Elementary Teacher Preparation in
Mathematics: Oklahoma

Analysis of Oklahoma's policies

Oklahoma requires all new elementary teachers to pass the elementary Oklahoma Subject Area Test. The state posts only a limited number of sample items, and a review of this material calls the rigor of its test into question; the test items representing elementary school content assess understanding at too superficial a level. Although the state subject-examination test requires passing scores on both of its subtests, one subtest combines mathematics, social studies, science, and health, fitness and the arts. 

Regrettably, Oklahoma's early childhood education teachers, who are allowed to teach through grade 3, are not required to pass a content test. 

Oklahoma also relies on NCATE/CAEP standards, suggesting that it uses Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) standards for approving its elementary programs. ACEI standards address content in mathematics foundations, but these standards lack the specificity needed to ensure that teacher preparation programs deliver other mathematics content of appropriate breadth and depth to elementary teacher candidates. 

Further, the framework for Oklahoma's elementary content test covers numbers and operations, data analysis, and basic concepts of geometry and algebra. However, the standards are not specifically geared to meet the needs of elementary teachers. And because the test does not report a specific math score, a teacher candidate could answer many math questions incorrectly and still pass the test. 

Citation

Test Requirement www.ceoe.nesinc.com www.acei.org

Recommendations for Oklahoma

Require all teacher candidates who teach elementary grades to pass a rigorous mathematics assessment.
Although Oklahoma is on the right track in requiring an elementary assessment with subtests, the state's efforts fall short by combining math with other subjects and not reporting a specific subscore for math. Oklahoma should strengthen its policy by testing mathematics content with a rigorous assessment tool, such as the test required in Massachusetts, that evaluates mathematics knowledge beyond an elementary school level and challenges candidates' understanding of underlying mathematics concepts. Such a test could also be used to allow candidates to test out of coursework requirements. Teacher candidates who lack minimum mathematics knowledge should not be eligible for licensure.

Oklahoma should also ensure that early childhood education teacher candidates who teach its elementary grades possess the requisite knowledge of mathematics before entering the classroom. Therefore, the state should require these candidates to earn a passing score on a rigorous math assessment as well.

Require teacher preparation programs to provide mathematics content specifically geared to the needs of elementary teachers.

Oklahoma must ensure that new teachers are prepared to teach the mathematics content required by the Common Core State Standards. Although ACEI standards and the state's subject-matter test require some knowledge in key areas of mathematics, Oklahoma should require teacher preparation programs to provide mathematics content specifically geared to the needs of elementary teachers. This includes specific coursework in foundations, algebra and geometry, with some statistics coursework.

State response to our analysis

Oklahoma asserted that subtest two of its elementary education subject-area test measures knowledge in number operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, statistics and probability, and that the math portion of the subtest is weighted 45 percent of the total score. The state also noted that the practice selected-response questions and any practice constructed-response assignments included in this section are designed to provide an introduction to the nature of the questions. The practice test questions represent the various types of questions one may expect to see on an actual test; however, they are not designed to provide diagnostic information to help identify specific areas of individual strengths and weaknesses, or to predict performance on the test as a whole. Oklahoma added that these questions are not reflective of rigor but only reflect the types of questions an examinee will see. 

Last word

Even if the test is more rigorous than it appears from the published questions, it is still possible for candidates to compensate for weakness in mathematics because of the other subject matter included in the subtest and score.