By Diana Lambert – EdSource
Legislation that would remove one of the last tests teachers are required to take to earn a credential in California passed the Senate Education Committee unanimously Wednesday with little opposition.
Senate Bill 1263, sponsored by the California Teachers Association, will now move to the Senate Appropriations Committee. If ultimately approved by the Legislature, it will do away with the California Teaching Performance Assessment, known as the CalTPA.
The assessment requires that teachers demonstrate their competence via video clips of instruction and written reflections on their practice.
Eliminating the assessment would encourage more people to enter the teaching profession, said Sen. Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, author of the bill and chairman of the Senate Education Committee at Wednesday’s hearing.
“Despite its well-intentioned purpose, the demands associated with preparing for the TPA have actually had the perverse impact of reducing the overall quality of teacher preparation by undermining the capacity of teacher candidates to focus on what’s most important, which is their clinical practice,” Newman said.
He said the performance assessments duplicate other requirements teachers must fulfill to earn a credential, including proving subject-matter competency, taking teacher preparation courses, being assessed for reading instruction proficiency and completing 600 hours of clinical experience.
Brian Rivas, senior director at The Education Trust-West, a nonprofit education research and advocacy organization, spoke in opposition to the legislation.
“We concluded when we reviewed the research that teaching performance assessments are the best available measure of teacher preparedness and whether or not a candidate is prepared to enter a classroom,” Rivas said.
The test offers a common standard to measure how well credentialing programs are preparing teacher candidates and could mean fewer prepared teachers in schools serving low-income students, which are already disproportionately taught by novice teachers, he said.
California moved away from standardized testing for teacher candidates in recent years as the teacher shortage worsened.
In July 2021, legislation gave teacher candidates the option to take approved coursework instead of the California Basic Education Skills Test, or CBEST, or the California Subject Examinations for Teachers, or CSET. In January’s tentative budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed eliminating the CBEST and allowing the completion of a bachelor’s degree to satisfy the state’s basic skills requirement.
Around the same time, the state also has joined a national effort to change how reading is taught in schools, focusing on a method that teaches students to decode words by sounding them out, a process known as phonics.
Last summer, Senate Bill 488 passed the state Legislature. The bill replaced the unpopular Reading Instruction Competence Assessment, also known as RICA, with a literacy performance assessment based on a new set of literacy standards and Teaching Performance Expectations centered on phonics and other foundational reading skills. The assessment was scheduled to be piloted in the next few months. The CTA supported the bill.
Union leaders later said that a survey of its membership persuaded them to change course and to sponsor SB 1263, which would repeal the performance assessment.
Senate Bill 1263 doesn’t remove the requirement that candidates for a preliminary, multiple-subject or education specialist credential pass a test that evaluates their ability to teach reading, meaning the passage of SB 1263 could result in the RICA remaining beyond the 2025 date when it was scheduled to be abandoned.
The RICA has been a major hurdle for teacher candidates for years. About a third of all the teacher candidates who take the test fail the first time, according to state data collected between 2012 and 2017. Critics also have said that the test is outdated, racially biased and has added to the state’s teacher shortage.
The California Teachers Association also opposed Assembly Bill 2222, which would have required California teachers to use “science of reading” instruction in their classrooms. Last week the bill died without a hearing.
CTA representative Mandy Redfern spoke in support of Senate Bill 1263 Wednesday, calling the performance assessment a barrier to a diverse teacher workforce.
“Over the past 20 years, the TPA, or the teacher performance assessment, has evolved into a high-stakes, time-consuming costly barrier for aspiring teachers,” Redfern said.
“The current iteration of the TPA has been proven to be ineffective at preparing educators for the realities of the classroom,” she said. “The CTC’s data shows that TPAs disproportionately harm aspiring BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and other people of color) educators.”
The most recent passing rates on the assessment for people of color are not significantly different from others who took the test, said Mary Vixie Sandy, Commission on Teacher Credentialing executive director, at the hearing. For example, Black teacher candidates had a 75% first-time pass rate and a 95% ultimate pass rate, which is right within the norm, on average with the whole population of teachers who took the assessment, Sandy said.
The bill would also do away with oversight of literacy instruction in teacher preparation programs mandated by Senate Bill 488, authored by Sen. Susan Rubio, D-West Covina, in 2021.
43 comments
Calif used to be in the top 5 in the country in academics – now we’re in the bottom 5, now we’re eliminating D’s and F grades because it’s hurting kids feelings…. now practically anybody will be eligible to teach – and remember convicts now have their arrests masked – this state has sadly gone to hexx …… private school is the only way to insure kids get a decent education in Calif now – imho
will just be pass and fail,and nobody fails,that would be racist
One might inquire as to the effect of Prop 13 on the decline of education.
