Report 2016-112 Recommendation 22 Responses

Report 2016-112: School Library Services: Vague State Laws and a Lack of Monitoring Allow School Districts to Provide a Minimal Level of Library Services (Release Date: November 2016)

Recommendation #22 To: Education, Department of

To better understand the condition of school libraries statewide and to raise stakeholders' awareness of the State Education Board's adopted model standards, Education should work with Teacher Credentialing to assist it in identifying potential misassignments by providing staffing information reported by school districts to Teacher Credentialing by April of each academic year.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2019

The 2018-19 Budget Act provided funding and authorization to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to implement a new database to process and determine teacher qualifications to meet federal and state requirements. Additionally, the 2018-19 Budget Act required that the CTC and Education enter into an agreement to share credentialing data and any other data, as needed, to assist Education in fulfilling our federal and state reporting obligations. Education and the CTC finalized a memorandum of understanding governing this data sharing process effective October 1, 2018 and are currently sharing data as articulated in the MOU. Assembly Bill 1219 was signed into law on October 12, 2019, and further articulates the reporting requirements and needs for a data exchange between Education and CTC specifically for assignment monitoring purposes. Education is working closely with CTC in the development of the teacher assignment database to meet California's reporting requirements.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Fully Implemented

Education provided a copy of its signed agreement with Teacher Credentialing, which describes the data that both agencies will share to meet assignment monitoring and federal reporting requirements.

Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2018

Education continues to not concur with the CSA's recommendation. However, the 2018-19 Budget Act provided funding and authorization to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to implement a new database to process and determine teacher qualifications to meet federal and state requirements. Additionally, the 2018-19 Budget Act required that the CTC and Education enter into an agreement to share credentialing data and any other data, as needed, to assist Education in fulfilling our federal and state reporting obligations. Education and the CTC finalized a memorandum of understanding governing this data sharing process effective October 1, 2018.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Partially Implemented

Although Education asserts that it will not implement the recommendation, it has entered into an interagency agreement with Teacher Credentialing regarding the sharing of education workforce data. In addition, the upcoming State Assignment Accountability System (SAAS) will allow Teacher Credentialing to compare its credentialing data with Education's school staffing data when the system is completed in July 1, 2019.

1-Year Agency Response

Education's status on this recommendation is unchanged; no additional comments will be forthcoming.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Will Not Implement

We stand by our recommendation to California Department of Education that it should work with Teacher Credentialing to assist it in identifying potential misassignments by providing staffing information reported by school districts to Teacher Credentialing by April of each academic year. As we note on pages 21 and 22 of our report, by comparing data between Teacher Credentialing's Credentialing Automation System Enterprise and Education's California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, we identified 111 individuals whom districts reported as employed teacher librarians at some point during fiscal years 2010-11 through 2014-15 and who did not appear to possess the requisite credential or permit to provide library services. According to Teacher Credentialing's professional services division director, Teacher Credentialing has received staffing information from Education since fiscal year 2010-11. We, therefore, believe that Teacher Credentialing should continue to obtain this staffing information from Education and begin using it to identify and follow up on potential misassignments using its existing authority

6-Month Agency Response

Education continues to not concur with this recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Will Not Implement

We stand by our recommendation to California Department of Education that it should work with Teacher Credentialing to assist it in identifying potential misassignments by providing staffing information reported by school districts to Teacher Credentialing by April of each academic year. As we note on pages 21 and 22 of our report, by comparing data between Teacher Credentialing's Credentialing Automation System Enterprise and Education's California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, we identified 111 individuals whom districts reported as employed teacher librarians at some point during fiscal years 2010-11 through 2014-15 and who did not appear to possess the requisite credential or permit to provide library services. According to Teacher Credentialing's professional services division director, Teacher Credentialing has received staffing information from Education since fiscal year 2010-11. We, therefore, believe that Teacher Credentialing should continue to obtain this staffing information from Education and begin using it to identify and follow up on potential misassignments using its existing authority

60-Day Agency Response

Education continues to not concur with this recommendation.

California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Will Not Implement

We stand by our recommendation to California Department of Education that it should work with Teacher Credentialing to assist it in identifying potential misassignments by providing staffing information reported by school districts to Teacher Credentialing by April of each academic year. As we note on pages 21 and 22 of our report, by comparing data between Teacher Credentialing's Credentialing Automation System Enterprise

and Education's California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, we identified 111 individuals whom districts reported as employed teacher librarians at some point during fiscal years 2010-11 through 2014-15 and who did not appear to possess the requisite credential or permit to provide library services. According to Teacher Credentialing's professional services division director, Teacher Credentialing has received staffing information from Education since fiscal year 2010-11. We, therefore, believe that Teacher Credentialing should continue to obtain this staffing information from Education and begin using it to identify and follow up on potential misassignments using its existing authority

All Recommendations in 2016-112

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.