Promoting Equitable Access to Teachers
Resources to assist LEAs with gathering data and reporting disproportionate access to effective, experienced, and appropriately assigned teachers by low-income and minority students as required under ESSA.Program Overview
Access to a fully-prepared and stable teacher workforce is essential to educational opportunity. Research has shown higher levels of teacher preparedness has positive impacts on student achievement.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Section 1112(b)(2) 
requires each local educational agency (LEA) receiving ESSA funds to submit a plan to the state educational agency that describes how it will identify and address any disparities that result in low-income and minority students being taught at higher rates than other students by ineffective, inexperienced, or out-of-field teachers; also referred to as equity gaps.
The California Department of Education (CDE) has developed the Promoting Equitable Access to Teachers (PEAT) Program to assist LEAs to identify and address local disparities, or equity gaps. A key element of the PEAT Program is a suite of equity tools designed to guide LEAs as they collect and analyze the appropriate data, conduct data analyses to identify potential equity gaps, conduct a root cause analysis and consider various strategies to address disparities, while engaging stakeholders throughout the process.
For an overview of the PEAT Program, see Video 1 of this seven-part series. Current guidance regarding requirements for educator assignment monitoring under ESSA is available in this January 2021 letter.
- PEAT Equity Tools
- Teacher AMO
- Teacher Credentialing
- Local Control
- Teacher Requirements
- Paraprofessionals
PEAT Equity Tools
Resources for Teacher Assignment Monitoring Outcome Reports
Recorded Training PowerPoints
These recorded PowerPoints presentations address common questions that the CDE has received about the Teacher Assignment Monitoring Outcome (AMO) Reports
Frequently Asked Questions about the Teacher AMO Report (Coming Soon)
Resources for Assignment Monitoring from the
Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Overview Training Presentation for the California State Assignment and Accountability System (CalSAAS)
This one-hour training is a multimedia presentation. It provides a succinct introduction to CalSAAS for users as well as for those who need to collaborate with CalSAAS users as part of the annual assignment monitoring process.
Collection of Resources for CalSAAS
This is a password-protected list of the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) CalSAAS resources, including the overview training presentation, a user manual, Frequently Asked Questions, and more; username is cig2011 and password is ctcguide.
Collection of Resources for Assignment Monitoring
This is a list of CTC resources for monitoring educator assignments, including resources by topic area, the administrator’s assignment manual, and more.
Local Control and Accountability Plan Federal Addendum
Educator Equity: Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) Addendum Criteria & Guidance
Criteria, guidance, and resources for LEAs to meet the provisions of the LCAP Federal Addendum Title I, Part A—Educator Equity section.
Educator Equity: LCAP Addendum Reviewer Criteria
Reviewer criteria to meet the provisions of the LCAP Federal Addendum Title I, Part A—Educator Equity section.
Notifications for Title I Programs
Below you will find templates for parent and family notifications as well as a chart to assist in determining whether a “Teacher Requirements Four-Week Notice” is required. The two templates for parent notifications, as required by Title I, Part A, may be modified by schools for communications with local parents.
Parents' Right to Know Letter Regarding Teacher Qualifications (DOC)
Federal law requires that parents be notified at the beginning, and/or when appropriate anytime, of each school year of their right to know the professional qualifications of their child's teacher(s).
Available translations of the Parents' Right to Know Letter Regarding Teacher Qualifications
Teacher Requirements Four-Week Notice (DOC)
Federal law requires that parents be notified when their child has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who has not met State certification or licensure requirements at the grade level and subject area in which the teacher has been assigned.
Available translations of the Teacher Requirements Four-Week Notice
Four-Week Letter Notification Determinations
| Status | Descriptions/Certifications/Permits | 4-Week Notice Trigger (Y or N) |
|---|---|---|
Legal (meets State certification/licensure [if providing instruction in the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher is certified/licensed]) |
|
No |
Ineffective |
An ineffective teacher is any of the following:
Under this definition, teachers with the following limited emergency permits would be considered ineffective:
|
Yes |
Out-of-Field Teacher |
A credentialed out-of-field teacher is: A credentialed teacher who has not yet demonstrated subject matter competence in the subject area(s) or for the student population to which he or she is assigned. Under this definition, the following limited permits will be considered out of field:
|
Yes |
Emergency Substitute Documents |
|
Yes |
California State Equity Plans
A history of California’s most recent state equity plans.
California's 2017 State Plan to Ensure Equitable Access to Excellent Educators (DOCX)
This plan details a theory of action, updated data and analysis, and progress toward achieving equitable access to excellent teachers and leaders for all students.
California’s Teacher Equity Plan (DOC)
Addresses Requirement Six of the State’s Plan for Highly Qualified Teachers, written and approved by the State Board of Education in September 2010.
