The Boston Teacher Residency (BTR) is a joint initiative of the Boston Public Schools
(BPS) and the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Residents in the full-year program are in
BPS classrooms with experienced mentor teachers four days per week and spend one evening
and one full day per week on graduate-level coursework. Research has shown that BTR tends
to recruit a more ethnically diverse group of teachers to the profession; its candidates are more
likely to teach hard-to-staff subjects such as math and science, and they are also much more
likely than other new teachers to stay in the classroom for at least five years.i
Stephen Sawchuk. “Teacher Residents Seen Outpacing Peers in Later Years.” EdWeek. Dec. 15, 2011. accessed June 29 2016
i
from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/12/15/15residency.h31.html
There is no strong correlation between performance on
licensure tests, such as Praxis, and teaching effectiveness.
Efforts to raise licensure cut scores may disproportionately
impact teaching candidates of color.
In one study, teachers who scored above average on licensure tests raised student
test scores.23 Another study similarly found that scores on the Praxis curriculum tests
correlated with higher student outcomes, but there was also a risk for misidentifying
teachers as a result of cut score policy changes. Some teachers who would have
failed under a new policy were actually still highly effective, while other teachers
who still would have passed under a new cut score were ineffective, as measured
by student test data.24 A 2004 study revealed that a change in test requirement laws
did not correlate with an increase in GPA of education majors entering the field,
nor did it correlate with increased composite ACT/SAT scores.25 More significantly,
emphasis on raising exam scores may compromise entry of diverse candidates—
specifically African American and Hispanic candidates—into the field of teaching.26
Sixteen states have developed their own state licensure tests as
an alternative to the Praxis series. Since 1998, Massachusetts
has required all teacher candidates to take and pass the
Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure. Statedeveloped licensure exams are more aligned to state standards.
However, there are also concerns about the disparate racial
impact of these tests, especially on African American and
Hispanic teacher candidates.
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