Secondary Teacher Preparation in Science:
Alaska

Analysis of Alaska's policies

Secondary science teachers in Alaska have the option of an endorsement in general science. The state does not require content tests for initial licensure; such tests are only mandated once candidates apply for the professional license, usually after three years. At that point, the state requires the Praxis II General Science content test. Teachers with this license are not limited to teaching general science but rather can teach any of the topical areas.

Citation

Praxis Testing Requirements www.ets.org

Recommendations for Alaska

Require secondary science teachers to pass a content test for each discipline they are licensed to teach.
By allowing a general science certification—and only requiring a general knowledge science exam—Alaska is not ensuring that these secondary teachers possess adequate subject-specific content knowledge. The state's required assessment combines all subject areas (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics) and does not report separate scores for each area. Therefore, candidates could answer many—perhaps all—chemistry questions, for example, incorrectly yet still be licensed to teach chemistry to high school students. Further, Alaska should require content tests as a condition of initial licensure. 

State response to our analysis

Alaska asserted that while it doesn't require a Praxis II exam in order to gain initial certification, there are provisions within its systems to ensure that teachers have a minimum competency in the subject areas they teach. For example, in order to complete an approved secondary teacher preparation program in Alaska, candidates are required to pass the Praxis II subject-area exam in the area that will appear on their institutional recommendation. The state included a statement from the University of Alaska that reiterated this requirement. 

Alaska added that while a teaching candidate could gain an endorsement on their teaching certificate in general science, they would be required to demonstrate specific subject-area content knowledge when employed to teach in an Alaska school district. All districts must ensure that employed teachers are highly qualified, and highly qualified status is tied directly to the subject being taught by the educator. Depending on a secondary school teacher's subject areas, a new teacher would need to gain highly qualified designation through one of the following options:

• Passing the appropriate high school subject area Praxis II exam 
• Having a bachelor's or graduate degree in the subject area, or
• Completing 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours in the subject area from a regionally accredited college.

Districts must track highly qualified status of their teachers and report to the state each October.  

Alaska also noted that in the case of science, there are distinct exams for each distinguishable subject area. A teacher who is teaching biology, chemistry, earth science, physical science or physics must be highly qualified using one of the three methods outlined above. The state reiterated that all teachers must be highly qualified in the subject areas in which they provide instruction, and that a highly qualified designation is not included on the teaching certificate as an endorsement.

Last word

Alaska takes a significant risk by relying on federal HQT provisions rather than articulating in its own certification requirements that teachers must demonstrate subject-matter knowledge. The state is putting the burden on districts to ensure that their teachers are HQT instead of making this part of licensure. In addition, while a degree in a subject area is certainly indicative of knowledge of that subject, it offers no assurance that an individual has studied the specific content he or she will be required to teach.