It reflects the steps the State is currently taking to ensure that students from low-income families and minority students are not taught at higher rates than
other students by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Teacher Requirements Under
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Who should I contact for credentialing and/or teacher placement (staffing) questions (non-charter)?
Questions related to teacher credentialing and/or teacher placement should be directed to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). The CTC can be contacted by phone at 916-322-4974, Option 1 (Monday through Friday from 12:30 to 4:30pm Pacific Standard Time) or by e-mail at credentials@ctc.ca.gov.
Who should I contact for credentialing and/or teacher placement (staffing) questions for charter schools?
For questions related to charter school staffing, please contact the chartering authority of the charter school. The CTC cannot address any specific questions for charter school staffing as the monitoring of these schools does not fall under the authority of the Commission. Also, the California Department of Education has developed a charter school FAQ page which includes staffing information.
What authorization must a charter school teacher hold?
Teachers in charter schools shall hold a CTC credential, permit, or other document equivalent to that which a teacher in all other public schools would be required to hold. An equivalent credential, permit, or other document would mean that the teacher has the appropriate authorization for their assignment. Per California Education Code Section 47605(l), it is the intent of the Legislature that charter schools be given flexibility with regard to noncore, noncollege preparatory courses.
Are charter schools required to complete the Title I, Part A—Educator Equity section of the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) Addendum which
requires Local educational agencies (LEAs) applying for Title I funds to describe how the LEA will identify and address any disparities that result in low-income and
minority students being taught at higher rates than other students by ineffective, inexperienced, or out-of-field teachers as required by the
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Section 1112(b)(2) ?
Yes. If a charter school is applying for Title I funding, it is required to follow any and all conditions for receiving federal funding, which includes responding to the Title I, Part A—Educator Equity section of the LCAP Addendum.
Are local educational agencies (LEAs) required to ensure that all teachers of core academic subjects in the state are “highly qualified”?
No. Under the ESSA, the NCLB highly qualified teacher requirements were eliminated and replaced with applicable State certification and licensure requirements. Thus, teachers must meet applicable State certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification, or, with regard to special education teachers, the qualifications described in section 612(a)(14)(C) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20U.S.C. 1412(a)(14)(C).
Are LEAs that receive Title I funds required under the ESSA to notify parents at the beginning of each school year that they may request information regarding the professional qualifications of their student’s classroom teachers?
Yes. ESSA Section 1112(e)
states that LEAs shall notify the parents of each student attending any school receiving Title I funds that the parents may request, and the agency will provide the parents on request (and in a timely manner), information regarding the professional qualifications of the student’s classroom teachers, including at a minimum, the following: (1) Whether the student’s teacher (a) has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction; (b) is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived; and (c) is teaching in the field of discipline of the certification of the teacher and (2) Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.
Under the ESSA, can teachers still use the High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE) document to demonstrate highly qualified status?
No. The HOUSSE document was an option developed for veteran teachers under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act to demonstrate “highly qualified” teacher status.
Under the ESSA, the NCLB highly qualified teacher requirements were eliminated and replaced with applicable State certification and licensure requirements. Therefore, the HOUSSE document
is not applicable under the ESSA. All teachers must meet state certification and licensure requirements as stated in
ESSA Sections 1111(g)(2)(J) and
1112(c)(6) .
Under the ESSA, can teachers in special settings still use the Verification Process for Special Settings (VPSS) to be eligible to teach outside their credential area?
No. The VPSS process was an option under the NCLB for teachers assigned to special settings to demonstrate subject matter competency (one of the highly qualified teacher requirements) to allow them to teach outside their credential area. Under the ESSA, the NCLB highly qualified teacher requirements were eliminated and replaced with applicable State certification and licensure requirements. Therefore, the VPSS process is not applicable under the ESSA. All teachers must meet state certification and licensure requirements as stated in ESSA Sections 1111(g)(2)(J) and 1112(c)(6). LEAs may choose to use VPSS programs that are still available as an option for professional learning.
Do I need a Certificate of Compliance to apply for a teaching position in California?
No. The Certificate of Compliance was a document used to demonstrate that a teacher met all of the highly qualified teacher requirements under the NCLB Act. Under the ESSA, the NCLB highly qualified teacher requirements were eliminated and replaced with applicable State certification and licensure requirements. Therefore, the Certificate of Compliance is not applicable under the ESSA. All teachers must meet state certification and licensure requirements as stated in ESSA Sections 1111(g)(2)(J) and 1112(c)(6).
Paraprofessional Resources
Paraprofessional
Provides information on requirements for paraprofessionals pursuant to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).