Yeah that’s always the excuse, except for the fact that CA RES prices are the one of the highest in the world, let alone the country. Fact CA revenue for from property taxes has grown 10% compounded since prop 13 passed. Rule of 72 shows you that basically prop tax collection in CA doubles every 7 years.
The real question is how is that money spent?
Can’t attract and retain enough qualified teachers, raise the pay.
DEMs did it, for products of CA’s educational system.
How many zero skills dropouts are working fast food ? ? ?
Here’s a thought, try education instead of woke indoctrination.
An for every kid that drops out dock the principal $100 and superintendent of schools $500.
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Equity . . . . . ?
Seems a way to promote the under qualified, DEI (Didn’t Earn It).
Simple fact DEM legislature is involved, expect your child’s education to further degrade.
Want to improve educational system, issue tenure in six year increments.
Teachers requalify and pass psychological evaluation to earn another six years of tenure.
In addition random DRUG TESTING at least four times a year.
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Went with friend to pick up his kid from school (Alameda county) teachers with hair color out of a crayon box and enough piercings to set off an airport metal detector.
So, who’s teaching who here?
Another reason why public schools are losing students fast then ever.
It may attract a broader variety of individuals. That could be good or extremely bad.
@MAGA SAM
It is guaranteed to attract the individuals who can’t pass any tests whatsoever.
CBEST was testing math, reading and writing skills at high school level. And it was eliminated because too many wannabe teachers couldn’t pass it.
CSET was testing competence in subject matter that a candidate was going to teach. And it was eliminated because, again, too many wannabe teachers couldn’t pass it.
CalTPA is testing whether the wannabe teacher can teach at all – create instruction materials and explain it to the students. And whether they can improve their teaching skills by analyzing their own performance.
So after all of these assessments are gone, a person who can’t read/write/do math at high school level, doesn’t know the subject matter that they are going to teach, and can’t create teaching materials or explain them to the students can qualify to be a teacher in CA.
Please, explain how it’s going to be good.
Well…It could allow people with different skill sets than the ones coveted by the people in charge. It could allow people who think differently than the mindless drones who currently accept teaching children whatever the district dictates. It could allow real free thinkers and free thought. To me these would be a positive over the current batch of teachers who blindly follow their masters for a paycheck. But that’s just my opinion
Wow … it is too hard for someone who wants to be a teacher to prepare for the TPA. Wow … seems like someone who wants to be a teacher could figure that out, but apparently not in California.
This is beyond stupid. Every time I think California cannot stoop any lower, they do.
These people truly are demented and evil.
The same people that would issue a citation for selling children instead of arrest.
if it wasnt already now this is no place to raise your kids,they need everyone at ghetto level failure or its racist.they cant bring up failure so they lower successes to the point of unimportance.Soon,its just ibonics and (the slang version of ) spanish
So dumb down the teacher requirements and the students will come out of California schools even dumber than they are now. We are near the bottom of the nation’s education level. I guess we want to be dead last?
that way everyone’s a winner ??:( and there’s no losers….in bizzarro world,its all bassackwards.
Right. Most of the teachers already cannot even use anything approaching proper grammar or spelling. Let alone understand simple math enough to adequately teach it.
I feel that if a person cannot pass the test, then they shouldn’t be teachers. I had to take my Math test twice but I was able to pass all of my tests, I was 49 years old . I became a Math special education teacher in high school, till my retirement 2 years ago. If we expect our children to pass all of these standardized tests, we need teachers who are capable to teach the subject.
The dumbing down of America.
My wife is a teacher, and now is officially paid less than fast food workers, and she has a 5 year degree (under grad + teaching credential) which she has been and will continue to pay off for years and years.
Why bother being a teacher these days.. unless your husband/wife is wealthy, it’s not worth it and quite frankly not financially possible anymore in the Bay Area, as their pay is well under half of the “low income” salary line of $104,000 in the bay area.
At least pay them at or above fast food across the board and the shortage will fade. Reducing requirements and testing barriers is not the solution.
The problem is that fast food workers should not be making $20 an hour. Not that teachers should get paid even more for only working part of the year and getting a guaranteed retirement.
They only work part of the year, and get paid accordingly. That’s why you see many bartending, teaching yoga, tutoring etc. They are paid once per month, for the months worked.
Your wife is not making less than 20 an hr to teach. 20 an hr as yearly salary is 41 grand a year. Avg bay area teacher salary starts at mid to low 70s and you get summers off. Fast food guy works longer days and hrs a year for much less. Get real.
