Middle School Teacher Preparation : Alabama

Analysis of Alabama's policies

Alabama offers two options for the preparation of middle school teachers (grades 4-8). The first option is a comprehensive teaching license with a specialization in English language arts, general science or general social science that includes both of the following: an academic major of at least 32 credit hours with at least 19 credit hours of upper-division credit and at least one course in each of the specified areas included in the comprehensive teaching field. The second option is a single teaching field with an academic major that includes a minimum of 32 credit hours with at least 19 credit hours of upper-division credit.

The only option for middle-level math certification is a single teaching field with an academic major that includes a minimum of 32 semester hours of credit with at least 19 semester hours of upper-division credit.

All new middle school teachers in Alabama are also required to pass a single-subject Praxis II content test to attain licensure; a general content knowledge test is not an option.

Citation

Alabama Administrative Code 290-3-3-.07 www.ets.org/praxis

Recommendations for Alabama

Strengthen middle school teachers' subject-matter preparation.
Alabama is commended for not allowing middle school teachers to teach on a K-8 generalist license. To further strengthen middle school teachers' subject-matter preparation, Alabama should encourage middle school teachers who plan to teach multiple subjects to earn two minors in two core academic areas, rather than a single major. However, the state should retain its requirement for a subject-area major for middle school candidates who intend to teach a single subject.

State response to our analysis

Alabama was helpful in providing NCTQ with facts that enhanced this analysis. The state added that the academic major must match the courses required for the institution's mathematics major provided for nonteacher education students enrolled in the institution. Therefore, requirements for the preparation of middle-level math teachers are identical to the academic major requirement for secondary math teachers. Further, if prescribed courses in the "pure" mathematics major do not assure compliance with Alabama's knowledge and ability standards for the preparation of mathematics teachers, "pure" major elective course options may be used to require courses that do address those standards.