AB2206 - Teacher credentialing: community college baccalaureate degrees.

Amended IN Senate August 21, 2026 Amended IN Senate August 13, 2026 Amended IN Senate June 08, 2026 Amended IN Assembly April 13, 2026 Amended IN Assembly April 06, 2026 Amended IN Assembly March 16, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 2206 Introduced by Assembly Member Fong February 19, 2026 An act to amend Sections 44203, 44225, 44227, 44252, 44252.2, 44256, 44258.2, 44258.7, 44259, 44259.1, 44265, 44269, 44300, and 44325 of the Education Code, relating to teacher credentialing. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2206, as amended, Fong. Teacher credentialing: community college baccalaureate degrees. Existing law requires the Commission on Teacher Credentialing to establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. Existing law prescribes specific minimum requirements a candidate must satisfy to be issued a teaching credential, certificate, or permit, including, among other requirements, possession of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, except as provided. Existing law authorizes the commission to approve a regionally accredited institution of higher education to recommend to the commission the issuance of credentials to persons who have successfully completed a teacher education program of the institution if the program meets the standards approved by the commission. Existing law defines a regionally accredited institution of higher education for these purposes to include, among other institutions, a community or junior college that confers baccalaureate degrees and is regionally accredited by specified accrediting entities, as provided. This bill would delete a community or junior college that confers baccalaureate degrees and is regionally accredited by specified accrediting entities from the definition of “regionally accredited.” The bill would instead require a baccalaureate degree from an accredited community or junior college to include specific coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as provided, in order for that baccalaureate degree to satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement for a teaching credential, certificate, or permit. The bill would prohibit a California community college and a California community college district from offering an integrated program of professional preparation that would enable a candidate for a teaching credential to engage in professional preparation concurrently with subject matter preparation, while completing a baccalaureate degree. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Sections 44252, 44259, and 44325 of the Education Code proposed by SB 1443 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1443 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 44203 of the Education Code is amended to read: 44203. In this chapter, the following terms shall be defined as specified in this section: (a) “Authorization” means the designation that appears on a credential, certificate, or permit that identifies the subjects and circumstances in which the holder of the credential, certificate, or permit may teach, or the services that the holder may render in the public schools of this state. (b) (1) “Basic teaching credential” means either of the following: (A) A credential that authorizes the holder to teach the subjects named on the credential, and for which possession of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and completion of a professional preparation program that includes student teaching or completion of a district internship program pursuant to Section 44325 are minimum requirements. (B) A clear designated subjects teaching credential that authorizes the holder to teach the subjects named on the credential on a full-time basis if the holder also possesses a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education and has passed the state basic skills proficiency test. (2) A basic teaching credential meets the prerequisite teaching credential requirement for any other teaching, specialist, or service credential the commission is authorized to issue. (c) “Beginning teacher assessment” means a process that has been adopted or approved by the commission for measuring the performances of the holders of preliminary teaching credentials in order to help them improve, and to determine whether their performances satisfy the commission’s standards of performance for earning the clear teaching credential. (d) “Beginning teacher support” means a combination of assistance, guidance, encouragement, and diagnostic assessment that helps the holders of preliminary teaching credentials to fulfill their professional responsibilities effectively during the first year or two years of classroom teaching, and that satisfies standards of support adopted by the commission. (e) “Institution of higher education” means an institution that grants baccalaureate or higher degrees, not including a community college, junior college, California community college, or a California community college district. (f) “Professional teacher certification requirements” means a policy of requiring each beginning teacher to complete a program of planned support and systematic assessment, as determined by the commission, as a condition for earning a clear teaching credential. (g) “Regionally accredited” means either of the following: (1) An institution of higher education that has been accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Higher Learning Commission, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the New England Commission of Higher Education, or the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. (2) An institution of higher education that held preaccreditation status at the time the degree of an applicant for a credential was conferred, if the institution achieved full regional accreditation status within five years of earning preaccreditation status. SEC. 2. Section 44225 of the Education Code is amended to read: 44225. The commission shall do all of the following: (a) Establish professional standards, assessments, and examinations for entry and advancement in the education profession. While the Legislature recognizes that the commission will exercise its prerogative to determine those requirements, it is the intent of the Legislature that standards, assessments, and examinations be developed and implemented for the following: (1) (A) The preliminary teaching credential, to be granted upon possession of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, completion of an accredited program of professional preparation, and either successful passage of an examination or assessment that has been adopted or approved by the commission in the subject or subjects appropriate to the grade level to be taught, to include college-level reading, writing, and mathematics skills, or completion of an accredited program of subject matter preparation and successful passage of the basic skills proficiency test as provided for in Article 4 (commencing with Section 44250). The commission shall uniformly consider the results of the basic skills proficiency test in conjunction with other pertinent information about the qualifications of each candidate for a preliminary credential and may award the credential on the basis of the