Secondary Teacher Preparation Policy
Content Test Requirements: New Jersey offers a single-subject certificate to teach grades PreK-12. The state requires that its secondary teacher candidates pass a Praxis content test to teach any core secondary subjects. However, New Jersey cannot guarantee content knowledge in each specific subject for secondary teachers that have general social studies licenses.
Additionally, the state allows an exemption for candidates who have failed to meet the passing score by 5% if they have a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Endorsements: To add an additional field to a secondary license, teachers in New Jersey must also pass a Praxis content test. However, New Jersey cannot guarantee content knowledge in each specific subject for secondary teachers who add general social studies endorsements.
Secondary Licensure Deficiencies:
Unfortunately, New Jersey allows a general social studies
license without requiring subject-matter testing for each subject area
within this discipline.
Because secondary content testing loopholes are scored in Secondary Licensure Deficiencies, it is not considered as part of the
score for the Secondary Content Knowledge goal.
Require content testing in all core areas.
As a condition of initial licensure, New Jersey should require subject-matter testing for all secondary teacher candidates in every core academic area they intend to teach regardless of their GPA. While a GPA may be a good indication of a candidate's academic strengths across a varied curriculum, only a passing score on content tests ensures that a teacher is prepared to teach the subject matter for the license he or she holds.
Require subject-matter testing when adding subject-area endorsements.
New Jersey should require passing scores on subject-specific content tests, regardless of other coursework or degree requirements, for teachers who are licensed in core secondary subjects and wish to add another subject area, or endorsement, to their licenses.
New Jersey was helpful in providing NCTQ with facts necessary for this analysis.
3D: Secondary Content Knowledge
Completion of coursework provides no assurance that prospective teachers know the specific content they will teach. Secondary teachers must be experts in the subject matter they teach, and a rigorous, subject-matter specific test ensures that teacher candidates are sufficiently and appropriately knowledgeable in their content area. In fact, research suggests that a positive correlation exists between teachers' content knowledge and the academic achievement of their students.[1] Coursework is generally only indicative of background in a subject area; even a major offers no certainty of what content has been covered. A history major, for example, could have studied relatively little American history or almost exclusively American history. To assume that the major has adequately prepared the candidate to teach American history, European history, or ancient civilizations is an unwarranted leap of faith, whereas a rigorous content test could verify aspiring teachers' knowledge in each topic area.
Requirements should be just as rigorous when adding an endorsement to an existing license. Many states will allow teachers to add a content area endorsement to their license simply on the basis of having completed coursework. As described above, the completion of coursework does not offer assurance of specific content knowledge. Even states that require a content test for initial licensure should require an additional content test for adding an endorsement.