Teacher Licensure in Tennessee | Page 4

Taking Note NOVEMBER 2012 IV. Revise endorsement areas to ensure teacher knowledge VI. Continue data collection and research State standards dictate what students need to know, and therefore what teachers need to teach, at each grade level and in each content area. In order to ensure that teachers have the content knowledge necessary to carry out standards based instruction, it is essential to assess candidates in each area that an endorsement permits them to teach. Candidates in Tennessee must pass an Elementary Content Knowledge exam that covers reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies, but only the overall score is taken into consideration for passing; since the subject level scores are not provided, a candidate could lack important content area knowledge and still pass the exam. The state should consider requiring elementary teacher candidates to pass a separately scored math subtest as part of the licensure process; this is especially critical as schools transition to the Common Core standards. Additionally, the state should consider making endorsements more grade-level specific, particularly in the area of special education. Currently, the state issues an endorsement that certifies special education teachers to instruct students in grades K though 12. However, the skills and knowledge needed by students, and by extension teachers, differ dramatically within this grade range. In Practice: Massachusetts requires special education and elementary school teachers to have sufficient content knowledge through course and testing requirements. For example, all elementary teachers must demonstrate mathematical knowledge on a separately scored subtest. They also require special education teachers at the elementary school level to fulfill the same content knowledge requirements as all elementary level candidates. V. Link licensure progression to evaluation results Given the implementation of a new teacher evaluation system and the research citing the inability of input measures to predict teacher outputs, licensure renewal decisions should be based on multiple sources of data on teacher quality. It is worth examining past licensure policies to prevent similar issues from arising. For example, Tennessee implemented the Career Ladder Evaluation System beginning in 1984, which created a five-tiered certification process. In order to advance to the next tier, teachers underwent various assessments of their practice, including classroom observations and portfolio reviews. A move up the ladder was associated with an increase in pay and career level status. The important intention of the Career Ladder system was to reward excellent teaching; however there were some challenges in the implementation of the system. Educators cited, among other concerns, a lack of communication regarding how the process worked and issues with the measures used in the evaluation process.8 In Practice: Louisiana recently proposed to update teacher certification requirements to incorporate its new teacher evaluation system. Specifically, the state moved to alter the current certification process to require all teachers to renew their licenses every five years, including those who currently possess a lifetime certificate. The state also wants to clarify that renewal of the license is contingent on being labeled effective by the evaluation system three out of the five years in between renewals. Page 4 As noted throughout the memo, research is limited in defining what works in teacher preparation. We know that teacher quality is a critical factor in improving student learning and that there is great variation in teacher quality. However, the qualifications that teachers bring to the job are not a good predictor of teacher effectiveness in the classroom – “measures such as certification, master’s degrees, and years of teaching experience have limited predictive power.”9 Given that Tennessee needs a large, diverse teaching force that can meet the needs of individual schools and districts across the state, it is unlikely that there is one best preparation pathway for all teachers. However, the state should continue to collect data and research best practices to improve the structure and requirements of teacher training programs and methods.10 Conclusion We know that effective teaching is the most important school-based factor in improving student achievement, and we also know that there is great variability in the quality of individual teachers. It is therefore critical that Tennessee, in collaboration with teacher preparation programs, develops a strategy to bring talented people into the profession, and provide them with rigorous preparation and support from the beginning of their training program. The licensure and certification process must reflect the high expectations to which Tennessee teachers are held. Tennessee has taken steps in the right direction by addressing Praxis II cut scores, field testing a performance assessment, developing Common Core and TVAAS training tools for pre-service teachers, bringing experts together to revise licensure standards, and developing a plan to improve program approval. The momentum for reform must continue to ensure that important initiatives aimed at improving the quality of the teaching force in the state are implemented well. Rotherham, A.J. & Mead, S. (2004). Back to the future: The history and politics of state teacher licensure and certification. In F.M. Hess, A. Rotherham, & K. Walsh (Eds.), A qualified teacher in every classroom? Appraising old answers and new ideas (pp. 11-47). Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press. 1 National Research Council. (2010). Preparing teachers: Building evidence for sound policy. Committee on the Study of Teacher Preparation Programs in the United States, Center for Education. Divisio n of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 2i Tennessee Department of Education. Retrieved July 2012 from http://www.tn.gov/education/lic/acct_teacher_ education.shtml. 3 4 Tennessee Department of Education. Retrieved July 2012 from http://www.tn.gov/education/lic/app.shtml. National Research Council. (2010). Preparing teachers: Building evidence for sound policy. Committee on the Study of Teacher Preparation Programs in the United States, Center for Education. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 5 Sahlber, P (2011). The Professional Educator, Lessons from Finland. American Educator. Retrieved from http://aft.org/ pdfs/americaneducator/summer2011/Sahlberg.pdf. 6 Pecheone, R.L. & Chung, R.R. (2007). Technical Report of the Performance Assessment for California Teachers (PACT): Summary of Validity and Reliability Studies for the 2003-04 Pilot Year. Stanford University. 7 8 Handler, Janet R. (1986). Shaping Tennessee’s Career Ladder Program. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 9 U.S. Department of Education (2009). Race to the Top eligibility requirements. National Research Council. (2010). Preparing teachers: Building evidence for sound policy. P. 61 Committee on the Study of Teacher Preparation Programs in the United States, Center for Education. Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 10 1207 18th Avenue South, Suite 326, Nashville, TN 37212 — tel 615.727.1545 — fax 615.727.1569 — www.tnscore.org