every class?
Middle school teachers eligible for SB 472 funding should be teaching mathematics and/or reading language arts with state-adopted materials. - Does special education have to use state-adopted texts?
Yes. Special education teachers eligible for SB 472 funding should be using state-adopted texts. - Do instructional materials have to be state-adopted at all grade levels in a kindergarten through grade eight district, or can an elementary kindergarten through grade five school have state-adopted materials with the sixth to eighth grade school using non-state-adopted materials, if only the kindergarten through grade five teachers participate in SB 472?
The teachers eligible for SB 472 funding must have adopted materials in their classrooms. Those teachers who do not have state-adopted materials in their classrooms are not eligible for training utilizing SB 472 funding. - What if a district adopts and purchases grade seven mathematics texts (from the state adoption list), and uses these texts for grade eight and the district is able to put the texts into the hands of the students; are the grade eight pre-algebra teachers eligible for SB 472 funding?
Yes, as long as the texts are from the State Board of Education (SBE) adopted lists approved February 2001, September 2005, and November 2007. - If a district adopts and purchases standards-based textbooks for high school mathematics (i.e., geometry, and beyond), will the high school mathematics teachers be eligible for SB 472 funding?
Adoption for texts for high school is determined at the local level. High school teachers who teach mathematics and science, or both, are eligible for mathematics training under SB 472, except in the case of algebra, where the materials need to be from the SBE’s adoption list. - Since high school texts in mathematics are not state-adopted by the SBE, what high school texts qualify?
Any high school texts that your local board has approved, except for Algebra, which must be SBE-approved.
Participant Training
- Do the 80 hours of follow-up have to be completed in the same fiscal year as the 40 hours?
SB 472 requires that teachers complete the 80 hours within two years of completing the 40 hours. (Reading First teachers are required to complete the entire 120 hours of training within the first year.) If a teacher completed the 40 hours before January1,2007, then the teacher will have until January 1, 2009, to complete the 80 hours. The LEA may claim funding for the 80 hours of follow-up only after the 80 hours have been completed. - Are the 40 hours of intensive training and 80 hours of follow-up to be conducted outside of teacher contract time?
The 40 hours of initial intensive professional development is not restricted to any specific time. The 80 hours of follow-up may be conducted during teacher contract time except when a LEA uses funding from the Professional Development Block Grant (formerly, Buy Back Days). Then, the 80 hours must be conducted after teacher contract time. - What services qualify as the 80 hours of follow-up?
The 80 hours can be follow-up instruction, coaching, additional school-site assistance, or any activity that directly supports what was provided during the 40 hours of professional development. For example, data interpretation, extended skill-based instruction, additional English learner training, or various grouping strategies can be the focus of the follow-up instruction. - Who provides the 80 hours of follow-up?
There are several options. LEAs may contract with a provider, another source, or may conduct the additional professional development themselves. - Can SB 472 funds be used to train a cadre of teachers to be staff development instructors for new curriculum adoption in-service programs?
No. To conduct trainings, providers must be approved by the SBE. SB 472 is designed to provide professional development for classroom teachers and paraprofessionals. - What training can sixth through eighth grade multiple subject teachers who are teaching language arts and mathematics receive?
Grades six through eight multiple-subject credentialed teachers, whose primary assignment is to teach in a classroom that is not self-contained, may receive 120 hours of training in mathematics and 120 hours of training in reading/language arts. - Are teachers in state-monitored schools required to participate in SB 472 training?
Yes, as part of the monitoring process, teachers in state-monitored schools are required to participate in SB 472 training. - What happens if teachers do not show up for all days of training?
The LEA must not claim reimbursement for teachers who do not complete all 40 or 80 hours of training. After the teachers make up the hours they have missed, the LEA may then request reimbursement for those teachers.
Program Funding
- What percentage of teachers per fiscal year can a district train using SB 472 funds?
The California Department of Education (CDE) annually calculates the percentage of teachers that may be funded from the current year’s appropriation; therefore, the percentage cap may vary from fiscal year to fiscal year. Historically, the funding cap has been in the 3 percent range. The cap is determined based upon the total number of eligible teachers in the state and the appropriation for this program in the annual Budget Act. The cap is applied to each LEA’s eligible number of teachers to produce the maximum number of teachers for whom the LEA is eligible for reimbursement. You may view this reimbursement level for your LEA. - What if my district trains a greater number of teachers than its funding cap? Will the district have to absorb the entire cost?
LEAs may receive funding for teachers trained in excess of their cap. If funding remains at the end of the fiscal year, the CDE will redirect the balance to LEAs who have trained teachers beyond their funding cap. If the funds available for redirection are insufficient to fully fund all claims over the cap, then CDE will prorate funds among claims received by the deadline. Any remaining shortfall will be granted first priority for funding in the next fiscal year. If a funding shortfall still exists after the redirection process, and the next year’s Budget Act does not contain an appropriation for this program, then LEAs would absorb the shortfall for teachers trained in excess of the cap. - Will the LEA be reimbursed for all of their expenses related to SB 472 training?
