Local Assignment Options

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Monica Robinson, Credential Analyst

San Diego County Office of Education

Local Assignment Options

Local Assignment Options (LAO’s) allow flexibility at the local level and solely at the discretion of the Local Education Agency (LEA)

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Education Code (EC) and Title 5 Regulations (T5) provide educational agencies with educator assignment options that can be used when an LEA is unable to assign a certificated employee with the appropriate credential

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Local Assignment Options

The Commission:

• Collects LAOs annual usage data through assignment monitoring in CalSAAS
• Provides limited guidance

The County Office of Education:

• Monitoring Authority for San Diego County that has ability to view and audit LAO’s reported in CalPADS that reflect in CalSAAS
• Collects data for the purpose of assignment monitoring to correct verified misassignments

Local Educational Agencies:

• Everything else

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LAOs are used at the discretion of Local Educational Agencies

When is an LAO an Option?

The majority of LAOs are limited to:

• General Education settings
• Select Educational Services
• Educators who hold a credential based on a bachelor’s degree and student teaching
• Excludes Intern, Emergency, Waiver, Career Technical Education, and Adult Education document holders from usage

Common Local Assignment Requirements

Teacher Consent

• Educators asked to serve outside of their preparation need to consent to their assignment(s)
• Consent should be documented and kept on file with their employer
• Educators who do not consent should not be assigned
• Must be done annually
• Must be provided to Monitoring Authority (MA) for assignment monitoring

Board Authorizations

• Most LAOs require governing board action to authorize the assignment
• Board Action should be taken prior to the start of the educator’s assignment (prior to the school year starting)
• Usage of LAO should be acknowledged as a matter of public record
• Board approval needs to be given each time an assignment is authorized via LAO, even if educator was authorized for prior assignment/prior school year

Subject Matter Expertise

• Several LAOs require subject matter expertise

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• College courses are typically used, but may be satisfied through experience

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• CTC has no purview over LAOs
• LEA should practice due diligence to ensure they meet the criteria for the assignment

CA Code of Regulations, §Title 5, 80005(b)

• Classes which do not fall within or are not directly related to the broad subject areas listed in § 80005(a)

Example: Homeroom, life skills, Student Government, conflict management, and facilitated online courses�

• Educators are technically not serving out-of-field�
• Requires the educator hold a teaching credential based on a bachelor’s degree and student teaching

Credential: BA and Student Teaching

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Setting: Departmentalized

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Content Authorized: Electives

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Grade Level: K-12

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Consent Required: Yes

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Board Authorization: No

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Subject Matter Expertise: Yes

Education Code �§44865

• Allows fully credentialed educator to serve in alternative settings provided in EC�
• Requires educator hold a teaching credential based on bachelor’s degree and student teaching
• Not Eligible: Intern, Waiver, Provisional Internship Permit (PIP), Short Term Staff Permits (STSP), or CTE document holders

Credential: BA and Student Teaching

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Setting: Alternative

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Content Authorized: Any

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Grade Level: K-12

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Consent Required: Yes

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Board Authorization: No

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Subject Matter Expertise: No

Education Code �§44256(b)

• Allows educators authorized in self contained settings to teach in departmentalized courses, up to the 8^th grade�
• Educator must have earned 12 lower/6 upper division units at an accredited institution in the subject being authorized in order to be eligible

Credential: Multiple Subject Or Elementary

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Setting: Departmentalized

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Content Authorized: Any

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Grade Level: 8 and below

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Consent Required: Yes

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Board Authorization: Yes

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Subject Matter Expertise: Yes

Education Code �§44258.7(b)

Competitive Sport for Physical Education Credit

• Teaching credential in a subject(s) other than physical education.
• Board approval required to coach one period per day for PE credit.
• Full-time employee with a minimum of 20 hours of first aid instruction appropriate for the specific sport

Credential: Single Subject Teaching credential

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Setting: Departmentalized

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Content Authorized: Competitive Sport for Physical Education

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Grade Level: K-12

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Consent Required: Yes

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Board Authorization: Yes

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Subject Matter Expertise: Yes

Education Code �§44258.7(c)(d)

The Committee on Assignments (COA)

• Equal number of teachers, selected by teachers, and school administrators, selected by school administrators
• “Elective course” - a course other than English, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies
• Approved COAs shall be for a maximum of one school year, but may be extended