What a stupid thing to do. Now it will be dummies teaching dummies. Unbelievable
What has it been for decades now?
They dont dare just tell parents that the state is done with schools and it up to the parents from now on now do they?That would be good for children and bad for govt programming of your child’s mind,
They dont teach anymore at public schools or colleges.Its a cult to be avoided.
Would save the and country biliions if responsible smart parents actually existed in larger masses.Only a few dare expose themselves from fear of being called a domestic terrorist.
That is their plan. They want everyone dumb and focused on things that don’t matter. That is why they are doing all this woke stuff in schools.
either u have the ability to teach or you don’t. Many have past those tests and got credentialed, and can’t teach for $hit.
What we have now is failing our kids…
So the administration has caused another crisis, but they can fix it by eliminating everything that would help insure that the kids are taught by good teachers? Seems like the NEW CALIF WAY. I have witnessed some terrible teachers in my schools days then my sons. Drunk science teacher, history teacher gave A’s to show boob, admin knew and didn’t do a damn thing, number one reason I moved my son out of Ca, bad teachers, blind admin, this all comes from the top. Education in Ca has been terrible since the 80s, didn’t improve in the 00’s and my poor grandkids are suffering this new nightmare….keep em dumb and confused.
In the interest of inclusiveness let’s eliminate all licenses, tests, and other barriers for all fields. You wake up today and feel like a brain surgeon? No problem, here’s your next patient. Tomorrow you wake up an identify as an airline pilot. No problem. What can go wrong?
All teachers ever did was require me to take test after test after test!
I say make the teachers take even more tests than previously required… fair is fair.
This will expedite the dumbing down of teachers, and then students – which is exactly what they want. Dumbells are easier to control and will vote however you propagandize them. You can already see this happening.
Machines will do the thinking for us.
We’ll need less Chiefs, more Indians.
Oops, pasted too much, look for the quotes!
Isn’t nice to know where DEMs stand and who instructs them what they want done.
Not about what’s good for We The People of California, it’s that a large voter blocks and source of campaign contributions get what they DEMAND.
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Need to remember His Imperial Majesty Emperor newsom was the invertebrate who refused to stand up to teachers union.
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‘Gavin Newsom says he won’t compel schools to reopen if teachers unions refuse to go back’
https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Gavin-Newsom-schools-reopen-teachers-union-vaccine-15856522.php
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All you need do is look around you to figure out how badly we are being screwed over.
Higher prices than need be because of DEM policies and executive orders.
For it to get much worse keep electing DEMs.
Pulled my 2 kids out of public schools 2 years ago. Best thing I could’ve done for them educationally. If you’d asked me 5 years ago if I would consider private schools I would have told you 100% chance no. There is a special place in hell for the California teachers union and the teachers for placing our kids in front of a monitor for 2 years!!!!! Never Forget!!!!
A story about a college. Seem if a teacher has graduated from college he may not need teaching credentials. This college teacher had at least MA or a MBA and was teaching a math class. Had a big screen to show the page the class was on. Read the text of that page to the class after telling them to open their book to that same page. Upshot from my view is that all teachers should have at least some education on how to teach.
Ditto, but we left in 2020/2021 when I realized that they had NO PLAN to teach the kids at ALL and had not really been teaching them much before that either. We will stay at private school, at least through the end of middle school. Now my kids are way ahead of the kids at public school after having to catch up a bit. I will NEVER forgive the evil teacher union and the teachers who REFUSED to teach but still got their bloated paychecks for only working part of the year (working, well, that is a stretch for public schools).
Let’s repeal the lottery. It was suppose to add money to school budgets but that was a smoke and mirrors trick. The state took the equivalent money the lottery brought in away from the schools and spent it on other things. Schools are supposed to be one of the state’s core responsibilities (like infrastructure, clean water, utilities and law and order). Rather they spend their efforts trying to get more money from our pockets. Sadly, the state seems to have forgotten the core of their responsibilities and focus on getting reelected. Let’s repeal the lottery, vote down the bridge toll increases and more toll roads.
Your liberals did it.Nice save but fail….
What a joke! I remember the CBEST from public school. i remember that by 8th grade I was at the 14th grade level on those tests, and these Education Major Graduates cant pass it, REALLY. We let these boobs teach our kids. I’m shocked we get the results we get.
An 8th grader from 30 years ago is smarter than someone applying for a teaching job now.Its all activists not wanting to teach,but preach leftism
Time to look at investing in some Charter School companies. Good job teachers union, they are so smart.
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