Payment is $2,500 for each teacher up to the 3.16 percent funding cap for FY 2007-08, regardless of the LEA’s actual expenses. The LEA may request 50 percent after teachers have completed the initial 40 hours of training and the remaining 50 percent after the 80 hours of follow-up. - Can my LEA be reimbursed for teachers who complete advanced-level training?
Reimbursement for 40-hour training is only available for beginning level training since the SBE has not approved any provider for training beyond the initial 40-hours. Unlike the 40-hours, SB 472 reimbursement for the 80-hours may include advanced level training, providing the teacher has completed the initial 40 hours at the beginning level. - Can SB 472 funds be used to pay a teacher stipend?
The law allows, but does not require, a district to pay a maximum of $1,000 of the $2,500 SB 472 reimbursement for a teacher stipend. Districts may pay a stipend up to $500 after a teacher completes the initial 40 hours of training and up to another $500 after 80 hours. - I was recently contacted by CDE staff about one of my requests for reimbursement. She said that the provider I listed was not approved by the SBE to conduct the 40-hour training on the materials I had indicated on the form, and that the provider must be SBE-approved for CDE to issue payment. My county office of education (COE) held the training, and I am sure they said it was approved training. What should I do?
You need to contact your County Office of Education. COEs often facilitate training for the districts in their county by contracting with an SBE‑approved provider to conduct training. If this is the case, you should not list your COE as the provider of the training. The actual provider of the training is the company or educational agency with whom the COE contracted to conduct the training. Your COE should be able to provide this information to you. - Regarding funding reimbursement, is this money given to the provider or the participants?
The funding is allocated to the LEA. - May a Reading First school request SB 472 reimbursement?
A Reading First school may not request SB 472 reimbursement for the reading training of any kindergarten through grade three or special education teacher (any grade) at a Reading First school if training occurred during the grant award period. The district must pay for that training from its Reading First grant award. However, the district may request SB 472 reimbursement for these teachers for mathematics training. In addition, districts may receive SB 472 reimbursement for the reading or mathematics training of teachers of grades four through eight in a Reading First school if the classes are not special education. - Can corrective action funding be used to pay for the mandated SB 472 training for teachers?
Corrective action funding provided for state-monitored schools may be used for participation in SB 472 training although these funds are also intended to support all other resources required by the Essential Program Components. Districts may also apply for financial reimbursement for teacher participation in SB 472 training through the normal SB 472 funding process.
Waivers
- Where can information be found regarding waived texts?
You may contact Judy Pinegar in the Waiver Office at 916-319-0824 or the Web site for the general waiver process.
Provider Information
- What does a LEA, or any other potential provider, need to do to get their training curriculum "approved" by the SBE? Who do you present it to? What details are needed?
In the Introduction the sections entitled Information for Prospective Providers provide comprehensive information about the review and approval process.
Consortia
- Can a county office of education (COE) be a LEA for smaller districts? If so, would the funds then go through the COE, or would the districts need to "contract" with the COE?
The COE can act as a consortium leader for any number of districts. As the consortium lead, the COE is responsible for the submission of all paperwork to the CDE, and the CDE issues all payments to the COE. The COE and its members determine the process for distributing funds to member LEAs.
California Professional Development Institutes (CPDIs)
- How does the LEA provider differ from the Mathematics Professional Development Institutes? How are they similar?
A Mathematics Professional Development Institute (MPDI; Outside Source) is similar to a LEA provider since both focus on SBE-approved instructional materials that are based upon the California mathematics content standards. Unlike a LEA provider, a MPDI is ineligible to provide training to state-monitored, High Priority, and/or Program Improvement schools. MPDIs are not SBE-approved providers. MPDI trainings can be used for the 80 hours of follow-up.
Participant Information
- Do teachers at the elementary level need to have credentials?
According to law, a teacher must have a valid teaching credential, certificate, authorization, or permit issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC; Outside Source) and be employed on either a full-time or part time basis in a California public school in which kindergarten or any of grades one through twelve, inclusive, are taught. - Are emergency credentialed teachers eligible for training with SB 472 funds? How about pre-intern teachers?
Both groups of teachers are eligible. Teachers not eligible are those who hold emergency 30-day substitute teaching permits issued by the CTC (Outside Source).
Program Contacts:
- Reading/Language Arts
Carrie Roberts, Education Programs Consultant
Literacy, History, and Arts Leadership Office
croberts@cde.ca.gov or 916-323-6269 - Mathematics
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Office
STEM@cde.ca.gov or 916-323-5847 - LEA Applications and Fiscal Issues
Juliet Barbero, Associate Analyst
Administrative and Fiscal Services Office
jbarbero@cde.ca.gov or 916-323-5795
