Teacher credentialing: reading instruction.

Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to, among other duties, establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law requires the commission to develop, adopt, and administer a reading instruction competence assessment consisting of one or more instruments to measure an individual's knowledge, skill, and ability relative to effective reading instruction, as provided. Existing law requires the requirements for the issuance of the preliminary multiple subject teaching credential to include successful passage of one of specified components of the reading instruction competence assessment. This bill would additionally authorize the passage of a combination of those specified components, as approved by the commission, or the completion of specified coursework that meets the commission's standards, to meet that requirement, and would extend these requirements to the issuance of a preliminary education specialist credential. The bill would make the requirements relating to the reading instruction competence assessment, as revised by this bill, inoperative on July 1, 2024. The bill would authorize a holder of a preliminary multiple subject credential or a preliminary education specialist credential who was unable to take the reading instruction competence assessment due to the closure of assessment centers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and who must complete this requirement in order to earn a professional clear credential, if the reading instruction competence assessment is no longer being administered because of the inoperation of the requirements relating to that assessment on July 1, 2024, to complete this requirement through successful completion of coursework in reading instruction that meets the commission's standards. Existing law requires, as a minimum requirement for a preliminary multiple or single subject teaching credential, the satisfactory completion of a program of professional preparation that includes a teaching performance assessment that meets specified requirements and has been approved by the commission. Existing law requires an internship program to provide interns who meet entrance criteria and are accepted to a multiple subject teaching credential program, a single subject teaching credential program, or a level 1 education specialist credential program that provides instruction to individuals with mild to moderate disabilities, the opportunity to choose an early program completion option, culminating in a 5-year preliminary teaching credential. Existing law requires that this early program completion option be made available to interns who meet specified requirements, including, among others, that the intern pass the teaching performance assessment. This bill would require the commission, by July 1, 2024, to ensure that an approved teaching performance assessment assess candidates for preliminary multiple subject and preliminary education specialist credentials for competence in instruction in literacy, including, but not limited to, foundational reading skills, as provided. The bill would make other revisions relating to those internship programs, as provided. Existing law includes as a minimum requirement for the preliminary multiple or single subject teaching credential the study of alternative methods of developing English language skills, including the study of reading, among all pupils, including those for whom English is a second language, in accordance with the commission's standards of program quality and effectiveness. This bill would instead require as a minimum requirement for the preliminary multiple or single subject teaching credential the study of effective means of teaching literacy, as provided, and fluency to all pupils, including English learners and pupils with exceptional needs, in accordance with the commission's standards of program quality and effectiveness, current teaching performance expectations, and the current English Language Arts/English Language Development (ELA/ELD) Framework adopted by the State Board of Education.