The California Commission on Teaching Credentialing, the state entity that sets the frameworks and standards that certify that a teacher is able and qualified, has numerous requirements toward becoming a credentialed teacher.

Here is California’s teacher certification process (not necessarily in precise order, but close):

Graduate with a Bachelor’s degree as a minimum.

Pass the CBEST, a basic reading, writing, math skills assessment.

Pass the CSET, separate assessments in reading/language arts, science/math, social science/physical education/art.

Pass initial credentialing courses in a California certified program.

Student teach for 600-700 hours under a Master Teacher.

Pass an assessment or course on the U.S. Constitution.

Pass the RICA, an outdated assessment that certifies that a teacher can teach a child to read.

Pass the TPAs–these assessments substantiate a teacher’s ability to create and implement a lesson plan.

**At this point, the preliminary credential is issued and is only valid for five years.**

Pass more credential courses (called induction courses)

**At this point, the credential is considered cleared in California.**

Here’s the mystery: how is it that California’s teachers can make it through such a rigorous process and student outcomes are still so low? How is it that, year after year, teacher candidates can pass the credentialing courses and the assessments, but the majority of the students they teach will not be proficient in the material?

The answer lies in the substance of the credentialing courses and the assessments. The credentialing courses and the performance on the assessments are not connected to teaching practices that show consistent demonstrable data-driven improvements in a student’s ability to read, reading comprehension, writing ability, math proficiency, science knowledge, nor history knowledge. Just because a person passes the credentialing process doesn’t mean that that person is prepared and able to teach a kindergartener why the letter ‘c’ makes two sounds or to teach a fourth grader why we use the reciprocal to divide fractions, but it should.

Currently, the California teacher credentialing process is merely an expensive and time-consuming checklist, but with a number of meaningful reforms and modifications, it could serve as a model for producing highly effective teachers who are driven and knowledgeable enough to produce high-achieving students.