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4 EDCAL April 1, 2019 Report: Elementary teachers lack prep needed to pass state licensing tests New analysis from the National Council on Teacher Quality reveals both astonish- ingly high numbers of elementary teacher candidates failing their professional licens- ing tests each year, as well as widespread evidence that teacher preparation programs give scant attention to the content knowl- edge candidates need. Teacher candidates who do not pass these tests, even though they have finished their program of study, are generally denied a standard license by their state to teach. As documented in “A Fair Chance: Simple steps to strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce,” few teacher preparation programs either conduct any sort of screen- ing or require specific coursework in the subject area knowledge traditionally taught in elementary grades. The fact that more candidates fail their professional exams on their first attempt (54 percent) than pass them suggests a lack of adequate preparation and lies in stark comparison to other professions. Nursing, for example, achieves an 85 percent first- time pass rate. Candidates of color are hit hardest. Al- ready more likely to be disadvantaged by an inequitable system of K-12 education, only 38 percent of black teacher candidates and 57 percent of Hispanic teacher candidates pass the most widely used licensing test even after multiple attempts, compared to 75 percent of white candidates. If the pass rate for black and Hispanic teacher candi- dates were comparable to white candidates, the diversity of the new teaching pool would increase by half. The report features the many voices of aspiring teachers who were unable to pass their test, as well as those teachers who needed multiple attempts. Says one aspiring teacher: “It’s just really frustrating and discouraging. I was Dean’s List, Ed Honors Society. You think you are prepared, and it’s the only thing holding you back from doing the thing you love.” The report examined the undergraduate course requirements at each of 817 institu- tions, both the “general education” course- work required of all students at an insti- tution and the coursework required by the education program. The dearth of relevant coursework is unmistakable: •  A tiny percentage of programs (3 per- cent) require courses to ensure candidates gain foundational knowledge across science topics. For example, instead of directing teacher candidates to a basic chemistry course (or first requiring evidence of the candidate’s knowledge of chemistry), can- didates often have a choice of courses, such as how chemistry is used in art restoration or herbal medicines. Further, while some courses appear to be suitable, they are often too narrow in scope (e.g. “Lightning and Thunderstorms”) to benefit a teacher who lacks a broad knowledge of science. •  Only a quarter of programs (27 percent) require sufficient coursework in mathematics. •  History, geography and literature courses aligned with elementary stan- dards are similarly absent from course requirements. For example, only half of all programs even require an adequate course in children’s literature, in spite of the fundamental role it plays in all elementary curricula. “Of all the different strategies to try and attract more individuals of color to the teaching profession, here we surface thousands of candidates a year who want to teach, who would teach, but whose insti- tutions are not providing what they need to be successful,” said NCTQ President Kate Walsh. “Few challenges faced by the teaching profession can be solved as easily as this one — just guide them to the right coursework.” Low pass rates on the elementary con- tent licensing exam have fueled a backlash in many states against the tests themselves, with calls to discard licensing tests or lower the passing scores to make it easier to diversify the profession. But these responses elide the central problem that these tests diagnose: Aspiring teachers are not prepared by either their K-12 education or their teacher preparation programs in the content they will have to teach. Government surveys routinely report elementary teachers feel inadequately pre- pared for the classroom. The NCTQ analysis uses data from the most popular elementary content test, found in 23 states, the Praxis Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects Exam, but uncovers evidence that states using other tests also have low pass rates. Currently 45 states and the District of Columbia require aspiring teachers to pass one of 22 content tests that are on the market for becoming licensed to teach, with five states (Hawaii, New Jersey, Ohio, Iowa and Arizona) exempting some elementary teachers from content tests. Only two companies, ETS and Pearson, are in this market. While the report includes details on what each of the 817 institutions provide by way of content coverage, it was not able to report the pass rates for individual institutions. Although every state publishes insti- tution-level pass rate data, NCTQ could not identify a single state that publishes first-time and final pass rate data for all programs, for all licensure exams. State data reported to the federal government are only available for “program completers,” which many institutions define as individuals who have passed the licensing tests, not all test takers. Accordingly, these pass rates are mis- leading, with programs posting average pass rates of 95 to 96 percent. In the handful of states that claim to post data on all test takers, their data are generally fraught with other reporting issues. Recommendations for higher ed leaders and teacher prep programs •  Provide better parameters for selecting from courses that count toward general education requirements for undergradu- ate students who indicate an interest in teaching. •  Use the teacher preparation program admissions process as an opportunity to diagnose weaknesses in content knowledge, then tailor teacher candidates’ course of study to fill in gaps. •  Set undergraduate and graduate program content course requirements to align