At the Aug. 26-27 meeting of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), commissioners acted to approve some actions related to exploring new foundational exams, and were provided updates on ongoing projects related to teacher apprenticeships and dual credentialing in general and special education.
Commission-approved exams
Two items addressed how current candidates are qualifying to enter teacher preparation programs through fulfilling a basic skills requirement (BSR) and how they are fulfilling subject matter requirements (SMR), both of which have seen great changes in the last few years.
Assembly Bill 130 (2021) added the following options to fulfill the BSR: through qualifying coursework, through taking the commission-approved California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST), or a combination of a section of the exam and approved coursework. Senate Bill 153 (2024) further expanded the options by allowing the use of a bachelor’s degree to meet the BSR for most credentials. Additionally, AB 130 allows the following options for candidates to meet the SMR: through qualifying coursework, through successful completion of an academic major in the subject they will teach, through the commission-approved California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) or through a combination of coursework and exam options.
Due to these changes, in all credential areas, passing solely through taking the CTC-approved exams has decreased sharply since 2021–22. At the same time, staff and commissioners pointed out that there were still many more candidates taking the CBEST than would be necessary, especially with the newer statute allowing a bachelor’s degree to fulfill the BSR. They conjectured this could be due to lack of awareness of the new options.
Consideration of new exam options
At its October 2025 meeting, the commission discussed a long-term work plan for California educator exams and directed staff to continue evaluating the CBEST and the California Teacher of English Learners (CTEL) exam. The commission also directed staff to investigate available options for exams to support the Early Completion Option (ECO) for intern credential candidates, as required by statute.
Staff provided the background and current status of the CBEST, which was developed more than 40 years ago at a time when few nationally available educator basic skills examinations existed, and was last updated in 2013. The exam is due for another update, which requires a costly contract with the testing company, and may not be financially advisaible with the reduced participation in the exam. In 2010–11, the commission received $434,806 for CBEST administrations; in 2025–26, it received $53,000. However, Education Code requires the commission to maintain a basic skills exam.
Staff suggested that Education Code could be amended to approve one or more nationally available exams for candidates who need to demonstrate basic skills in a manner other than through coursework or degree, rather than require the commission to administer a California-specific basic skills exam.
Staff identified and reviewed two exams to determine how well they assessed the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics, if the decision is made to sunset CBEST. Details of each are in the agenda item.
The CTEL exam provides one option for earning the English Learner Authorization and partially fulfills requirements for the Bilingual Authorization. Staff are in preliminary discussions on the current role of the exam, changes in educator preparation since it was developed and the evolving methods through which candidates earn EL authorizations.
Staff also presented nationally approved exam options to fulfill the ECO statutory requirement.
Ultimately, commissioners chose to direct staff to continue the research and discussions around sunsetting the CBEST or updating it, citing concerns about fees from other exams being higher and the need for California-specific pass rates. Commissioners directed staff to look further into the statutory option, as well as looking further into who is still taking the CBEST and which candidates actually still need to.
The CTC approved the use of:
- Praxis: Early Childhood Education exam and the National Evaluation Series: Early Childhood Education (Age 3-8) examination to enable the ECO for the PK-3 Intern Credential and direct staff to work with the test publishers to conduct a California-specific standard setting workshop and return to the commission in the future with a California-specific minimum passing standard recommendation.
- Praxis: Special Education: Foundational Knowledge exam and the National Evaluation Series: Special Education examination to enable the ECO for the Education Specialist, Mild to Moderate Support Needs Intern Credential and direct staff to work with the test publishers to conduct a California-specific standard setting workshop and return to the commission in the future with a California-specific minimum passing standard recommendation.
- Updated work plan for commission examinations.
Teacher apprenticeships update
Teacher apprenticeship is a developing approach to educator preparation that creates employment-based pathways for prospective teachers within commission-approved preparation and credentialing requirements.
While similar, teacher residencies and teacher apprenticeships differ in their partners, structure and compensation methods. Apprenticeships are regulated and registered through the U.S. Department of Labor and the California Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS); teacher residencies are administered through partnerships between local educational agencies and commission-approved educator preparation programs or universities. While apprenticeships mandate a formal, progressive wage scale, residencies provide a fixed financial stipend or grant rather than a formal employer-managed progressive wage.
“The challenge, then, is not simply to produce more credentialed educators statewide. It is also to develop approaches that connect preparation and support to the places and fields where workforce needs recur, while addressing the conditions that influence whether educators remain in those settings,” states the agenda item. “Registered apprenticeship offers one structure for addressing that part of the workforce challenge. Employers, labor representatives, preparation providers and other partners can organize a registered apprenticeship program around an identified local workforce need while connecting paid employment, preparation and supervised learning. For teacher apprentices, that structure must be built around either a traditional or intern pathway and must align employment, apprenticeship requirements, commission-approved preparation, credential requirements and the duties an apprentice is authorized to perform at each stage.”
Pending AB 1904 (Gipson and Muratsuchi) would address additional elements of the state framework. As proposed, the measure would establish responsibilities for the commission and the DAS in the dissemination, review, approval, monitoring, information sharing and reporting associated with credentialed educator apprenticeship programs.
Work currently being done includes translating apprenticeship terms, which were created for the trades industry, into an appropriate structure for educators.
In the meantime, two apprenticeship programs launched in 2026–27. The Tulare County Office of Education is offering two pathways, one for Single Subject credentials and one for Education Specialist credentials. The COE is partnering with California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt (education specialist) and California State University, Fresno (single subject) and the California School Employees Association. Santa Clara COE is partnering with Teachers College of San Joaquin and the Morgan Hill Unified School District to implement its Education Specialist and Special Education Teaching Assistant pathways.
The commission took no action as this was an information item.
In other CTC updates:
- The commission welcomed a new member, Chèri Fortin, as the ex-officio representative of the California Community Colleges.
- An initial update was provided on AB 1119 (Patel), which requires the CTC, by March 1, 2027, with input from the education field, to develop and establish efficient routes to dual credentialing across general education and special education (Education Specialist credential). Staff summarized their surveying in the field thus far, citing wide enthusiasm and identifying issues to look into and update at future meetings.
The CTC is scheduled to meet next on Oct. 22-23.
