General Resources

Employers have a legal obligation to appropriately assign educators in certificated positions.  Education Code §44830 provides that: “The governing board of a school district shall employ for positions requiring certification qualifications, only persons who possess the qualifications for those positions prescribed by law.”  Furthermore, pursuant to Education Code §35035(g), it is the duty of each district superintendent to ensure that their certificated staff hold valid documents authorizing them to serve in their assigned positions.  The provisions of numerous other state and federal laws describe what constitutes appropriate assignments in various settings and subject-matters.  Violation of these provisions result in misassignments.  Pursuant to Education Code §44258.9(e)(10), misassignments should be corrected within 30 calendar days of their identification. 

Assignment Monitoring is the process by which Monitoring Authorities review the assignments of certificated educators in California public and charter schools, and determine whether they are appropriately assigned.

School sites, districts, county offices, and the Commission all play a vital role in the annually mandated assignment monitoring process.  Education Code (EC) §44258.9 gives the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) the authority to collect teacher assignment data, while local educational agencies (LEAs) are required to annually report specific assignment data to the California Department of Education (CDE) via CALPADS so that their Monitoring Authority can complete the annual monitoring process.  County Offices of Education (COEs) receive funding in order to perform these monitoring activities, and the Commission collects and analyzes this misassignment data and provides it to the public.

Prior to January 1, 2020, assignment monitoring was carried out in a four-year cycle, guaranteeing that only one-quarter of California's non-charter schools were monitored each year.  This schedule was used because of the labor intensiveness of the paper driven monitoring process.  The Budget Act of 2018 authorized CTC to share data with CDE, and allocated funds with the intent that the Commission create a streamlined and partially automated Assignment Monitoring system.

Effective the 2019-20 school year, all California schools are monitored on an annual basis.  This includes public non-charter, charter, and alternative schools.  Monitoring also includes any other LEAs that employ educators in certificated positions (e.g. district offices or Special Education Local Plan Areas).

For further clarification of the topics and terms related to Assignment Monitoring, refer to the Assignment Resources webpages.

While the Assignment Resources webpages are designed to answer many questions regarding certificated assignments, there will be times where educators, school site administrators, school district personnel, and county office staff have questions that are not addressed in the web resources.  When such questions arise, individuals should contact the appropriate resource described below:

• Questions from Educators: Educator questions concerning the appropriate certification to be authorized/assigned for a course or position should be directed to their employing school district or charter school.  The employing school/district can assist educators with questions regarding the type of credential or authorization required for employment in a specific position, local employment options, and the legal basis of an employee's assignment.

• Questions from Public School Employers: School Site Administrators or school district Credential Analysts/Technicians inquiring about appropriate assignment options must contact the County Office of Education that serves as their monitoring authority.  County Offices of Education employ personnel who annually monitor certificated assignments within the county.  Employers should work closely with their county to ensure appropriate authorization and placement of certificated personnel.

• Questions from Charter Schools: Charter School Administrators or Credential Analysts/Technicians inquiring about appropriate assignment options must contact the School District or County Office of Education that serves as their chartering authority.  If a district serving as a chartering authority requires additional assistance with the inquiry or assignment determination, they may contact their County Office of Education for assistance.

• Questions from County Offices of Education: Credential Technicians or Analysts from County Offices of Education may contact the Commission's Assignment Unit directly with assignment-related questions regarding certificated staffing through the dedicated COE email address.  County personnel who do not have access to the dedicated email address may request it by sending their full name, position, and county office of employment to Credentials@ctc.ca.gov.