Pupil literacy: credential program standards and professional development: instructional materials.

Assembly Members Rivas, Muratsuchi, and Blanca Rubio advance a measure that anchors pupil literacy at the center of educator preparation and instructional materials, weaving literacy-focused standards into credential programs and state-adopted texts while explicitly addressing English learners and multilingual instruction. The bill's authors frame the proposal as a coordinated effort to align teacher preparation and classroom resources with an evidence-based literacy framework and established dyslexia guidelines, with particular attention to multilingual contexts.

On the credentialing side, the measure requires new literacy-focused requirements in professional preparation for candidates seeking a reading and literacy leadership credential and a literacy-added authorization, as well as for a preliminary services credential with a specialization in administrative services. By early 2028, program standards must incorporate preparation on delivering and supporting literacy instruction, aligned to the English Language Arts/English Language Development framework, including instruction for varied language development needs of English learners, explicit and systematic teaching of foundational reading skills, and adherence to dyslexia guidelines. The bill states the intent that credential preparation also prepare leaders to support instruction in programs where English learners are educated in their primary languages.

The proposed changes extend to the state’s instructional materials system as well. The state board would adopt K–8 English Language Arts and English Language Development materials by a defined date, ensuring alignment with the ELA/ELD framework, evidence-based foundational reading instruction, and the dyslexia guidelines. Materials adopted by the board must designate which standards they address and may include a requirement for multilingual content to support instruction in students’ primary languages. Local education agencies would follow updated guidance for adoptions and may certify alignment if they choose non-board-adopted materials, with a provision allowing combinations of materials that collectively meet standards. This emphasis on multilingual resources and careful alignment to established frameworks is intended to accompany a broader guidance and process update for LEA material adoptions.

Beyond programmatic changes, the measure contemplates fiscal and administrative implications. It contemplates potential costs that local education agencies may incur to revise credentialing curricula, deliver professional development, and adjust materials adoption processes, with reimbursement procedures contingent on state-mandated cost determinations. Oversight would involve the Commission on Teacher Credentialing ensuring program implementation and the State Board of Education guiding and evaluating instructional materials adoption, with local agencies bearing responsibility for adherence to updated processes and for certifying alignment when using non-board-adopted materials. Together, these provisions situate literacy as a cross-cutting mandate linking credentialing, classroom instruction, and instructional resources within California’s education framework and its emphasis on English learners and multilingual schooling.