Literacy Certification Questions and Answers from  Office Hours held March 15 and 28, and April 12, 2024

Please note that questions/answers with an “*” have been updated or added from the April 12th office hours session.

  1. Since the deadline for the submission of certification documentation is October 4, 2024, but programs must be in compliance by July 1, 2024, do programs have until October 4th to have their documentation complete?
    • All elements of the program must be in compliance by July 1, 2024, but the certification templates from PSA 24-01 and the corresponding evidence are not required to be submitted until the October 4, 2024 deadline.
    • If programs must be fully aligned by July 1, 2024, what does that mean and how does CTC know we are aligned?
      • Courses and syllabi must be fully aligned to the new TPE by July 1, 2024. Institutions must submit what is required as outlined in PSA 24-01. Review of the entire TPE 7 will occur during the program review part of the accreditation cycle. 
  2. Program matrices recently released now include TPE 7. What matrices need to be submitted for Literacy certification?
    • The appendices in PSA 24-01 provide the information about the tables that must be submitted. Do not use the program matrices provided for program review.
    • Links to the appendices to be submitted can be found at the Commission’s Literacy and Reading Instruction website.
    • Each pathway is submitted separately unless there is an overlap of programs using the same courses.
    • The ECSE program matrix was updated recently but TPE 7 was not included.
      • Appendix D in PSA 24-01 addresses the certification table for the ECSE Literacy TPE. For certification, you will not use the ECSE program review matrices. The ECSE program matrix used for accreditation site visits will be updated soon.
  3. For the pathway process table in Appendix B of PSA 24-01, only multiple subjects is listed, so do other pathways/programs also have to be included?
    • The table in Appendix B 2.1 is an example of what may be included in an institution’s certification submission. All programs and pathways at the institution as outlined in PSA 24-01 must be included in the table and the corresponding appendix (C, D, E, or F) must be included with the institution’s complete submission.
    • *Are Single Subject programs required to submit information for certification for TPE 7?
      • No, Single Subject programs are not included in the list of programs in Education Code §44259(B)(4)(A) and (B) that are required to be certified by the Commission. However, Single Subject programs are required to be aligned to the new Literacy standard by July 1, 2024. All programs’ alignment to this standard will be reviewed during the program review/accreditation cycle.
  4. *Will institutions going through Initial Program Review (IPR) have to address all of TPE 7 and certification?
    • Institutions going through IPR (including for all PK-3 programs) will address all elements of TPE 7 in their proposals. Newly approved programs will go through a modified certification process. Because newly approved programs may be in different stages of implementation during the certification year (2024-25), Multiple Subject/Single Subject/Education Specialist/PK-3 ECE programs that have been approved with the new literacy standard and TPEs already embedded (those approved after October 2023) will be contacted late in 2024 with more information. 
  5. Will institutions in the Green cohort have to address all of TPE 7?
    • Yes, whether they have site visits in 2024-25 or 2025-26, institutions in the Green cohort will be required to respond to Standard 7 and TPE 7. Commission staff will provide those institutions with more detailed information about this process soon.
  6. If candidates are admitted to the program August 1, 2024, their program must be in compliance?
    • Yes.
    • What happens if a reviewer finds something during the certification process that is not aligned in a program that candidates are currently in?
      • Commission staff will work with programs on a case-by-case basis.
  7. Has the final approval process been developed?
    • No. It will be finalized soon, and all programs will be notified.
  8. *Will templates be provided for the certification process?
    • Required templates and tables are provided in the appendices of PSA 24-01. All programs must provide responses to Appendix B along with the appropriate program-specific tables found in Appendices C, D, E, and F. All of these are available in the Literacy Instruction Certification section of the Literacy and Reading Instruction webpage.
  9. How do we submit our evidence for certification?
    • The institution should place their information on the institution’s accreditation website with evidence outlined in PSA 24-01. Use the appendices as a guideline.
  10. Is documentation for every element of the Literacy TPE required for certification?
    • Not every element of the TPE is included in certification. The certification process documentation is focused on what is specifically required by SB488. What you submit for certification will inform what you submit for your accreditation site visit.
  11. We have Multiple Subject and a Multiple Subject with BILA programs. Do we submit separate information for each pathway?
    • It depends if candidates in those two programs are taking the same courses for literacy or different courses. If the courses are the same, then the institution would submit one table for both pathways. If the courses are different, then the institution would submit separate tables for each program. Please be clear as to which programs/pathways the documentation applies.
  12. What about candidates whose program will bridge the old and new literacy standards? Will they have to take bridging coursework?
    • Programs need to ensure that candidates are prepared to pass the Literacy Performance Assessment (LPA) as it will be required for all candidates beginning July 1, 2025.
  13. If a program submits a syllabus or assignment as evidence for the certification process, what level of detail is necessary?
    • Linking to an entire syllabus or course objective does not provide clear evidence. Programs should link to an assignment or to where the element is specifically being addressed.
    • If an assignment addresses multiple TPE elements, should the evidence be linked to a specific part of the assignment or the assignment as a whole?
      • Either is fine if the assignment is related to the specific TPE element.
  14. *How much evidence is sufficient for each element of the TPE?
    • Institutions need to decide how to provide evidence that their programs are aligned to the TPE elements.
