Elementary Teacher Preparation Policy
Content Test Requirements:
The District of Columbia's early childhood education teachers are only required to pass the Praxis Early Childhood Education (5025) test. This test does not report separate
subscores in the core content areas of language arts, math, science, or social
studies.
The District of Columbia requires enrollment in, but not completion of, a teacher preparation program. While this initial license is nonrenewable, it is valid for three years. Teachers must complete a teacher preparation program and complete other requirements, including passage of a basic skills test and a pedagogy test, in order to obtain a standard license.
Scientifically Based Reading Instruction—Tests and Standards:
The District of Columbia does not require early childhood education candidates, who can teach up through grade 3, to pass a test of scientifically based reading instruction, nor does the District require preparation programs to address it in their preparation standards.
Provisional and Emergency Licensure: Because provisional and emergency licensure requirements are scored in Provisional and Emergency Licensure, only the test requirements for the state's initial license are considered as part of this goal.
Require all early childhood candidates who are eligible to teach elementary grades to pass a subject-matter test designed to ensure sufficient content knowledge of all subjects.
The District of Columbia should require all early childhood education teacher candidates who teach elementary grades to pass a core content test. Although requiring a content test is a step in the right direction, the District should require separate, meaningful passing scores for each core subject covered on the test, including reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. The District's current practice of using a composite passing score offers no assurance of adequate knowledge in each subject area and therefore fails to ensure that a candidate who achieves a passing score has the necessary subject-matter knowledge to teach a particular subject area.
Require all teacher candidates who teach elementary grades to pass a rigorous assessment in the science of reading instruction.
The District of Columbia should require a rigorous reading assessment tool to ensure that its early childhood candidates are adequately prepared in the science of reading instruction before entering the classroom. The assessment should clearly test knowledge and skills related to the science of reading and address all five instructional components of scientifically based reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. If the test is combined with an assessment that also tests general pedagogy or elementary content, it should report a subscore for the science of reading specifically. Early childhood teachers who do not possess the minimum knowledge in this area should not be eligible for licensure.
Ensure that teacher preparation programs prepare elementary teaching candidates in the science of reading instruction.
The District of Columbia should require teacher preparation programs in the state to train candidates in scientifically based reading instruction to help ensure that all teachers are well prepared in the science of reading instruction before entering the classroom.
Require program completion as a condition of initial licensure.
The
District of Columbia should require all teacher candidates to complete
their respective preparation programs as a condition of initial
licensure. Allowing teachers in the classroom as teachers of record
prior to program completion risks students' being taught by teachers
with inadequate preparation.
The District of Columbia indicated that teachers must complete a teacher preparation program and complete other requirements, including passage of a basic skills test, content test, and a pedagogy test, in order to obtain a standard license.
2D: Elementary Licensure Requirements
Early childhood teachers who teach elementary grades must be ready for the demands of the elementary classroom. Many states have early childhood licenses that include some elementary classroom grades, usually up to grade three.[1] Because teachers with this early childhood license can still teach many elementary grades, they should not be held to a lower bar for subject-matter knowledge than if they held more standard elementary licenses. Given the focus on building students' content knowledge and vocabulary in college- and career-readiness standards,[2] states would put students at risk by not holding all elementary teachers to equivalent standards.[3] That is not to say the license requirements must be identical; there are certainly different focuses in terms of child development and pedagogy. But the idea that content knowledge is only needed by upper-grade elementary teachers is clearly false.
Focus on reading instruction is especially critical for early childhood teachers. Although some states do not ensure that any elementary teachers know the science of how to teach young children to read, in the states where this is a priority, it is inexcusable to hold elementary teachers on an early childhood license to a lower standard. Research is clear that the best defense against reading failure is effective early reading instruction.[4] Therefore, if such licenses are neglecting to meet the needs of the early elementary classroom, of which learning to read is paramount, they are failing to meet one of their most fundamental purposes.