Teacher credentialing: basic skills proficiency test: exemption.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, among other duties, to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law prohibits the commission from issuing initially a credential, permit, certificate, or renewal of an emergency credential to a person to serve in the public schools unless the person has demonstrated proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language by passing the state basic skills proficiency test. Existing law exempts specified applicants from this basic skills proficiency test requirement, including, among others, out-of-state teachers who have passed a basic skills exam in another state, eminence credential applicants who have achieved eminence in a field of endeavor taught or service practiced in the public schools of California, and applicants who achieve scores on the writing, reading, and mathematics sections of the College Board SAT Reasoning Test, the enhanced ACT English and mathematics tests, or the California State University Early Assessment Program that are sufficient to waive the English placement test and the entry level mathematics examination administered by the California State University. This bill would, until December 31, 2023, exempt from the basic skills proficiency test requirement an applicant who earns at least a letter grade of B in qualifying coursework, as defined, determined by a credential preparation program or the commission, as specified, to sufficiently serve as an alternative indicator of proficiency in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language. The bill would also, until December 31, 2023, exempt an applicant who a credential preparation program determines has demonstrated proficiency in the basic skills through a combination of qualifying coursework, passage of components of the state basic skills proficiency test, and scores on the writing, reading, and mathematics sections of the College Board SAT Reasoning Test, the enhanced ACT English and mathematics tests, or the California State University Early Assessment Program that are sufficient to waive the English placement test and the entry level mathematics examination administered by the California State University.