Delivering Well Prepared Teachers Policy
Montana offers a secondary broad-field science endorsement, which must include a concentration in one discipline—biology, earth science, chemistry or physics—coupled with balanced study in the other three. Teachers with this license are not limited to teaching general science but rather can teach any of the topical areas. Candidates are not required to pass a subject-matter test.
Montana does not articulate any specific coursework or testing requirements for middle school science teachers, who are allowed to teach on a generalist K-8 license.
Require secondary science teachers to pass tests of content knowledge for each science discipline they intend to teach.
Although coursework plays a key role in teachers' acquisition of content knowledge, it should be accompanied by the requirement of an assessment, which is the only way to ensure that teachers possess adequate knowledge of the subject area.
Require middle school science teachers to pass a test of content knowledge that ensures sufficient knowledge of science.
Montana declined to respond to NCTQ's analyses.