with what elementary teachers need to know. Recommendations for state policymakers •  Revisit current licensing tests to ensure they capture the content knowledge teachers need to fully prepare students to meet college-and-career readiness stan- dards. •  Understand that the response to low pass rates is not to abandon tests or make them easier to pass, but to hold teacher prep programs accountable for preparing candidates in the content aligned to ele- mentary standards. •  Publish first-time and highest-score licensing test pass rates for all candidates enrolled in a teacher prep program to give prospective teacher candidates the infor- mation they deserve to choose a program where they are more likely to be successful. Read the full NCTQ report at https:// www.nctq.org/publications/A-Fair-Chance. ACSA's Resource Hub offers a plethora of useful information for school leaders on such issues as student safety, credentialing, increasing community engagement, deepening student learning, dealing with crises and much more. Access resources on these and other topics at http://content.acsa.org. Leadership Institute now open for registration in Southern California Principals’ Summer Institute June 23-29, 2019 Institute for New & Aspiring Principals June 24-28, 2019 ACSA has opened enrollment of a new credentialing program offering the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential. The credential is earned over the course of a year via the Southern California Leadership Institute. ACSA’s offering of the Leadership Institute is made possible by strategic partnerships with the Sacramento County Office of Education and San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools. The Leadership Institute has been well-received by participants. Current and former students assert that the credentialing experience, in comparison to others they have had, reside with Program Director Michael Roe – whose unconventionally direct and inspiring leadership style challenges students to explore, question and discover their learning in relationship to their leadership journey and impact on the profession. Couple that with an outstanding faculty with a wealth of experience and the foun- dation is set for a program designed to cultivate a leadership experience that takes learning from the theoretical and directs it towards the real challenges we face in our profession. Courses are taught by experienced school leaders such as superintendents Terrence Davis and Martinrex Kedziora; assistant superintendents Perry Wiseman and Darren Daniel; consultants and former district leaders Suzette Lovely, LaFaye Platter and Kenn Young. ACSA is pleased to announce that Robert Taylor, superintendent of Walnut Valley USD, signed on to teach the program for 2019-20. Main faculty are joined by established Mini Session Experts, which comprise ele- mentary and secondary principals, directors and assistant superintendents from all over the state who share their exceptional knowledge in a specific area related to the course. Online chats take place weekly in small groups, which are rotated between each course and mediated by online principal-coaches. In order to be eligible for the Leadership Institute, applicants must have: • An earned teaching credential or service credential. • Five years of full-time teaching experience. • Passing score on either the California Basic Educational Skills Test or the California Subject Examination for Teachers. The program curriculum is based on the California Professional Standards for Education Leaders, and is comprised of 154 hours of in-class instruction and 77 hours of online chats, which take place over the course of the year. This time is organized in six courses, and are directly aligned to the new CalAPA. In-person meetings of the entire cohort are held every other Saturday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. in San Bernardino County. Additionally, each student creates an end-of-program project based on a “Focus School” intended to put concepts and standards from the coursework into action. The project centers around a need of the participant’s school or district which assists with continued development and implementation, and each project proposal is developed collaboratively with the program director and facul- ty, as well as with the participant’s district coach and peers. Participants present their projects at the end-of-program symposium. By completing four additional classes the following year (a two-year program total), candidates may apply the work from Leadership Institute courses toward earning their master’s degree in Applied School Leadership – an option made possible through ACSA’s collaboration with National University. Participants have a support system and wealth of resources available to them through- out the program. Key concepts, requirements and program expectations are provided throughout so that participants are inspired and set up to succeed from the beginning. Live support includes the Leadership Institute Team, a faculty mentor, district coach, and online principal-coaches, while the participant handbook provides details about course- work, fieldwork, online instruction, policies and procedures. Additionally, Leadership Institute all-inclusive reading materials are provided on a Kindle Fire, which participants keep, that are distributed to candidates at the onset of the program. Upon successful completion of the coursework for the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential, participants’ names will be submitted to the program office at CTC for either the Certificate of Eligibility or the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential, if the participant has received an offer of administrative employment by a district, along with passing scores on the CalAPA. The 2019-20 Leadership Institute application period is now open through mid-May. The online application as well as additional information are available at https:// www.acsa.org/credentialing. To reserve a spot or for more information contact Program Director Michael Roe, at [email protected] or (951) 746-5974 for more information.