Middle School Licensure Requirements:
Michigan
Secondary Teacher Preparation Policy
Analysis of Michigan's policies
Commendably, beginning Fall 2021, Michigan will no longer offer a K-8 license. The state is developing program approval standards for a grades 5-9 license and anticipates the first enrollment class Fall 2022.
Until then, Michigan still offers, but does not require, a middle school endorsement to teach grades 6-8. This endorsement can only be added to a K-8 license in order to teach single subjects at the 6-8 level. Secondary teachers can also teach single subjects grades 6-8 because the grade span of the secondary license is 6-12. Michigan's new certification structure will offer secondary licenses for grades 7-12. Both secondary teacher candidates and those adding a 6-8 endorsement to an elementary license must pass a subject-specific test.
Additionally, the state's current middle level endorsement (ZL) extends the grade range of an existing certificate by one level, resulting in 5-12 authorization for teachers possessing a secondary certificate and K-9 authorization for teachers possessing an elementary certificate with a separate content area endorsement. The new middle grades 5-9 license will replace the ZL endorsement.
Recommendations for Michigan
Require content testing in all core areas.
Michigan should require subject-matter testing for all middle school
teacher candidates in every core academic area they intend to teach as a
condition of initial licensure. The state should set its passing
scores to reflect high levels of performance to ensure meaningful middle
school content tests.
State response to our analysis
Michigan was helpful in providing NCTQ with facts that enhanced this analysis.
Updated: February 2020
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Michigan
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Teacher Preparation
- Program Entry
- Teacher Shortages and Surpluses
- Program Performance Measures
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- Student Teaching/Clinical Practice
Elementary Teacher Preparation
Secondary Teacher Preparation
- Middle School Content Knowledge
- Middle School Licensure Requirements
- Secondary Content Knowledge
- Secondary Licensure Requirements
Special Education Teacher Preparation
Alternate Routes
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How we graded
3B: Middle School Licensure Requirements
- Specific Licensure: The state should not permit middle school teachers to teach on a generalist license that does not differentiate between the preparation of middle school teachers and the preparation of elementary teachers.
The total goal score is earned based on the following:
- Full credit: The state will earn full credit if it requires teachers to teach on a middle school license (No K-8).
- 1/2 credit: The state will earn one half credit for either maintaining specific requirements limiting elementary teachers ability to teach in departmentalized middle schools or requiring teachers holding a K-8 license to demonstrate some relevant content knowledge at the middle school level.
- 0/0 credit: The state will not earn any credit if it offers a K-8 license or a K-8 license in addition to a middle school license, allowing elementary teachers to teach single subjects at the middle school level without passing single-subject tests, or if the state offers a K-8 license and teachers can teach grades 7 and 8 in a self-contained classroom.
Research rationale
Middle school grades are critical years of schooling. It is in these years that far too many students fall through the cracks. However, requirements for the preparation and licensure of middle school teachers can be especially problematic. States need to distinguish the knowledge and skills needed by middle school teachers from those needed by an elementary teacher. Whether teaching a single subject in a departmentalized setting or teaching multiple subjects in a self-contained setting, middle school teachers must be able to teach significantly more advanced content than elementary teachers. In order to do so, middle school teachers must be deeply knowledgeable about every subject they will be licensed to teach, and able to pass a licensing test in every core subject to demonstrate this knowledge.[1] The notion that someone should be identically prepared to teach first grade or eighth grade mathematics seems ridiculous, but states that license teachers on a K-8 generalist certificate essentially endorse this idea.
[1] For additional research on the importance of subject matter knowledge, see: Dee, T. S., & Cohodes, S. R. (2008). Out-of-field teachers and student achievement: Evidence from matched-pairs comparisons. Public Finance Review, 36(1), 7-32.; Chaney, B. (1995). Student outcomes and the professional preparation of eighth-grade teachers in science and mathematics. NSF/NELS: 88 Teacher Transcript Analysis. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED389530; Weglinsky, H. (2000). How teaching matters: Bringing the classroom back into discussions of teacher quality (Policy Information Center report). Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. Retrieved from http://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/PICTEAMAT.pdf ; A report published by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (NMAP) concludes that a teacher's knowledge of math makes a difference in student achievement. National Mathematics Advisory Panel. (2008). Foundations for success: The final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. US Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/mathpanel/report/final-report.pdf.