In an effort to increase the supply of teachers from out of state and to smooth their transition into California schools, the Legislature passed AB 877 (Scott) in 2000. This bill established the courses, testing and experience that out-of-state and out-of-country teachers and administrators must have to obtain a California credential. The bill eliminated redundancies in coursework or other teacher preparation requirements that non-Californians may have met already in another state or country. In addition, AB 877 allowed out-of-state teachers to obtain a five-year preliminary credential and gave them one year to pass the California Basic Educational Skills Test rather than using a one-year nonrenewable credential prior to the preliminary credential. AB 877 further required triennial review of teacher preparation programs in other states, including subject matter programs and examinations, reading instruction, and credential emphasis programs such as those for English language learners.

The number of out-of-state teaching credentials granted by the state has fluctuated widely over the past eight years. In 2000–01, 4,724 out-of-state credentials were granted, up 23 percent from the 3,856 that were granted in 1999–00. In previous years, the number of out-of-state credentials granted varied significantly, ranging from a low of 1,605 in 1995–96 to a high of 5,402 in 1997–98.

Number of Out-of-State Credentials Granted by the State

Technical Note
Because of the extreme fluctuation in the number of out-of-state credentials issued over the past eight years, an eight-year average (3,405) is used to project the number of out-of-state credentials granted by the state in the teacher workforce projections.

Additional Resources

• References for out-of-state teachers