AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 18, 2025
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
ASSEMBLY BILLNo. 811
98
Introduced by Assembly Member Ahrens
February 19, 2025
An act to amend Sections 44225 and 44259 of, and to add Section 44225.9 to, Section 44257.5 of the Education Code, relating to teacher credentialing.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the commission to issue a single subject teaching credential only in specified subjects and authorizes the commission to issue an authorization to teach a subject other than the one authorized by a single subject teaching credential if the holder of the credential meets certain requirements.
Existing law, upon appropriation by the Legislature for this purpose, requires the commission, on or before July 1, 2024, to convene a workgroup on credentialing for instruction in computer science, as provided. Existing law also requires the commission, on or before July 1, 2025, to provide a report of the workgroup’s findings and recommendations, as provided. Existing law repeals these provisions as of January 1, 2028.
This bill would extend the above-referenced deadlines by 2 years and delay the repeal date of those provisions by 2 years.
This bill would require the commission, on or before January 1, 2029, to establish 2 sets of standards for a teacher candidate’s prior field experience to be used as an alternative education pathway with one for meeting the requirements of a teaching performance assessment and one for meeting the requirements for verifying subject matter competence, as provided. On and after January 1, 2029, the bill would require a teacher candidate’s prior field experience that meets the applicable standards developed by the commission to qualify as an alternative education pathway for meeting a teaching performance assessment or for verifying subject matter competence, or both. Until January 1, 2029, the bill would expressly authorize the commission to, on an individual basis, allow for a teacher candidate’s prior field experience to qualify as an alternative education pathway for meeting the requirements of a teaching performance assessment or for verifying subject matter competence, or both.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 44257.5 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44257.5.
(a) On or before July 1, 2024, 2026, the commission shall convene a workgroup on credentialing for instruction in computer science to do all of the following:
(1) Determine which single subject teaching credentials or designated subjects career technical education teaching credentials, if any, should also authorize teaching computer science.
(2) Determine whether a single subject teaching credential in computer science should be established.
(3) Make recommendations on strategies to meet the workforce demands associated with expanding access to computer science instruction to all pupils.
(b) At least one-half of the workgroup shall be composed of current classroom teachers with experience teaching computer science at the secondary level and the workgroup shall also include representatives from:
(1) School administration.
(2) Institutions of higher education involved in the preparation of teachers to teach computer science.
(3) Content experts in the field of computer science education.
(c) On or before July 1, 2025,
2027, the commission shall provide a report of the workgroup’s findings and recommendations to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature.
(d) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2028, 2030, and as of that date is repealed.
(e) The implementation of this section is contingent upon an appropriation for its purposes in the annual Budget Act or another statute.
Section 44225 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44225.
The commission shall do all of the following:
(a) Establish professional standards, assessments, and examinations for entry and advancement in the education profession. While the Legislature recognizes that the commission will exercise its prerogative to determine those requirements, it is the intent of the Legislature that standards, assessments, and examinations be developed and implemented for the following:
(1) (A) The preliminary teaching credential, to be granted upon possession of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, completion of an accredited program of professional preparation, and either successful passage of an examination or assessment that has been adopted or approved by the commission in the subject or subjects appropriate to the grade level to be taught, to include college-level reading, writing, and mathematics skills, or completion of an accredited program of subject matter preparation and successful passage of the basic skills proficiency test as provided for in Article 4 (commencing with Section 44250). The commission shall uniformly consider the results of the basic skills proficiency test in conjunction with other pertinent information about the qualifications of each candidate for a preliminary credential, and may award the credential on the basis of the overall performance of a candidate as measured by several criteria of professional competence if the candidate meets minimum standards set by the commission on each criterion. Upon application by a regionally accredited institution of higher education, the commission may categorically grant credit to coursework completed in an accredited program of professional preparation, as specified in this paragraph, by undergraduates of that institution, if the commission finds there are adequate assurances of the quality of necessary undergraduate instruction in the liberal arts and in the subject area or areas to be taught.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), for single subject teaching credentials, the baccalaureate degree shall not be in the subject of professional education.
(2) The professional teaching credential, to be granted upon successful passage of a state examination or assessment in the subject or subjects appropriate to the grade level to be taught, to include college-level basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills, and completion of a period of beginning teacher support that includes assessments of ability to teach subject matter to pupils, ability to work well with pupils, classroom management, and instructional skills. A candidate who successfully passes the examination or assessment pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be deemed to have passed the state examination or assessment in the subject or subjects to be taught pursuant to this paragraph.
