Middle School Teacher Preparation : Minnesota

Analysis of Minnesota's policies

Although Minnesota's elementary license is typically valid for grades K-6, teacher candidates may teach grades 7 and 8 if they are in self-contained classrooms. Teachers with secondary certificates may teach grades 7 and 8 in those subjects for which valid licensure is held. 

Minnesota now offers four new middle-level endorsements: communication arts and literature, mathematics, social studies and general science. Candidates must complete the equivalent of a minor in each subject area of licensure. 

All new teachers in Minnesota are required to pass the Minnesota subject-matter test to attain licensure. However, only secondary and middle-level candidates are required to pass single-subject content tests to attain licensure. Those seeking the elementary license are only required to pass the general content test for elementary education, in which subscores are not provided; therefore, there is no assurance that these middle school teachers will have sufficient knowledge about each subject they teach.

Citation

Minnesota Administrative Rules 8710.0300, Subpart 8 and 8710.3310, .3320, .3330, .3340 http://www.mtle.nesinc.com/ http://www.mtle.nesinc.com/Content/Docs/MN_TestingRequirements3.pdf

Recommendations for Minnesota

Prepare middle school teachers to teach middle school.
Minnesota should not allow middle school teachers to teach on a generalist license that does not differentiate between the preparation of middle school teachers and that of elementary teachers. These teachers are less likely to be adequately prepared to teach core academic areas at the middle school level because their preparation requirements are not specific to the middle or secondary levels and they need not pass a subject-matter test in each subject they teach. Minnesota should ensure that students in grades 7 and 8 have teachers who are appropriately prepared to teach grade level content, which is different and more advanced than what elementary teachers teach.  

Strengthen middle school teachers' subject-matter preparation.
Minnesota should encourage middle school teachers who plan to teach multiple subjects to earn two minors in two core academic areas. Middle school candidates who intend to teach a single subject should earn a major in that area.

Require subject-matter testing for middle school teacher candidates.
Minnesota 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.

State response to our analysis

Minnesota was helpful in providing NCTQ with the facts necessary for this analysis. The state added that the reference to self-contained classrooms taught by teachers with a K-6 license is accurate; however, Minnesota noted that these settings are rare and represent unique student populations such as those in a one-room schoolhouse. The vast majority of teachers teach in a middle school, junior high school, or combined middle and high school and are held to the requirement of a content-specific endorsement.

In addition, Minnesota pointed out that there are now three content subtests for its K-6 candidates, each with its own passing score.