Credential: Any Teaching credential

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Setting: Departmentalized

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Content Authorized: Electives

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Grade Level: K-12

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Consent Required: Yes

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Board Authorization: Yes

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Subject Matter Expertise: Yes

Education Code �§44258.3

• Allows Educators authorized in departmentalized settings to teach in any content in grades K-12
• Governing boards using this option must:
• Establish specific policies and procedures to verify the teacher has adequate knowledge of the subject
• Utilize subject matter specialists in development of the process of verifying teacher’s competence

Credential: Non-Emergency credential

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Setting: Departmentalized

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Content Authorized: Any

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Grade Level: K-12

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Consent Required: Yes

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Board Authorization: Yes

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Subject Matter Expertise: Yes

Education Code �§44263

• In departmentalized settings –
• 18 lower/9 upper division units at an accredited institution in the subject being authorized

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• In self-contained settings –
• At least 60 semester hours equally distributed among 10 areas of a diversified major set forth in Section 44314

Credential: Any teaching credential

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Setting: Departmentalized/Self Contained

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Content Authorized: Any

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Grade Level: K-12

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Consent Required: Not Specified

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Board Authorization: Yes

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Subject Matter Expertise: Yes

Education Code �§44258.2

• Allows educators authorized in departmentalized settings to teach in any content in the middle school classrooms�
• Educator must have earned 12 lower/6 upper division units at an accredited institution in the subject being authorized in order to be eligible

Credential: Single Subject or Secondary

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Setting: Departmentalized

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Content Authorized: Any

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Grade Level: 5-8

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Consent Required: Yes

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Board Authorization: Yes

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Subject Matter Expertise: Yes

Local Assignment Option �Frequently Asked Questions �(FAQ’s)

LAO Frequently�Asked Questions

Is it true that LAO’s are for general education assignments only?

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• According to CTC – Yes – local assignment options (LAO’s) CANNOT be used for special programs such as:
• Special Education
• Career Technical Education
• OR
• English Learner Assignments

LAO Frequently�Asked Questions

I’m using an LAO for an educator, is this considered to be an appropriate assignment?

• According to CTC – Yes - the educator is properly assigned. Needs to be reported as using an EC option/LAO in CalPADS
• According to ESSA – No, the educator is considered out of field if using an LAO (except Title 5 80005(b))

LAO Frequently�Asked Questions

Is it true that the governing board approval process is required every school year, or can the educator continue to be assigned if they have done it once?

• According to CTC, board approval is required annually. The placement should be approved by the governing board prior to the start of the assignment. These should go to the board for approval prior to the school year starting.

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Does an LAO require teacher consent?

• According to CTC – Yes - the educator must have a signed, teacher consent form on file/personnel file.

LAO Frequently�Asked Questions

If a board authorization for an LAO was issued after census date, is this considered a misassignment in CalSAAS?

• According to CTC – Yes – it is considered a Corrected Misassignment
• Verify the criteria provided by the Education Code or Title 5 Regulation is met by the educator, including holding a valid, appropriate credential, preparation, or governing board action
• If governing board action is necessary, include a copy of the agenda in which board action was taken

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LAO Frequently�Asked Questions

I have an opening for a Speech Language pathologist. Is it true that I can use an EC option/LAO?

• According to CTC: YES – EC 44831 allows LEA’s to employ an individual who holds a valid Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board license and a Master’s degree in Communicative Disorders to provide speech and language services
• Must have a valid Certificate of Clearance on file with CTC
• Does NOT result in the issuance of a CA CTC issued – Speech Language Services Credential

LAO Frequently�Asked Questions

Who can give me guidance? I don’t know what to do!

• All LAO’s should go through your monitoring authority  (MA) for approval/guidance (if required by MA)
• Make sure you have back-up for any LAO’s being used • May want to ask legal department (if needed)
• CTC can give guidance, but no purview 
• If using for CTE assignment be aware of CTE funding  (CTC does not recommend using for CTE in their guidance – only general  education assignments) 

Local Assignment Option�Resources

CA Legislative Information

Education Code - WESTLAW CA Code of Regulations

LAO Resources

Additional Common LAOs:

Common Local Assignment Options for Educator Assignments in CA Public Schools

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Less commonly used LAOs are provided in the Assignment Resources webpages:

Assignment Resources (ca.gov)

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Thank you�for �attending!