(b) (1) Reduce and streamline the credential system to ensure teacher competence in the subject field or fields, while allowing greater flexibility in staffing local schools. The commission shall award the following types of credentials to applicants whose preparation and competence satisfy its standards:
(A) Basic teaching credentials for teaching in kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, in public schools in the state.
(B) Credentials for teaching adult education classes and vocational education classes.
(C) Credentials for teaching specialties, including, but not necessarily limited to, bilingual education, early childhood education, and special education. The commission may grant credentials to any candidate who concurrently meets the commission’s standards of preparation and competence for the preliminary basic teaching credential and the preliminary specialty credential.
(D) Credentials for school services, for positions including, but not necessarily limited to, administrators, school counselors, speech-language therapists, audiologists, school psychologists, library media teachers, supervisors of attendance, and school nurses.
(2) The commission may establish standards and requirements for preliminary and professional credentials of each type.
(c) Review and, if necessary, revise the code of ethics for the teaching profession.
(d) Establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. In setting standards, the commission shall seek to ensure, through its credentialing of teachers, that public school teachers satisfy all of the following criteria:
(1) Are academically talented.
(2) Are knowledgeable of the subjects to be taught in the classroom.
(3) Are creative and energetic.
(4) Have the human skills to motivate and inspire pupils to achieve their goals.
(5) Have the sensitivity to foster self-esteem in pupils through recognition that each pupil has their own goals, talents, and levels of development.
(6) Are willing to relate the educational process and their instructional strategies to meet the needs of pupils.
(7) Are able to work effectively with and motivate pupils from a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, academic, and linguistic backgrounds.
(8) Have an understanding of principles and laws related to educational equity, and the equitable practice of the profession of education among all pupils regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, age, religious background, primary language, or disabling condition.
(e) Determine the scope and authorization of credentials to ensure competence in teaching and other educational services, and establish sanctions for the misuse of credentials and the misassignment of credentialholders. The commission may grant an added or supplementary authorization to a credentialholder who has met the requirements and standards of the commission for the added or supplementary authorization. The commission shall exempt the holder of a teaching credential obtained before January 1, 1974, who adds an authorization by successfully completing a commission-approved subject matter examination, from the requirements of subdivision (e) of Section 44259 and Section 44261.
(f) Collect, compile, and disseminate information regarding exemplary practices in supporting and assessing beginning teachers.
(g) (1) Establish alternative methods for entry into the teaching profession, and into other certificated roles in the schools, by persons in varying circumstances, including persons who have been educated outside of California, provided that each applicant satisfies all of the requirements established by the commission. One alternative method shall be the successful completion of at least two years of classroom instruction under a district intern certificate pursuant to Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 44325). In establishing alternative methods for entry into the teaching profession, the commission shall develop strategies to encourage classroom aides to become credentialed teachers.
(2) (A) Until January 1, 2029, a teacher candidate’s prior field experience, as determined by the commission on an individual basis, may qualify as an alternative education pathway for meeting a teaching performance assessment requirement or for verifying subject matter competence, or both.
(B) On and after January 1, 2029, a teacher candidate’s prior field experience that meets the applicable standards developed by the commission pursuant to Section 44225.9 shall qualify as an alternative pathway for meeting a teaching performance assessment requirement or for verifying subject matter competence, or both.
(h) Adopt a framework and general standards for the accreditation of preparation programs for teachers and other certificated educators pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 44320).
(i) Appoint classroom teachers, school administrators, other school services personnel, representatives of the public, and public or private higher education representatives to one or more standing committees, which shall be given authority to recommend to the commission standards relating to examinations, performance assessments, program accreditation, and licensing. The commission shall establish criteria for membership on those committees, and shall determine the terms of committee members. Appointments to standing committees by the commission shall reflect, to the extent feasible, the ethnic and cultural diversity of the California public schools.
(j) Consult with classroom teachers, faculty members from institutions of higher education that maintain accredited programs of professional preparation for teachers, administrators or other school services personnel, and other experts to aid in the development of examinations and assessments, and to study the impact of examinations and assessments on the teaching profession. To increase the fairness of its certification decisions, the commission may uniformly consider the results of tests, subtests, and assessments in conjunction with each other, and in conjunction with other pertinent information about the qualifications of each candidate. The commission may award credentials on the basis of average overall performances by candidates on several criteria of professional competence if the candidate meets minimum standards set by the commission on each criterion.
(k) Adopt standards for all examinations and assessments that shall ensure that all prospective teachers demonstrate an understanding of the history and cultures of the major ethnic populations of this state and of teaching strategies for the acquisition of English language skills by non-English-speaking pupils.
