Literacy TPE Certification Foundational Skills
Part 3. Preparing Candidates to Understand and Teach Foundational Skills, as Required in Education Code Section 44259 (b)(4)(A)(i) and (B)
As of May 2025, additional evidence in response to the Phase 3 feedback is noted with yellow highlighter in Table 3.1.
3.2 Coursework Coverage Narrative
3.3 Clinical Practice Opportunities: Foundational Skills
During the teaching credential program, students are placed in both a lower (K-2) and upper (3-6) elementary classroom. The program collaborates with principals closely to identify classrooms and mentor teachers that will provide our candidates with opportunities to teach students foundational skills, both in early grades and upper grades. Principals and cooperating teachers must review and agree that the placement will provide opportunities for teaching foundational skills by signing our Cooperating Teacher Checklist. These checklists are reviewed with and collected from all new cooperating teachers each year. The larger LEA is also made aware of these requirements in our revised MOU with each district where our students are placed. During our program orientation training sessions, candidates review the following handbook pages relevant to literature, language, and comprehension: CT checklist, literacy standards & TPEs, clinical practice requirement, CalTPA requirements, evaluation guidelines, and evaluations.
3.3a Communication and agreements with our partnering K-12 districts regarding clinical practice requirements include:
3.3b Our Teaching Credential Handbook provides candidates with detailed explanations of the new literacy standards, TPEs, and performance assessment requirements, including the requirements for clinical practice related to foundational skills. Several key areas in the handbook include:
- Cooperating Teacher Checklist
- Selection of Cooperating Teacher
- Appendix D: Literacy Standards & TPEs
- TPE Clinical Practice Requirements
- Appendix E: CalTPA Requirements
3.3c Our clinical practice observation tools and assessments have been updated to include the literacy TPEs to ensure that candidates are practicing teaching the foundational skills and receiving feedback to guide improvement. Key observation tools and assessments include: