Description
Established in 1997 by AB 351 (Scott), the preintern program supports teachers who have yet to meet the subject matter requirements for a preliminary credential. Locally administered preintern programs are required to provide participants with subject matter preparation (may include test preparation courses), 40 hours of instruction on introductory teaching skills, advisement and coaching from an experienced teacher. In addition, each participant has an individual instruction plan that links their progress to the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. In 2001–02, 68 preintern programs partnered with 611 California school districts and 33 institutes of higher education.

Funding
In 1998–99, the state budget set initial funding at $2 million and subsequently increased it to nearly six times that amount in 1999–2000. In 2000, SB 1666 (Alarcon) allowed intern program funds, also called alternative certification funds, to be used for the preintern program as needed. In 2000–01, the combined funds of the preintern program and intern program reached $43.6 million. Currently, local preintern programs are funded at $2,000 per preintern per annum. Districts are not required to match funds, although many districts do provide in-kind contributions to support the program. The 2002–03 budget once again allocated $11.8 million directly to the preintern program; however, the alternative certification funds (which can be used as needed for the preintern program) were cut by nearly 20 percent.

Preintern Program Funding and Participation

*Plus carryover; + plus $10,375,000 in alternative certification funds.
**Alternative certification funds available; see intern program.

Participation
California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC), the state agency responsible for the administration of the preintern program, established the eligibility requirements for the program. Eligible teachers include those who have completed a bachelor’s degree with a minimum number of units in the subject area they are teaching (40 for multiple subject, 18 for single subject) and have passed the California Basic Educational Skills Test. Preintern certificates replace emergency permits and are given to either teachers who taught previously on emergency permit or new teachers who have not met subject matter requirements.

The program is growing rapidly as teachers formerly on emergency permit are placed into preintern programs. Legislation in 1999 (AB 466, Mazzoni) added provisions that preintern programs include special education teachers on emergency permit. Since its inception, the program’s number of participants statewide has increased 933 percent from nearly 1,000 in 1998–99 to more than 9,800 in 2001–02. Preliminary numbers indicate that there may be nearly 12,000 preinterns in 2002–03.

Evaluations
The CCTC, which administers the preintern program, is required to report on it to the Legislature. The preintern report covers seven key areas:

• numbers of teachers served and participating districts;
• whether emergency permits issued have decreased since the inception of the preintern program;
• retention rates of preinterns;
• rates of participants meeting subject matter requirements;
• effectiveness of preinterns;
• district funding contributions; and
• recommendations.

Additional Resources

• References for preintern program