Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1518807
and practitioners. We also had the results of a survey of educa- tors conducted by CTA on the TPA. We then shared our data with California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) in October 2023. Educators told the CTC that TPAs are dispropor- tionately impacting BIPOC educator candidates — an issue first raised three years ago by the California Alliance of Researchers for Equity in Education when the group asked the CTC to end high-stakes testing in teacher education, citing concerns with "validity, reliability, fairness and bias." At the meeting, CTC Commissioner Christopher Davis under- scored the TPA's "disproportionate harm" to BIPOC teaching candidates: "We continue to struggle with the reality that our state, through these examinations, is systematically discrimi- nating against the very diversity it alleges it wants to track into our workforce." In December, the CTC heard our call, adopting a secondary passing standard in the event an educator did not complete the TPA requirement. This allows teacher candidates who met all other credential requirements a path to a credential if they demonstrate Teacher Performance Expectations (TPE) through classroom observations, course projects and other similar avenues. is is a step in the right direction. More than 1,500 aspiring California educators who did not pass the TPA would have met the secondary standard in 2022–23, meaning they would be spared the costs and extreme stress of retaking the TPA. is change also has important retroactive implications for candi- dates who ended up exiting educator preparation programs. is reopened a door to our profession to potentially over 1,000 aspiring educators. O u r w o rk c o n t i n u e s . A s S e n . Ne w m a n s a i d , t h e i ssu e is simple: "One key to improving the educator pipeline is removing barriers that may b e di ssuading oth er wi se tal- ent ed and quali f i ed pro sp e ctive p e opl e from pursuin g a career as an educator." e costly TPA is having real impacts on the ongoing educa- tor shortage across the country — and education officials are changing course for the better. States including New York, New Jersey, Georgia and even Texas have already eliminated the TPA requirement for teacher credentials. It's time to follow suit here in California. We must end the unnecessar y TPA and evolve our state system of educator preparation to better equip teachers to bridge California's diverse students to bright futures, while continuing to uphold the high standards for teachers that o u r stu d ent s d e s er v e . Jo i n m e i n supp or ti n g SB 1 2 6 3 — visit cta.org/tpa for more information and to learn how you can help be a part of this important movement to end the TPA. S B 1 2 6 3 : Following the Bill Introduced by state Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), SB 1263 would eliminate the use of the Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) in the process by which aspiring educators earn credentials. At press time, SB 1263 was awaiting a hearing by the Senate Education Committee, which is expected in April. Keep watch on cta.org and our social media platforms for more information as this bill progresses through the Legislature for information and ways you can help make this bill a law and end the TPA for good. #EndTPAnow See the Educator 's previous coverage of this issue at cta.org/educator/tpa. 19 A P R I L / M AY 2 0 24