New Reference Check Law (AB-2534): What it Means for School Districts

What is Bill AB 2534?

Put into effect September 2024, Bill AB-2534 requires all local education agencies (LEAs) to conduct a reference check during the onboarding process for new, certified candidates in education. This amended Educational Code section 44939.5. This includes:

• School districts
• Charter schools
• County offices of education
• State special schools

Current American law protects permanent school employees from being fired unless there’s a serious reason. 

It requires school boards to report any changes to the employment status of a credentialed employee to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) within 30 days—especially if the employee is dismissed, resigns, is suspended, or placed on leave due to misconduct.

New teaching candidates must have a clear record and be in good standing to be considered for positions within each district. Any violations or reports of misconduct will potentially disqualify candidates and result in their certification being revoked. 

Upon inquiry, the candidate must provide the inquiring local educational agency with a copy of all relevant information that was reported to the CTC, within their possession.

Applicants must also provide their entire list of previous employers within teaching. Failure to do so will result in immediate disqualification and further investigation. 

According to the California Constitution, the state must reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs (such as reference checks) it mandates—there are specific rules in place that outline how these reimbursements should be made. 

How Can School Districts Conduct Automated Reference Checks?

Due to the enforcement of AB-2534, schools are now required to go through a number of reference checks per candidate, rather than the standard two to four. Some teachers and educational professionals may have worked for over ten different schools—which can add up. VidCruiter helps schools save an enormous amount of money as we don’t charge per reference. 

Automated reference check platforms integrate with an applicant tracking system (ATS). Upon submission by applicants, the system automatically sends a request to the references via email or text. School districts can customize the questions, and make sure that inquiries are aligned.

The platform sends standardized questions designed to assess key attributes, such as job performance, work ethic, skills, and collaboration. These can include Likert scale ratings, multiple-choice questions, and open-ended feedback fields. 

Behavioral-based interview questions are common with teaching positions, as candidates will be required to engage with students daily. For instance, past examples of how a candidate has handled situations such as classroom management or lesson planning. Interviewers may also ask how a candidate dealt with conflict or adjusted their teaching style to meet various learning needs. 

As references provide feedback, the automated platform compiles the responses in real time, and organizes them in easy-to-read formats such as dashboards, reports, or scorecards. They come with built-in data protection features to ensure all information remains confidential and compliant. 

Afterwards, the system will provide summary reports and highlight trends in the feedback. Algorithms can flag inconsistencies or warnings, such as biased language, to help recruiters and HR teams in education make more informed decisions. 

Finally, once the reference check is completed, results can be automatically transferred to the broader hiring workflow within the ATS, enabling a smooth transition to the next steps, beyond onboarding. 

Automated reference checks in education streamline the hiring process, increase efficiency, and provide valuable insights into the qualifications and character of candidates. By using technology to analyze reference feedback, educational institutions can make more informed, data-driven decisions when recruiting teachers, administrators, and other school staff.