Admission into Preparation Programs :
Oklahoma

Analysis of Oklahoma's policies

Oklahoma does not require aspiring teachers to pass a test of academic proficiency as a criterion for admission to teacher preparation programs, instead delaying its basic skills assessment until teacher candidates are ready to apply for licensure. 

Oklahoma does require all candidates to have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or achieve an acceptable score on the State Regent's approved assessment for admittance into the teacher preparation program.

Citation

Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation State Requirements http://www.ok.gov/octp/Program_Accreditation/Accreditation/State_Requirements.html

Recommendations for Oklahoma

Require teacher candidates to pass a test of academic proficiency that assesses reading, writing and mathematics skills as a criterion for admission to teacher preparation programs.
Teacher preparation programs that do not screen candidates end up investing considerable resources in individuals who may not be able to successfully complete the program and pass licensing tests. Candidates needing additional support should complete remediation prior to program entry, avoiding the possibility of an unsuccessful investment of significant public tax dollars. Although Oklahoma does set a minimum GPA for teacher candidates, this does not guarantee that they are proficient in basic skills.

Require preparation programs to use a common test normed to the general college-bound population.
The basic skills tests in use in most states largely assess middle school-level skills.  To improve the selectivity of teacher candidates—a common characteristic in countries whose students consistently outperform ours in international comparisons—Oklahoma should require an assessment that demonstrates that candidates are academically competitive with all peers, regardless of their intended profession. Requiring a common test normed to the general college population would allow for the selection of applicants in the top half of their class, as well as facilitate program comparison.  

Exempt candidates with comparable SAT or ACT scores.
Oklahoma should waive the basic skills test requirement for candidates whose SAT or ACT scores demonstrate that they are in the top half of their class.

State response to our analysis

Oklahoma asserted that it requires a passing score on the Praxis I or the Oklahoma General Education Tests (OGET) for candidates not meeting the required 3.0 GPA on all liberal arts and sciences courses.

The state pointed out that the OGET is a unique licensure exam that assesses critical thinking as well as basic skills, and that the vast majority of teacher education programs require the successful completion of the OGET for admission, even for candidates who meet the required GPA.

Further, Oklahoma contended that the OGET is explicitly designed to help identify examinees who have demonstrated the level of general education knowledge and skills required for entry-level educators. Teacher candidates should be able to analyze the writing and reasoning of others, as well as produce reasoned writing themselves. In keeping with these desired competencies, OGET content is divided into six subareas addressing topics associated with general education and critical thinking in liberal arts and sciences.

Last word

Unfortunately, an acceptable GPA does not ensure academic proficiency. Particularly if most programs in the state already require the OGET for admission, the state should consider adopting this as formal policy.