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.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Executive Summary
1. Introduction
2. Defining Teacher Quality
3. Testing and Licensing Beginning Teachers
4. Developing an Evaluation Framework for Teacher Licensure Tests
5. Evaluating Current Tests
6. Using Licensure Tests to Improve Teacher Quality and Supply
7. Using Licensure Tests for Accountability
8. Improving Teacher Licensure Testing
9. Conclusions and Recommendations
References
Appendix A: Public Law 105-244 105th Congress
Appendix B: Teaching Standards of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment
Appendix C: Educational Testing Service (ETS) and National Evaluation Systems (NES) Teacher Licensure Tests
Appendix D: Teacher Requirement in Six States
Appendix E: An Economic Model of Supply and Demand for Teachers
Appendix F: Alternative Assessment Case Studies
Appendix G: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members
Index
Background Papers Provided to the Committee
Test 1: Pre-Professional Skills Test - Reading Test
Test 2: Principles of Learning and Teaching 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