Editor’s Note: This is the second part of a two-part series detailing data about the state’s teachers. The first part ran in Saturday’s edition of the Record-Bee and can also be read online at record-bee.com
Many teacher candidates could not complete the Teaching Performance Assessment in spring 2020 due to school closures. As a result, Gov. Newsom changed the TPA from being a requirement for a preliminary credential to one needed for the clear credential for candidates enrolled in 2019-20 preparation. That means new teachers can start teaching without having to complete the assessment.
Similarly, candidates graduating from preparation programs in 2020 now need to pass the reading instruction test before being awarded a clear credential rather than a preliminary credential.
For a detailed description of changes made in response to the pandemic, check out this information from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
Q: What kinds of courses do teacher candidates take to earn a credential?
A: The teacher preparation program typically includes coursework in a range of areas meeting the standards set by the credentialing commission. Candidates typically study topics such as learning theory, cultural and language diversity, methods of instruction and approaches to student assessment. The candidate is also required to take a course or pass a test on the U.S. Constitution and to take coursework on computer applications in the classroom.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the credentialing commission has introduced flexibility regarding required student teaching hours. For the 2019-20 school year, teacher preparation programs have the authority to require less than 600 hours of student teaching and less than four weeks of solo student teaching if the preparation program determines the candidate has had sufficient classroom instruction experience and opportunities to work independently with students.
Q: What does student teaching consist of?
A: For their student teaching experience, students enrolled in teacher preparation programs, referred to as teacher candidates, work under the guidance of an experienced teacher, and gradually take on more teaching responsibilities. Typical activities include co-planning with the mentor teacher, guided and supervised teaching, grading and analyzing student work, and planning for the needs of individual students. The student teaching experience — sometimes referred to as “clinical practice” — lasts at least 600 hours and includes a placement in a school with students from diverse background and provides programs for English Learners.
It ends with four weeks of “solo” student teaching during which candidates work under the supervision of a mentor teacher, plan or co-plan lessons, deliver lessons and assess or grade students’ work and reflect on their own teaching practice.
Q: Does California issue short term or emergency permits?
A: Yes. A small proportion of the teaching force includes a number of beginning teachers who start out with less preparation through short term, emergency permits they receive and that are valid for one year. The numbers have increased dramatically, mainly in response to the shortage of fully-qualified or prepared teachers. In 2018-19, 6,173 new teachers entered the teaching force with a temporary, emergency permit, an increase of 158% since 2014-15. These permits are requested by a district or county office when there is an acute need for a credentialed teacher or an anticipated staff need that cannot be met.
Q: What is a teacher residency program?
A: One approach to teacher preparation that is gaining in popularity are so-called “teacher residencies,” loosely based on the medical residency model in which doctors in training work under the guidance of skilled medical personnel.
Candidates’ student teaching begins at the beginning of the school year and continues through the end, and they receive their preparation at the school site. The candidate becomes part of the school community and the school, particularly the candidate’s mentor teacher, plays a significant role in preparation.
There are several definitions of residency programs. Common characteristics include a strong partnership between a school district or charter school and a university preparation program, a full year of teaching alongside an expert mentor teacher, coursework tightly integrated with student teaching, and financial support in exchange for committing to teaching for a number of years in that school.
Q: What does an intern credential program consist of?
A: In a time of teacher shortages, districts often cannot find enough credentialed teachers, and so hire teachers with a so-called “intern credential” as an alternative — particularly in shortage fields such as special education. They then provide supervision to the teacher candidate having the intern credential, coordinating with a college or university as appropriate
An intern credential program, offered by a college or university or in some cases by school districts themselves, provides a pathway to getting a preliminary teaching credential that allows a teacher to get a full-time teaching position while completing his or her coursework. Many Teach for America corps members are able to teach using this credential. It is also especially useful for mid-career individuals who want to go into teaching, but cannot take a year or two out of the workplace to attend a teacher preparation program.
Teacher candidates typically only get several weeks of teacher preparation (a minimum of 120 hours) in the summer before they get their own classroom to work in full time.
Approved intern programs are sponsored by colleges, universities, school districts or county offices of education. Completion of an intern program results in the same preliminary teaching credential as is earned through a traditional teacher preparation program route.
Q: Has there been an increase in intern credentials?
A: Yes. There has been a significant increase. In 2018-19, 25% of new first year teachers earned intern credentials, up from 16% in 2014-15. To hire a teacher with an intern credential, a district or county office of education must demonstrate that it cannot fill a position with a fully credentialed teacher. They then provide supervision to the intern having the intern teacher candidate, coordinating with a college or university preparation program when appropriate.
Q: What are the prospects for teachers being laid off due to the recession, as was case during the Great Recession?
A: In most areas of the state, teachers can breathe more easily than they could in June. Gov. Newsom signed a budget agreement with the Legislature on June 2020 that does not cut funding for schools along the lines Newsom had proposed in his May revision of the budget. Instead of cuts, the state will rely on additional federal funds that Congress has yet to vote on. If Congress does not approve additional funds, the state will defer some of its funding to districts that could borrow funds to make up any shortfall. So, layoffs of teachers during the coming school year are unlikely to happen beyond those already announced by certain districts facing financial difficulties that preceded the pandemic.
Data for this Quick Guide were taken from the California Department of Education DataQuest website, from the Ed-Data website, and from CTC documents, including Teacher Supply in California, 2018-19; A Report to the Legislature, April 2020.a
