CA AB1853

Establishes the Computer Science Preservice Teacher Grant Program administered by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to award competitive grants to higher education institutions offering commission-approved teacher preparation programs.

Grant funds support development and expansion of K–12 computer science and computational thinking coursework for preservice teachers seeking single or multiple subject credentials with computer science authorization or the ability to teach computer science.

Requires grant recipients to provide program and outcome data for at least three years, including number of graduates, credentials earned, supplementary authorizations in computer science, enrollment numbers, and demographics of participating individuals.

Mandates the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to submit annual reports to the Legislature on grant awards, graduate outcomes, time to degree completion, and participant demographics until all funds are expended.

Limits indirect institutional costs to no more than 5 percent of each grant award and prioritizes proposals that create or expand supplementary authorization programs and increase computer science access for underrepresented teacher candidates.