(l) Determine the terms of credentials, certificates, and permits, except that no credential, certificate, or permit shall be valid for more than five years from the date of issuance. This article shall govern the issuance of any credential, certificate, or permit, except as follows:
(1) A credential, certificate, or permit shall remain in force as long as it is valid and continues to be valid under the laws and regulations that were in effect when it was issued.
(2) The commission shall grant teaching credentials pursuant to statutes that were in effect on December 31, 1988, to candidates who, before the effective date of regulations to implement subdivision (a), were in the process of meeting the requirements for teaching credentials that were in effect on December 31, 1988, except that neither enrollment as an undergraduate student nor receipt of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education before the effective date of the regulations shall, by itself, exempt a candidate from the requirements of subdivision (a). Enrollment in a preparation program for teachers before the effective date of the regulations shall not exempt a candidate from the requirements of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a), if the preliminary credential of the candidate was granted after the effective date of the regulations.
(m) (1) Review requests from school districts, county offices of education, private schools, and postsecondary institutions for the waiver of one or more of the provisions of this chapter or other provisions governing the preparation or licensing of educators. The commission may grant a waiver upon finding that the professional preparation equivalent to that prescribed under the provision or provisions to be waived will be, or has been, completed by the credential candidate or candidates affected, or that a waiver is necessary to accomplish any of the following:
(A) Give a local educational agency one semester or less to address unanticipated, immediate, short-term shortages of fully qualified educators by assigning a teacher who holds a basic teaching credential to teach outside of the teacher’s credential authorization, with the teacher’s consent.
(B) Provide credential candidates additional time to complete a credential requirement.
(C) Allow local school districts or schools to implement an education reform or restructuring plan.
(D) Temporarily exempt from a specified credential requirement small, geographically isolated regions with a severely limited ability to develop personnel.
(E) Provide other temporary exemptions when deemed appropriate by the commission.
(2) No provision in this chapter shall be waived under Sections 33050 and 33051, after June 30, 1994, by the state board.
(n) It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission develop models for voluntary use by California colleges and universities that do not have these models in place, to assist in the screening of applications for admission to teacher education programs. The models shall give emphasis to the following qualifications of the applicants: academic talent, knowledge of subjects to be taught, basic academic skills, creativity, experience in working with children and adolescents, ability to motivate and inspire pupils, and willingness to relate education to pupils with a wide variety of cultural, ethnic, and academic backgrounds. The commission may continue to administer the state basic skills proficiency test, in order (1) to use the results of this test in awarding preliminary teaching credentials and emergency permits, and (2) to enable colleges and universities to use this test in conjunction with other appropriate sources of information in teacher preparation admission decisions. However, it is the intent of the Legislature that applicants for admission to teacher preparation programs shall not be denied admission solely on the basis of state basic skills proficiency test results. The commission may recover the costs of administering and developing the test by charging examinees a fee for taking the test.
(o) It is the intent of the Legislature that the commission encourage colleges and universities to design and implement, by August 1, 1990, concentrated internship programs for persons who have attained a baccalaureate degree in the field in which they intend to teach. Those programs would be targeted at subject area shortages, would substitute for conventional training programs, and would include a full summer session of college-level coursework, a one-year internship, or the equivalent, a seminar throughout the internship, and a summer session following the internship. Educator preparation through internship programs shall be subject to Article 10 (commencing with Section 44370).
(p) Grant a field placement certificate to a candidate who has been admitted to an accredited program of professional preparation, and who must complete a supervised practicum in public elementary or secondary schools as a condition for completion of the program. The commission shall establish standards for the issuance of field placement certificates.
(q) Propose appropriate rules and regulations to implement Chapter 1355 of the Statutes of 1988.
(r) Adopt subject matter assessments for teaching credentials after developing those assessments jointly with the Superintendent.
SEC. 2.
Section 44225.9 is added to the Education Code, immediately following Section 44225.8, to read:
44225.9.
(a) On or before January 1, 2029, the commission shall establish a set of standards for a teacher candidate’s prior field experience to be used as an alternative education pathway for meeting the requirement of a teaching performance assessment as described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259 and subdivision (b) of Section 44320.2.
(b) On or before January 1, 2029, the commission shall establish a set of standards for a teacher candidate’s prior field experience to be used as an alternative education pathway for meeting the requirement of verifying subject matter competence as described in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (5) of subdivision (b) of Section 44259.
SEC. 3.
Section 44259 of the Education Code is amended to read:
44259.
