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CTC reviews findings from the field on dual credential pathways
September 21, 2026
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While there is substantial interest in dual credential pathways, multiple barriers may prevent individuals from seeking an additional credential.
These findings were presented to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing during its August meeting.
Commissioners were provided with an update on implementation of Assembly Bill 1119 (Patel), which requires the CTC to establish routes to dual credentialing across general education and special education by March 1, 2027. Staff shared the structure and approach they are using to carry out this work and presented a summary of field input gathered from surveys, listening sessions and interviews.
Eight findings were identified:
  1. Substantial interest in dual credential pathways with uneven awareness of available options.
  2. Multiple barriers may compound workload concern of earning an additional credential.
  3. Support for reducing duplicative requirements.
  4. Clinical practice requirements present a tension between feasibility and preparation quality.
  5. Program and LEA implementation capacity is a condition for expanding dual credential pathways.
  6. Existing dual credential models vary in structure, sequencing and implementation.
  7. Current credentialed teachers identify workload and educator protection concerns when seeking subsequent credential.
  8. Inquiry supports consideration of differentiated routes for distinct candidate and credential-holder groups.
ACSA expressed its support for creating more efficient routes to dual credentialing for teacher candidates and existing credential holders.
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“Supporting special education in particular and finding additional ways for existing teachers and new teachers to gain and showcase competency remains a particular focus considering increasing needs and complexity in the field.”
—Serette Kaminski ACSA Legislative Advocate
“Seeking multiple methods to demonstrate professional competency has been a longstanding policy platform for ACSA,” said ACSA Legislative Advocate Serette Kaminski. “Supporting special education in particular and finding additional ways for existing teachers and new teachers to gain and showcase competency remains a particular focus considering increasing needs and complexity in the field.”
Apprenticeships The commission was also presented with an informational item on teacher apprentice programs.
Registered apprenticeship is increasingly being applied to teacher preparation as an employment-based structure that combines paid work, supervised workplace learning, organized professional preparation, and progressive advancement.
The item includes lessons from two early models of teacher apprenticeships offered by Tulare County and Santa Clara County.
“The two programs illustrate how a common registered apprenticeship structure can produce materially different local designs,” according to the agenda item. “In both cases, residency-based Commission-accredited preparation remains intact. What differs is how local partners organize employment, education, preparation, compensation, and progression around the workforce problem they are seeking to address.”
Recognition of ACSA liaison During CTC Executive Director Dr. Mary Vixie Sandy’s report, Kaminski recognized the contributions of Doug Gephart, who has served as ACSA’s liaison to the CTC for 12 years.
In this role, Gephart represented ACSA members’ viewpoints to the CTC and provided expert analysis based upon his years of experience as a superintendent of human resources. He also wrote articles for EdCal that kept ACSA members informed of CTC meeting items and actions.
Gephart, who retired as Fremont USD Superintendent in 2008, is stepping away from his liaison duties to enjoy true retirement.
“Doug has been a staple at these meetings offering insight and thoughtful analysis to ACSA on policy topics that have come before the commission,” Kaminski said during the meeting. “Many of you have gotten to know him well and have had a front seat to his wisdom and deep knowledge base. ... I have learned so much from him over a decade of ... working with him and he will be sorely missed. On behalf of ACSA, I just want to thank him for his many years of service to California students.”
Other items
In other business, the CTC:
  • Approved new exams for early childhood education to enable an early completion option for the PK-3 Intern Credential, and special education to enable the early completion option for the Education Specialist, Mild to Moderate Support Needs Intern Credential. Staff were directed to work with test publishers to conduct a workshop to recommend a California-specific minimum passing standard.
  • Did not take action on a recommendation to direct staff to pursue statutory changes that would allow the CTC to consider sunsetting the California Basic Educational Skills Test following a staff report that indicated more candidates were taking the CBEST than needed to. Commissioners postponed this discussion for a future meeting once staff could present more data.