    • The Literacy TPEs are very dense, and SB 488 is very prescriptive about what must be included. Programs should focus on choosing only the best examples – generally no more than four for each I, P, and A – that provide the strongest and clearest examples to demonstrate the TPE element is being addressed.
    • Please also see the response to question 28 below.
  15. *Faculty have expressed concern about making proprietary information publicly available.
    • Pursuant to Education Code sec. 44320.3(b), the Commission must be able to verify that the required content is being covered in the program in order for certification to be granted.
    • Institutions are encouraged to explore options such as adding disclaimers to the content that indicates it is for use in certification/accreditation only.
    • Additionally, if institutions refer to a chapter in a textbook, the chapter material does not necessarily need to be provided. However, it may be helpful to provide annotations/comments on the side of your documents giving a description that helps reviewers verify how the standard is being met.
  16. If fieldwork MOUs are not due to be renewed before the submission deadline, can an addendum be submitted once they are ratified?
    • Yes. In your certification submission, please include the addendum with a draft of the future MOU.
  17. Are programs required to submit for every part of TPE 7?
    • No. Only those elements as outlined in PSA 24-01. As programs move through their color cohort accreditation process, they will be expected to provide evidence for the entire TPE at their site visit.
  18. For programs in stage 5 Initial Institutional Approval, what process should they follow for certification?
    • Institutions in Stage 5 of IIA will need to go through the certification process.
  19. How will certification be addressed for programs going through provisional site visits next spring?
    • Programs will be expected to respond to every aspect of the Literacy Standards and TPEs. Commission staff will provide guidance to institutions going through provisional site visits.
  20. How do the new CSTP and Literacy TPEs work together? Should programs have something in their IDP related to the new literacy TPEs?
    • Literacy is threaded throughout the CSTP, therefore, it should be addressed in the IDP
  21. What if institutional approval processes for curricular changes go past the October due date?
    • Please submit the draft documentation/evidence and inform Commission staff of their status.
  22. Do assignments used as evidence all have to be signature assignments?
    • No. The standard allows for coursework and clinical practice.
  23. What resources are available to programs preparing to submit for certification?
  24. Are the new TPE placemats available?
    • Yes, the placemats have been updated with the Literacy Standards.
  25. Will the limited Standard 7 TPEs in the certification table be the only TPEs that are eventually demonstrated in the Literacy TPA?
    • No. The LPA handbooks will be released in the fall with details about the assessment. The LPA is being field tested now.
    • If you have questions about the new Literacy Performance Assessment, please email: literacy@ctc.ca.gov.
  26. *What will the time commitment be for those who volunteer to be a reviewer for the Literacy standards submissions?
    • The review process is still being developed; however, it will involve at least one day that will also include training and calibration. Some reading and/or homework activity may be required in advance to assist with reviewer training and calibration. Review sessions will be virtual (Zoom) with Commission staff present to support review teams. More information will be provided to those who volunteer. If you are interested in volunteering and have literacy expertise, please fill out this brief form: https://forms.office.com/g/t87Zn5FC9g. Literacy experience and expertise is required. 
  27. *When will the submission forms be available?
    • April 26, 2024.
  28. *What are some helpful submission recommendations from staff?
    • Focus your submission on key pieces of evidence and try to submit no more than 4 links for each Introduce (I), Practice (P), and Assess (A). If an institution feels they need to submit more than 4 links, the submission will not be rejected, but institutions are encouraged to focus on the best and clearest examples for each TPE element.
    • Use the language of the TPE element in your evidence as often as possible. If language in your evidence is different from the standard language, then please provide an annotation to clarify.
    • Institutions can provide annotations on the side of documents to provide additional information/explanation as necessary.
    • Be sure bookmarks go directly to the evidence for that TPE element. If there are multiple bookmarks on one page of a document, please provide annotations on the side providing information about which bookmark links to which TPE element.
    • For course elements that are not accessible to those outside your institution (e.g., a course assignment posted in an LMS), taking a screenshot and submitting that as evidence is acceptable.
  29. *What kind of evidence is expected from the clinical practice portion of a credential program?
    • Sample evidence for clinical practice could be provided by an institution’s clinical practice observation tools, which can provide information about how candidates practice the foundational literacy skills in the classroom.
      • Do all the certification Literacy TPE elements have to be practiced/assessed in clinical practice and in courses?
        1. There should be some opportunities for candidates to practice and be assessed for the foundational literacy skills in the classroom.
  30. *How should the foundational literacy skills be addressed for education specialist interns who are working in secondary settings?
    • As education specialist candidates are certified for kindergarten through age 22, they must be able to demonstrate competency in all the foundational literacy skills. If these skills cannot be practiced in the intern’s own classroom, the program must find other opportunities for the candidate to practice these skills.
  31. *Can evidence only come from Literacy methods courses?
    • Evidence for a Literacy TPE element may be found in a literacy methods course or another required course(s) for that pathway. Any course/courses that will be used as evidence should be listed on Appendix A, and evidence can be linked in that program’s table.

*Questions/answers that are new or updated from the April 12th Certification Office Hours.

The next SB488 Literacy Certification office hours sessions will be held:

  • Wednesday, April 24 – 10:00– 11:00 am on Zoom
  • Wednesday, May 8: 10:00-11:00 am Zoom link
  • Wednesday, May 22: 10:00–11:00 am Zoom link
  • Tuesday, June 11: 10:00-11:00 am Zoom link
  • Wednesday, June 26: 10:00–11:00 am Zoom link

Updated April 23, 2024