(a) The commission, no later than July 1, 2007, shall ensure that the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET): Multiple Subjects be modified to add an assessment of basic writing skills at least as comprehensively and to the level of rigor that basic writing skills are assessed by the state basic skills proficiency test.

(b) Any individual who passes the CSET: Multiple Subjects, after it has been adjusted pursuant to subdivision (a), with the necessary score determined by the commission, shall be considered proficient in the skills of reading, writing, and mathematics, and shall not be required to pass the state basic skills proficiency requirements of Sections 44227, 44252, and 44830.

(c) The commission shall conduct a public study session to consider the implications of incorporating the assessment of ability, skills, and knowledge related to effective reading instruction that is assessed by the Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) within the teacher performance assessment set forth in Section 44320.2 and shall report on the outcome of that session to the Legislature and the Governor no later than July 1, 2007. At the study session, the commission shall provide an opportunity for teachers, teacher educators, reading specialists, testing specialists, representatives of teachers, administrators, governing board members, parents of pupils, and the public to comment on the implications, costs, and validity of consolidating these assessments.

(d) The commission shall convene a public study session to discuss the implications of modifying the single subject California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) to assess basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. The commission, no later than October 1, 2007, shall report to the Legislature on the outcome of that session of modifying the CSET in single subjects to assess basic skills in the subjects of basic reading, writing, and mathematics, at least as comprehensively and to the level that these skills are assessed by the state basic skills proficiency test. At the study session, the commission shall provide an opportunity for teachers, teacher educators, reading specialists, testing specialists, representatives of teachers, administrators, governing board members, parents of pupils, and the public to comment on the implications, costs, and validity of modifying these assessments.

(e) The commission shall ensure that the consolidation and modification of assessments pursuant to this section does not result in an increase in the total fees paid by teacher credential candidates.

(Added by Stats. 2006, Ch. 517, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2007.)