California Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA)

Senate Bill 2042 (Chap. 548 Stats. of 1998) requires all candidates for a preliminary Multiple and Single Subject Teaching Credential to pass an assessment of teaching performance in order to earn a teaching credential. This assessment of teaching performance is designed to measure the candidate's knowledge, skills and ability with relation to California's Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs). Implementation of the TPA requirement of SB 2042 was delayed by the Commission in 2003 in response to requests received from the Legislature and others during the state's fiscal crisis at that time. SB 1209 (Chapter 517, Statutes of 2006), however, mandated the implementation of the teaching performance assessment requirement for all multiple and single subject professional teacher preparation programs as of July 1, 2008.

The Commission took action in December 2006 to require that any candidate, who begins a teacher preparation program on or after July 1, 2008, must pass a Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) prior to recommendation for a credential.