Updated Teacher Equity Definitions
Updated “ineffective” and “out-of-field” teacher definitions for the California Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Consolidated State Plan approved by the State Board of Education (SBE) in November 2019.On November 6, 2019, the SBE approved updated definitions for “ineffective” and “out-of-field” teachers to be included in the amended California ESSA Consolidated State Plan. Extensive training and feedback with the field revealed the need for clarifications to the definitions to include specific permits and authorization that fall under each of the definitions.
The former teacher equity definitions (DOCX) were utilized by local educational agencies for completing their 2019 Local Control and Accountability Plan Federal Addenda.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ineffective teacher | An ineffective teacher is any of the following:
Under this definition, teachers with the following limited emergency permits would be considered ineffective:
|
| Out-of-field teacher | A credentialed out-of-field teacher is:
A credentialed teacher who has not yet demonstrated subject matter competence in the subject area(s) or for the student population to which he or she is assigned. Under this definition, the following limited permits will be considered out of field:
|
| Inexperienced Teacher | A teacher who has two or fewer years of teaching experience. |
| Minority Student | A student who is American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, African American, Filipino, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or Two or More Races Not Hispanic. |
| Low-Income Student | A student who is eligible to receive Free or Reduced-Price Meals |