the single subject program
- Kelly Johnson, Single Subject Credential, Administrative Credential and Master's Program Graduate; Vice Principal, Windemere Ranch Middle School, San Ramon, California. 
"I learned how to teach and how to be an administrator from actual teachers and administrators. That's the best part of being at SMC: you're taught by people who are actually in the trenches. They share with you real scenarios, real documents and real procedures. The curriculum was rigorous but practical; the assignments prepared me for the work that I encounter in schools. I'm using my documents and reports from SMC as templates in my professional career. And the requirement that all student teachers must teach in a Title I school prepares them for the reality of schools today. Currently I'm a Vice Principal at a middle school... My SMC training has given me the tools to stand apart from others. I feel like I'm still part of the School of Education community. I speak to my instructors and cohort classmates often."
The Single Subject Preliminary Credential is primarily intended for those interested in teaching at the middle school, junior high, or high school setting. It authorizes the candidate to teach a specific subject in a departmentalized class in grades K-12.
Required Tests/Assessments. All candidates require a passing score on the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST). In addition, they are required to verify subject matter competence. This may be achieved by completing a California Commission on Teaching Credentialing (CCTC) approved Subject Matter Program (SMP) or by passing the approved subject matter examination(s) adopted by the Commission (CSET - California Subject Examinations for Teachers).
State of California Clearance Requirement. It is a requirement by state law that every participant in a basic credential program undergoes a moral fitness/fingerprint clearance check by the California Commission onn Teacher Credentialing (CTC). Before being officially admitted to the Single Subject credential preparation program, you must have applied for and paid for a Certificate of Clearance to be issued by the CTC. That means you have done a live scan for CTC, turned the live scan in to the Credential Analyst so he can recommend you for a Certificate of Clearance, and then paid for the document in response to the recommendation. If you do not answer yes to one of the fitness questions, the document is usually issued in 1-3 days after payment. If a yes answer is supplied, clearance can take up to 6 months or more. The document must be issued prior to the start of any student teaching.