(a) Except as provided in clauses (i) and (iii) of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), a program of professional preparation for multiple or single subject teaching credentials shall not include more than two years of full-time study of professional preparation.
(b) The minimum requirements for the preliminary multiple subject, single subject, or education specialist teaching credential are all of the following:
(1) A baccalaureate degree or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. Except as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 44227, for single subject teaching credentials, the baccalaureate degree shall not be in professional education. The commission shall encourage regionally accredited institutions of higher education to offer undergraduate minors in education and special education to students who intend to become single subject credentialed teachers.
(2) [Reserved]
(3) (A) Satisfactory completion of a program of professional preparation that has been accredited by the Committee on Accreditation on the basis of standards of program quality and effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission. In accordance with the commission’s assessment and performance standards, a program shall include a teaching performance assessment as set forth in Section 44320.2 that is aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. The commission shall ensure that a candidate recommended for a credential or certificate has demonstrated satisfactory ability to assist pupils to meet or exceed academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board. Programs that meet this requirement for professional preparation shall include any of the following:
(i) Integrated programs of subject matter preparation and professional preparation pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 44259.1.
(ii) Postbaccalaureate programs of professional preparation, pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 44259.1.
(iii) Internship programs of professional preparation, pursuant to Section 44321, Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 44325), Article 11 (commencing with Section 44380), and Article 3 (commencing with Section 44450) of Chapter 3.
(iv) Degree programs offered pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 78060) of Chapter 1 of Part 48 of Division 7 of Title 3.
(B) A program of professional preparation pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall provide experience that addresses all of the following:
(i) Health education, including study of nutrition, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the physiological and sociological effects of the abuse of alcohol, narcotics, and drugs and the use of tobacco. Training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation shall also meet the standards established by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
(ii) Field experience in methods of delivering appropriate educational services to pupils with exceptional needs in regular education programs.
(iii) Advanced computer-based technology, including the uses of technology in educational settings.
(C) (i) Until January 1, 2029, a teacher candidate’s prior field experience, as determined by the commission on an individual basis, may qualify as an alternative pathway for meeting a teaching performance assessment requirement.
(ii) On and after January 1, 2029, a teacher candidate’s prior field experience that meets the standards developed by the commission pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 44225.9 shall qualify as an alternative education pathway for meeting a teaching performance assessment requirement.
(4) Study of effective means of teaching literacy, including, but not limited to, the study of reading as described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), and evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills in print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency to all pupils, including tiered supports for pupils with reading difficulties, English learners, and pupils with exceptional needs. The study of effective means of teaching literacy shall be in accordance with the commission’s standards of program quality and effectiveness and current teaching performance expectations, shall be aligned to the current English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework adopted by the state board, and shall incorporate the program guidelines for dyslexia developed pursuant to Section 56335. The study of reading shall meet the following requirements:
(A) Commencing January 1, 1997, satisfactory completion of comprehensive reading instruction that is research based and includes all of the following:
(i) The study of organized, systematic, explicit skills including phonemic awareness, direct, systematic, explicit phonics, and decoding skills.
(ii) A strong literature, language, and comprehension component with a balance of oral and written language.
(iii) Ongoing diagnostic techniques that inform teaching and assessment.
(iv) Early intervention techniques.
(v) Guided practice in a clinical setting.
(B) For purposes of this section, “direct, systematic, explicit phonics” means phonemic awareness, spelling patterns, the direct instruction of sound/symbol codes and practice in connected text, and the relationship of direct, systematic, explicit phonics to the components set forth in clauses (i) to (v), inclusive, of subparagraph (A).
(C) A program for the multiple subject teaching credential and the education specialist teaching credential also shall include the study of integrated methods of teaching language arts.
(5) (A) Verification of subject matter competence, demonstrated through one of the following methods:
(i) Completion of a subject matter program approved by the commission on the basis of standards of program quality and effectiveness pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 44310).
(ii) Passage of a subject matter examination pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 44280).
(iii) Successful completion of coursework at one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education that addresses each of the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the commission in the content area of the credential pursuant to Section 44282, as verified by a commission-approved program of professional preparation. Coursework completed at a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by an accrediting agency listed in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (g) of Section 44203 or by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges may count for purposes of this clause.
(iv) Successful completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education with the following, as applicable:
(I) For single subject credentials, a major in one of the subject areas in which the commission credentials candidates.
(II) For multiple subject credentials, a liberal studies major or other degree that includes coursework in the content areas pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44282.