overall performance of a candidate as measured by several criteria of professional competence if the candidate meets minimum standards set by the commission on each criterion. Upon application by a regionally accredited institution of higher education, the commission may categorically grant credit to coursework completed in an accredited program of professional preparation, as specified by this paragraph, by undergraduates of that institution, if the commission finds there are adequate assurances of the quality of necessary undergraduate instruction in the liberal arts and in the subject area or areas to be taught. (B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), for single subject teaching credentials, the baccalaureate degree shall not be in the subject of professional education. (C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a baccalaureate degree from a community or junior college that is regionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges shall satisfy the baccalaureate degree requirement only if the baccalaureate degree includes coursework in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills in the English language, as described in paragraph (10) of subdivision (b) of Section 44252. (2) The professional teaching credential, to be granted upon successful passage of a state examination or assessment in the subject or subjects appropriate to the grade level to be taught, to include college-level basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills, and completion of a period of beginning teacher support that includes assessments of ability to teach subject matter to pupils, ability to work well with pupils, classroom management, and instructional skills. A candidate who successfully passes the examination or assessment pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be deemed to have passed the state examination or assessment in the subject or subjects to be taught pursuant to this paragraph. (b) (1) Reduce and streamline the credential system to ensure teacher competence in the subject field or fields, while allowing greater flexibility in staffing local schools. The commission shall award the following types of credentials to applicants whose preparation and competence satisfy its standards: (A) Basic teaching credentials for teaching in kindergarten, or any of grades 1 to 12, inclusive, in public schools in the state. (B) Credentials for teaching adult education classes and vocational education classes. (C) Credentials for teaching specialties, including, but not limited to, bilingual education, early childhood education, and special education. The commission may grant credentials to any candidate who concurrently meets the commission’s standards of preparation and competence for the preliminary basic teaching credential and the preliminary specialty credential. (D) Credentials for school services, for positions including, but not limited to, administrators, school counselors, speech-language therapists, audiologists, school psychologists, library media teachers, supervisors of attendance, and school nurses. (2) The commission may establish standards and requirements for preliminary and professional credentials of each type. (c) Review and, if necessary, revise the code of ethics for the teaching profession. (d) Establish standards for the issuance and renewal of credentials, certificates, and permits. In setting standards, the commission shall seek to ensure, through its credentialing of teachers, that public school teachers satisfy all of the following criteria: (1) Are academically talented. (2) Are knowledgeable of the subjects to be taught in the classroom. (3) Are creative and energetic. (4) Have the human skills to motivate and inspire pupils to achieve their goals. (5) Have the sensitivity to foster self-esteem in pupils through recognition that each pupil has their own goals, talents, and levels of development. (6) Are willing to relate the educational process and their instructional strategies to meet the needs of pupils. (7) Are able to work effectively with and motivate pupils from a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, academic, and linguistic backgrounds. (8) Have an understanding of principles and laws related to educational equity, and the equitable practice of the profession of education among all pupils regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, age, religious background, primary language, or disabling condition. (e) Determine the scope and authorization of credentials to ensure competence in teaching and other educational services, and establish sanctions for the misuse of credentials and the misassignment of credentialholders. The commission may grant an added or supplementary authorization to a credentialholder who has met the requirements and standards of the commission for the added or supplementary authorization. The commission shall exempt the holder of a teaching credential obtained before January 1, 1974, who adds an authorization by successfully completing a commission-approved subject matter examination, from the requirements of subdivision (e) of Section 44259 and Section 44261. (f) Collect, compile, and disseminate information regarding exemplary practices in supporting and assessing beginning teachers. (g) Establish alternative methods for entry into the teaching profession, and into other certificated roles in the schools, by persons in varying circumstances, including persons who have been educated outside of California, provided that each applicant satisfies all of the requirements established by the commission. One alternative method shall be the successful completion of at least two years of classroom instruction under a district intern certificate pursuant to Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 44325). In establishing alternative methods for entry into the teaching profession, the commission shall develop strategies to encourage classroom aides to become credentialed teachers. (h) Adopt a framework and general standards for the accreditation of preparation programs for teachers and other certificated educators pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 44320). (i) Appoint classroom teachers, school administrators, other school services personnel, representatives of the public, and public or private higher education representatives to one or more standing committees, which shall be given authority to recommend to the commission standards relating to examinations, performance assessments, program accreditation, and licensing. The commission shall establish criteria for membership on those committees, and shall determine the terms of committee members. Appointments to standing committees by the commission shall reflect, to the extent feasible, the ethnic and cultural diversity of the California public schools. (j) Consult with classroom teachers, faculty members from institutions of higher education that maintain accredited programs of professional preparation for teachers, administrators or other school services personnel, and other experts to aid in the development of examinations and assessments, and to study the impact of examinations and assessments on the teaching profession. To increase the fairness of its certificati [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]