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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Hechinger Report | Getting a teaching license may soon include a new test — can hopefuls handle a classroom?

Hechinger Report | Getting a teaching license may soon include a new test — can hopefuls handle a classroom?:


Getting a teaching license may soon include a new test — can they handle a classroom?

To earn a teaching license in most states, candidates must pass a handful of exams — largely multiple-choice — that test basic skills and knowledge of specific subjects. Some states also include tests that focus on teaching strategies. One state, Montana, requires no tests at all, just graduation from a teaching program.
This pathway to the classroom has long been called into question. Now, 25 states — including Minnesota — are preparing to test a brand-new assessment that will judge teachers-to-be on how they work with real students. As policymakers and reformers across the country push to make America’s teaching force more effective, developers of the so-called Teacher Performance Assessment hope it will provide a much-needed overhaul to the