Taking On The Test

By David Hill

Sitting in the empty library of San Leandro High School on a recent sunny Saturday morning, Bob Williams struggles to remember the first time he took the California Basic Educational Skills Test. "I want to say, maybe August 1989," he finally says. "It was at San Francisco State University." When you've taken the CBEST as often as Williams has--10 times over the course of five years--it's hard to keep all the details straight.

At the time, Williams, now 43, was teaching physical education at an elementary school in San Leandro, a blue-collar city just south of Oakland. But like many teachers, Williams aspired to become an administrator. He had taken the necessary course work, which left only one more obstacle to clear: the CBEST.

Implemented in 1983 by state legislators who hoped to improve the quality of California's teaching corps, the test measures basic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. Teachers who were certified before the test went into effect do not have to take it, but prospective teachers, as well as classroom teachers who want to move into counseling or administrative positions, are required to pass the examination in order to obtain their credentials. (In addition, some education schools use the CBEST as an entrance examination, against the wishes of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, which administers the test.)