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As SB 2042 makes participation in an induction program mandatory, the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) program is working to get fully credentialed first- and second-year teachers into local induction programs. SB 2042 requires that teachers earning a professional (Level II) credential must first participate in a two-year induction program. The state-funded induction program, BTSA, served just over 22,000 teachers in 2001–02 with funding at nearly $85 million for that same year. BTSA has maintained funding levels at or above $85 million since 2000–01, and participation in the program has hovered around 23,000 for the same time period; however, an increase in funding is necessary to serve the anticipated increase in the number of participants once BTSA becomes mandatory. The 2002–03 budget gives priority to first-year teachers with preliminary credentials and then to second-year teachers with preliminary credentials. The budget bill allows the California Department of Education (CDE) to shift funds as necessary to meet BTSA’s needs; however, the overall state budget shortfall raises questions about whether CDE will have the funds available to cover the costs of serving all teachers eligible for BTSA. BTSA is designed and intended to support new fully credentialed teachers. There are many other novice teachers including emergency permit holders, preinterns and interns who have not completed a teacher preparation program and are in need of classroom support. Evaluation data from 1999–2000 and 2001–02 suggest that only about 60 percent of first- and second-year teachers with full credentials were being served by BTSA in 2001–02. This is an increase from the 51 percent of fully credentialed teachers served by BTSA in 1999–2000. At the same time, participation of first- and second-year teachers without full credentials (primarily those on emergency permit) has dropped from 31 percent to 20 percent over the same two years. Teachers without full credentials served by BTSA in the past have been moved into programs more appropriate for their needs: mainly the preintern or intern programs. More information is available on: |