Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1400485
C A L I F O R N I A T E A C H E R candidates will now have to take two fewer tests to earn a credential if they complete approved coursework, after lawmakers approved t h e c h a n g e s a s p a r t o f t h e re c e n t ly adopt ed Education O mnibus Budget Trailer Bill, AB 130. After lobbying by CTA and Student C TA , th e a pp r o v a l of AB 1 3 0 m e a n s teacher candidates will no longer be required to pass the California Basic Edu- cational Skills Test (CBEST) or California Subject Exams for Teachers (CSET) to earn a credential. Almost half of aspiring educators statewide experience trouble passing one or more of the four tests previously required to earn a credential, according to the Cali- fornia Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) — with 66 per- cent passing CBEST on the first attempt in 2019-20 and 67 per- cent passing CSET on the first try. " T h e s e c h a n g e s occurred as a result of sustained advocacy by members, leaders and staff, and will help remove obstruc- tions to entering the teaching profession that have disproportionately impacted teacher candidates of color," says CTA P re si d ent E . To by B oyd . " Jo in m e in thanking the Credential and Professional Development Committee and Student CTA for their advocacy and leadership on this important issue." Signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on July 9, AB 130 creates new options for aspiring teachers to meet the Basic Skills Require- ment (BSR) and to demonstrate Subject Matt er C omp e t en c e ( SMC ) . Tea ch er candidat es will now b e able to m eet the BSR by completing qualified college coursework with a grade of B or better in reading, writing and mathematics. The following options were also added for candidates to demonstrate SMC: Single Subject Teaching Credential: Complete a college academic major in the subject area of a credential defined in statute. Multiple Subje ct Teaching Credential: C o m p l e t e a c o l l e g e a c a d e m i c p r o g r a m in lib eral studies or an interdisciplinar y m a j o r t h a t c o v e r s the content areas of the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. E d u c a t i o n S p e - c i a li st s : Th e m aj o r must meet the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential requirements or be in a subject aligned to authorized CSET examination content areas used for an Education Spe- cialist Credential. "As teachers, we often say high-stakes A Boost for Aspiring Educators CTA scores victory in teaching credential requirements By Julian Peeples TEACH Program Changes The U.S. Department of Educa- tion announced changes to the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Educa- tion (TEACH) Grant Program in July that, among other things, allow recipients more time and flexibility to complete their ser- vice requirements before their grants are converted to loans. Program changes are reflected on the TEACH Grant Program page at StudentAid.gov/teach and on the TEACH Grant loan servicer 's website. The servicer will contact recipients affected by the changes. The program provides grants of up to $4,000 each year to students who are completing or plan to complete course work needed to begin a teach- ing career. The TEACH Grant requires recipients to agree to complete four years of teaching in a high-need field at an under- served school as a condition for receiving the grant. state tests are more a snapshot about a student 's t est-taking skill s than an authentic assessment of their mastery," s ay s Ki m b e rly Ng uye n , a m e m b e r of Hacienda-La Puente Teachers Associa- tion. "So, it would make sense that a more authentic assessment of subject compe- tency would be a reasonable alternative." Aspiring educators will still be required to complet e th e Reading Instr uction Comp et ence Assessm ent (RIC A) and Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) prior to earning a Clear Credential, but testing flexibilities enacted for last school year will be extended for 2021-22 as part of AB 130. e law further grants author- ity to th e CTC to ext end f lexibilities related to RICA, CBEST and CSET should disruptions continue to impede testing access and availability. "These changes will help remove obstructions to entering the profession that have disproportionately impacted teacher candidates of color." —CTA President E. Toby Boyd 40 cta.org Advocacy