CTC sets stage for transition from RICA

www.acsa.org

September 16, 2024

The August meeting of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing was attended by ACSA CTC Liaison Doug Gephart, who filed the following report.

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing approved several items related to Literacy Performance Assessments for teachers as the state transitions from using the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA).

Pursuant to SB 488, all approved Teaching Performance Assessments must include a literacy component that meets the requirement of SB 488 by July 1, 2025 as a replacement for the RICA requirement. The modified TPA will provide the opportunity to measure observable Teaching Performance Expectation (TPE) elements through a performance-based assessment that teacher candidates must complete prior to being recommended for a teaching credential.

During its meeting, the CTC heard an update on the pilot study for this Literacy Performance Assessment. In developing the pilot study, CTC staff worked with programs to identify an ethnically diverse pool of candidates representative of the diversity of California. Webinars were held for program coordinators and faculty who would be supporting candidates in the Literacy Performance Assessment pilot that began in November 2023. Overall, the candidates and programs found the LPA allowed them to demonstrate their literacy instructional practice in an authentic manner and appreciated the flexibility of the choices built into the LPA.

Analysis of survey and focus group responses indicate that teacher candidates appreciated the LPA as an alternative to RICA, as they see it as a more authentic assessment of their literacy knowledge and acknowledges their diverse student populations. Pilot test surveys also provided insightful, constructive feedback that the commission staff and design team will act on prior to the field test. Cooperating teachers were appreciative of candidates needing to be aware of the various learners in their classroom, identifying a focus student to monitor, and the recording of lessons on which the candidate reflects.

Field test approval: Currently there are three commission-approved TPA models: CalTPA, edTPA, and FAST. California State University, Fresno, has requested permission from the commission to field test an updated version of their Fresno Assessment of Student Teachers (FAST) that assesses candidates on literacy instruction that meets the requirements of Senate Bill 488. The FAST 3.0 is designed to serve as a replacement for the RICA by measuring priority elements appropriate for new teachers of the newly adopted Literacy Teaching Performance Expectations. The faculty of Fresno State plan to pilot the FAST 3.0 in the fall of 2024 with approximately 85 Multiple Subject candidates who completed a literacy methods course aligned last spring or are currently enrolled in one this semester.

Based upon staff recommendation, the commission approved the FAST 3.0 field test as proposed for fall 2024.

Support options for teachers/candidates during transition: The commission also adopted a transition plan from RICA to the Literacy Performance Assessment that is currently being field tested during this academic school year (FAST). These two measures represent different methodologies for meeting the reading instruction competency requirement for those candidates who may not have successfully completed the RICA.

Two candidate groups affected by the timeline for transitioning to the new LPA are:

1. Teachers who were granted a referral due to the closing of test centers during the COVID pandemic. Staff estimates there may be up to 7,000 current teachers who hold a preliminary credential with a RICA renewal code who may not have yet cleared their credential by meeting the RICA requirement.

2. Currently enrolled Multiple Subject and Education Specialist candidates who will have completed all other credential requirements except for the RICA by June 2025.

Staff recommended and the commission approved the following options available to the identified candidates:

1. Adopt a secondary passing standard for the RICA which is comprised of scoring within a -1.0 Standard Error of Measurement.

2. Extend the secondary passing standard option for the RICA as described above to all candidates within the past 10 years who have previously attempted RICA.

3. Adopt the “Foundations of Reading” examination effective July 1, 2025 for teachers who hold a Preliminary credential with a RICA renewal code and Multiple Subject and Education Specialist candidates who completed all other credential requirements except for the RICA by June 30, 2025.

4. Adopt the “Foundations of Reading” examination effective July 1, 2025 for the following: Single Subject credential holders who want to add a Multiple Subject credential; private school teachers seeking Multiple Subject, PK-3 ECE Specialist Instruction, or Education Specialist credentials; and teachers who are prepared in another country.

5. Direct staff to convene a standard setting panel to recommend a passing standard for the “Foundations of Reading” examination that is consistent with the TPE-7 expectations for beginning teachers.

Child Welfare and Attendance proposed standards

Previously, the commission adopted revised preconditions, program standards and performance expectations for the Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPS) in School Counseling, School Psychology, and School Social Work. The transition to the new standards was deferred to the 2022-23 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and all existing PPS School Counseling, School Psychology, School Social Work programs are now operating in alignment with the new standards.

In updating the standards, a panel recommended that the Child Welfare and Attendance content be embedded throughout the PPS standards and performance expectations for each of the PPS specialty areas. For each specialty area the workgroup identified specific content related to Child Welfare and Attendance competency and incorporated the content directly into the program standards and performance expectations. The current PPS program standards in School Psychology, School Counseling, and School Social Work allow candidates to earn their Child Welfare and Attendance (CWA) Added Authorization as part of their PPS credential program, or at a later date, by completing 150-hours of field work experience.

Commission staff determined the need to maintain a separate set of standalone CWA standards and performance expectations because it was unclear what candidates would need to do to obtain a CWA authorization who obtained their PPS credential prior to adoption of the 2019 PPS standards and performance expectations.

Absent a clear document identifying the content it has been determined that a clear set of stand-alone standards is needed.

Staff recommended and the commission adopted the proposed CWA Added Authorization program standards and performance expectations to apply to candidates who completed their PPS program under the prior set of standards.

Workgroup to Review the Design and Implementation of TPAs During the October 2023 CTC meeting, three ideas were discussed for improving the performance assessment system in educator preparation. Among these was the idea of convening a performance assessment workgroup of educational partners to review the structure and implementation of California’s performance assessments. The concept for the Workgroup to Review the Design and Implementation of TPAs (RDI-TPA Workgroup) has recurred in different forms across several commission meetings therefore creating the need for the commission to adopt a consolidated charge to solidify guidance for efforts currently underway. Such a charge would adhere to existing statute while anticipating the new requirements in pending legislation. The current and pending statutory requirements for the RDI-TPA Workgroup stipulate an aggressive timeline to convene the workgroup, consider required topics, develop initial recommendations for the February 2025 CTC meeting, and return final recommendations for action during the June 2025 meeting.

The commission approved: 1) Adoption of the consolidated charge and 2) Appointed the applicants to the workgroup.