Testing Teacher Candidates: The Role of Licensure Tests in Improving Teacher Quality

by National Research Council, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Board on Testing and Assessment, Center for Education, Committee on Assessment and Teacher Quality

Overview

Americans have adopted a reform agenda for their schools that calls for excellence in teaching and learning. School officials across the nation are hard at work targeting instruction at high levels for all students. Gaps remain, however, between the nation's educational aspirations and student achievement. To address these gaps, policy makers have recently focused on the qualifications of teachers and the preparation of teacher candidates.

This book examines the appropriateness and technical quality of teacher licensure tests currently in use, evaluates the merits of using licensure test results to hold states and institutions of higher education accountable for the quality of teacher preparation and licensure, and suggests alternatives for developing and assessing beginning teacher competence.

Teaching is a complex activity. Definitions of quality teaching have changed and will continue to change over time as society's values change. This book provides policy makers, teacher testers, and teacher educators with advice on how to use current tests to assess teacher candidates and evaluate teacher preparation, ensuring that America's youth are being taught by the most qualified candidates.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780309074209
Publisher:	National Academies Press
Publication date:	11/19/2001
Pages:	472
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

DEFINING TEACHER QUALITY

TESTING AND LICENSING BEGINNING TEACHERS

DEVELOPING AN EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR

TEACHER LICENSURE TESTS

EVALUATING CURRENT TESTS

USING LICENSURE TESTS TO IMPROVE TEACHER QUALITY AND SUPPLY

USING LICENSURE TESTS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

IMPROVING TEACHER LICENSURE TESTING

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

REFERENCES

APPENDIXES

A: Public Law 105-244 105th Congress

B: Teaching Standards of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment

and Support Consortium (INTASC), National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS)

C: Educational Testing Services (ETS) and National

Evaluation Systems (NES) Teacher Licensure Tests

D: Teacher Requirements in Six States

E: An Economic Model of Supply and Demand for Teachers

F: Alternative Assessment Case Studies

G: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members

INDEX

BACKGROUND PAPERS PROVIDED TO THE COMMITTEE*

Test 1: Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) Reading Test

Test 2: Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Test: K-6

Test 3: Middle School: English/Language Arts Test

Test 4: High School Mathematics Proofs, Models, and Problems,

Part 1 Test

Test 5: Biology: Content Knowledge, Part 1 and 2 Tests