The basic purpose of the program is to carefully select, from among persons whose background and experience makes them familiar with the life problems of low-income and minority students, individuals who have completed 60 semester course units or the equivalent number of quarter units of lower division college work, who otherwise could not be expected to complete collegiate education, and to facilitate their becoming credentialed elementary school teachers. The program incorporates academic study with on-the-job training. For this reason, local school districts are the eligible applicant agencies and maintain control over the nonacademic learning opportunities of the interns.
Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 5, § 13001