California lawmakers say teacher candidates can opt out of tests

California teacher candidates will soon be able to take coursework to prove they have the skills needed to become a teacher instead of two of the tests required to earn a credential.

A proposal to offer alternatives to the California Basic Education Skills Test, or CBEST, and California Subject Matter Exams for Teachers, or CSET, was part of the California’s 2021-22 budget bill passed Monday by state legislators.

Details are expected to be released in a trailer bill in the next few days. A recently released Assembly Floor Report says only that the Commission on Teacher Credentialing will determine if teacher candidates have the basic skills and subject matter competency needed to earn a credential.

Earlier this month both the state Assembly and Senate budget subcommittees on education recommended that teacher candidates should earn a B or better in qualifying coursework while earning a degree instead of taking the CBEST or CSET.

Currently, a teacher candidate is required to prove proficiency in basic reading, writing and math by passing the CBEST or other approved exams. The test is usually taken before a student is accepted into a teacher preparation program.

Teacher candidates also have been required to pass tests that are part of the California Subject Examinations for Teachers to earn a credential. Elementary school teachers must pass three tests  to earn a multiple-subject credential and middle and high school teachers earn single-subject credentials in areas such as art, biology or English by passing at least one subject exam.