Provisional Internship Permit Requirements: A Comprehensive Guide

The Provisional Internship Permit (PIP) serves as a crucial instrument for California employing agencies facing immediate staffing needs. Effective since July 1, 2005, its creation responded to the phasing out of emergency permits. It enables these agencies to hire individuals who are yet to fulfill the subject matter competence requirement ordinarily mandated for intern programs. This article provides a detailed overview of the PIP, its requirements, authorization, and other essential information.

Purpose and Eligibility

The PIP is designed to address temporary staffing shortages. Before an employing agency can request a PIP, it must demonstrate that a diligent search for a fully credentialed teacher has been conducted and that no such candidate could be found. This permit is exclusively available at the request of an employing agency, which includes:

California public school districts
County offices of education
Nonpublic, nonsectarian schools and agencies (as defined in Education Code sections 56365 and 56366)
Charter schools
Statewide agencies

Individuals cannot directly apply to the Commission for a PIP. Moreover, PIP holders are restricted to serving with the specific employing agency that requested the permit.

Areas of Availability

The PIP is offered in the following areas:

Multiple Subject
Single Subject
Education Specialist

It's worth noting that individuals who were issued four or fewer Long-Term Emergency Permits may be eligible for the PIP, provided the employer requirements are met.

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Requirements for Issuance

To be eligible for a Provisional Internship Permit, candidates must meet specific requirements, including:

1. Educational Attainment:

Possession of a baccalaureate degree or higher from a regionally-accredited college or university. Subject Matter Competence cannot be met by degree major.

2. Coursework Requirements:

Successful completion of course work for the permit type requested, as specified below:

Single Subject: At least 18 semester units, or 9 upper division semester units, of course work in the subject to be listed on the permit. For science subjects, at least nine semester units must be in the specific science area. For Foundational-Level General Science, 18 semester units (or nine upper division semester units) across biological science, chemistry, geosciences, and physics are required, with at least one course in each area.
Multiple Subject: At least 40 semester units including 10 semester units of course work in each of at least four of the following subject areas or at least 10 semester units of course work in each of three of the subject areas and an additional 10 semester units in a combination of two of the remaining subject areas. Subject areas include language studies, history, literature, humanities, mathematics, the arts, science, physical education, social science, and human development. If the subject matter requirement for the emergency permit was met by passage of all appropriate subject matter examinations or degree major, the individual will not qualify for the PIP.
Education Specialist: Complete the requirements for the Single Subject or Multiple Subject as listed above, or verify a minimum of three years of successful full-time classroom experience, or the equivalent in part-time experience, working with special education students (experience as an aide is acceptable) or verify a minimum of nine semester units of course work in special education or in a combination of special education and general education. The PIP may not be issued in the specialty area of Early Childhood Special Education alone as subjectmatter competence is not required for the issuance of a credential.

3. Coursework Criteria:

All coursework must adhere to the following standards:

Completed at a regionally-accredited college or university.
Baccalaureate degree-applicable (non-remedial).
Earned with a “C” grade or higher (“Pass” and “Credit” grades meet this requirement).

Important Note: Individuals who were previously issued an emergency permit in the same subject area of the requested PIP will not be required to submit verification of this requirement.

4. Diligent Search:

The employing agency must demonstrate that a diligent search has been conducted for a suitable credentialed teacher or a suitably qualified intern teacher. This search should include, but is not limited to, contacting college and university placement centers, and advertising in print or electronic media.

5. Subject Matter Competence:

The candidate must demonstrate subject matter competence related to the permit.

6. Candidate Awareness:

The candidate has been apprised of steps to earn a credential and enroll in an intern program.

7. Notice of Intent:

The employing agency will ensure a notice of intent to employ the applicant in the identified position has been made. Public school districts must present this notice to the governing board in a public meeting with a signed statement from the superintendent, or his or her designee, and verification that the item was acted upon favorably.

One-Time Renewal

For a PIP initially issued before October 1, 2013, the employing agency may request a one-time only renewal if the holder has taken but not passed all the subject matter examinations or earned a degree major appropriate to the credential that authorizes the service listed on the permit. The holder of an Education Specialist PIP must take all appropriate subject matter examinations or earned a degree major as determined appropriate by the recommending college or university.

The renewal packet should include:

An application (form 41-4)
A new Verification of Requirements for the Provisional Internship Permit (form CL-857) including all appropriate documentation
Current processing fee

If the holder has met subject matter competence, they should contact a California college or university or school district with a Commission-approved intern program regarding enrollment.

Important Note: The last date to submit an application for the Provisional Internship Permit in one of the Specialized Science content areas was January 1, 2015. The Provisional Internship Permit (only those initially issued prior to October 1, 2013) can no longer be reissued in one of these content areas.

Scope of Authorization

The authorization granted by a PIP varies depending on the subject area:

Multiple Subject: Authorizes the holder to teach in a self-contained classroom, such as those found in most elementary schools. A teacher with multiple subject authorization can teach in any self-contained classroom (preschool, K-12, or classes for adults) and may serve in a core or team teaching setting.
Single Subject: Authorizes the holder to teach the specific subject(s) named on the credential in departmentalized classes, common in middle and high schools. A teacher with single subject authorization can teach any subject in their authorized fields at any grade level (preschool, grades K-12, or classes for adults).
Education Specialist: Authorizes the holder to teach in the area of specialization listed on the credential in various settings, including special day classes, special schools, home/hospital settings, correctional facilities, nonpublic, nonsectarian schools and agencies (as defined in Education Code sections 56365 and 56366), and resource rooms.

Note: All PIPs are issued with an English learner authorization, enabling the holder to teach English language development (ESL) and specially designed academic instruction delivered in English (SDAIE) in the specified grade level(s) and settings.

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Bilingual Authorizations

Employing agencies can request bilingual authorizations to be added to a PIP if target-language proficiency has been verified. Target-language proficiency can be verified through one of the following methods:

Passing Test II or III (depending on the specific language) of the CSET: World Languages Examinations in the target language. Passing exam scores are valid for five years from the individual test date.
If Test II or III of the CSET: World Languages Examination is not available, passing an assessment performed by an approved organization covering the integrated communication skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the target language.
Passing an assessment covering the integrated communication skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing administered by a California college or university as a part of its Commission-approved bilingual authorization program in the target language.
Possessing a valid, non-emergency California Single Subject or Standard Secondary Teaching Credential with a major in the target language.
Possessing a three-year or higher degree from a foreign institution in which all instruction was delivered in the target language.

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