Delivering Well Prepared Teachers Policy
Missouri requires middle school certification (grades 5-9) for all middle school teachers. Candidates must earn a minimum of 21 semester hours in one content area.
All new middle school teachers in Missouri are also required to pass a single-subject Praxis II content test to attain licensure; a general content knowledge test is not an option.
Strengthen middle school teachers' subject-matter preparation.
Missouri is commended for not allowing middle school teachers to teach on a K-8 generalist license. However, it 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. In addition, middle school candidates who intend to teach a single subject should earn a major in that area.
Missouri recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis. The state pointed out that new standards for educator preparation are being developed and that NCTQ's recommendations will be considered when discussing the revision of certification requirements.