(III) For education specialist credentials, either a major in one of the subject areas in which the commission credentials candidates or a liberal studies or other major that includes coursework in the content areas pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44282.
(v) Demonstration that the candidate, through a combination of the methods described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) in whole or in part, has met or exceeded each of the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the commission in the content area of the credential pursuant to Section 44282 for multiple and single subject credentials, or pursuant to Section 44265 for education specialist credentials.
(vi) (I) Until January 1, 2029, a teacher candidate’s prior field experience, as determined by the commission on an individual basis, may qualify as an alternative education pathway for meeting the requirement of this subparagraph.
(II) On and after January 1, 2029, a teacher candidate’s prior field experience that meets the standards developed by the commission pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44225.9 shall qualify as an alternative education pathway for meeting the requirement of this subparagraph.
(B) (i) The commission shall ensure that subject matter standards and examinations are aligned with the academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board.
(ii) The commission shall maintain the subject matter domains that include both broad content areas to support coursework review pursuant to clause (iii) of subparagraph (A) and specific content elements to delineate subject matter examination specifications pursuant to clause (ii) of subparagraph (A) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 44280).
(6) Demonstration of a knowledge of the principles and provisions of the Constitution of the United States pursuant to Section 44335.
(7) Demonstration, in accordance with the commission’s standards of program quality and effectiveness, of basic competency in the use of computers in the classroom as determined by one of the following:
(A) Successful completion of a commission-approved program or course.
(B) Successful passage of an assessment that is developed, approved, and administered by the commission.
(c) The minimum requirements for the clear multiple or single subject teaching credential shall include all of the following requirements:
(1) Possession of a valid preliminary teaching credential, as prescribed in subdivision (b), possession of a valid equivalent credential or certificate, or completion of equivalent requirements as determined by the commission.
(2) Except as provided in paragraph (3), completion of a program of beginning teacher induction, including either of the following:
(A) A program of beginning teacher induction that is provided by one or more local educational agencies and has been approved by the commission on the basis of initial review and periodic evaluations of the program in relation to appropriate standards of credential program quality and effectiveness that have been adopted by the commission pursuant to this subdivision. The program standards shall encourage innovation and experimentation in the continuous preparation and induction of beginning teachers.
(B) A program of beginning teacher induction that is sponsored by a regionally accredited institution of higher education in cooperation with one or more local school districts, that addresses the individual professional needs of beginning teachers and meets the commission’s standards of induction. The commission shall ensure that preparation and induction programs that qualify candidates for professional credentials extend and refine each beginning teacher’s professional skills in relation to the California Standards for the Teaching Profession and the academic content and performance standards for pupils adopted by the state board.
(3) (A) If a candidate satisfies the requirements of subdivision (b) through completion of an accredited internship program of professional preparation, and if that internship program fulfills induction standards and is approved as set forth in this subdivision, the commission shall determine that the candidate has fulfilled the requirements of paragraph (2).
(B) If an approved induction program is verified as unavailable to a beginning teacher, the commission shall accept completion of an approved clear credential program after completion of a baccalaureate degree at a regionally accredited institution of higher education as fulfilling the requirements of paragraph (2). The commission shall adopt regulations to implement this subparagraph.
(d) The commission shall develop and implement standards of program quality and effectiveness that provide for the areas of application listed in clauses (i) to (iii), inclusive, of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (b), starting in professional preparation and continuing through induction.
(e) A credential that was issued before January 1, 1993, shall remain in force as long as it is valid under the laws and regulations that were in effect on the date it was issued. The commission shall not, by regulation, invalidate an otherwise valid credential, unless it issues to the holder of the credential, in substitution, a new credential authorized by another provision in this chapter that is no more restrictive than the credential for which it was substituted with respect to the kind of service authorized and the grades, classes, or types of schools in which it authorizes service.
(f) A credential program that is approved by the commission shall not deny an individual access to that program solely on the grounds that the individual obtained a teaching credential through completion of an internship program when that internship program has been accredited by the commission.
(g) Notwithstanding this section, persons who were performing teaching services as of January 1, 1999, pursuant to the language of this section that was in effect before that date, may continue to perform those services without complying with any requirements that may be added by the amendments adding this subdivision.
(h) Paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) does not apply to any person who, as of January 1, 1997, holds a multiple or single subject teaching credential, or to any person enrolled in a program of professional preparation for a multiple or single subject teaching credential as of January 1, 1997, who subsequently completes that program. It is the intent of the Legislature that the requirements of paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) apply only to persons who enter a program of professional preparation on or after January 1, 1997.