Elementary Teacher Preparation Policy
Texas's early childhood certification, which allows candidates to teach grades PreK-6, is the state's de facto license to teach
elementary grades. Elementary licensure is addressed in 2-A: Elementary Teacher Preparation, 2-B: Teaching Reading and 2-C: Teaching Mathematics. This goal does not apply to Texas and does not factor into Texas's overall Yearbook
grades.
Texas recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis. The state added that the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) is in the process of redesigning the elementary certificate to include a focused component on the science of teaching reading. The SBEC will be revising the requirements for the elementary certificate over the next year with issuance of the new EC-3 certificate anticipated by early 2020.
Early childhood teachers who teach elementary grades must be ready for the demands of the elementary classroom. Many states have early childhood licenses that include some elementary classroom grades, usually up to grade three.[1] Because teachers with this early childhood license can still teach many elementary grades, they should not be held to a lower bar for subject-matter knowledge than if they held more standard elementary licenses. Given the focus on building students' content knowledge and vocabulary in college- and career-readiness standards,[2] states would put students at risk by not holding all elementary teachers to equivalent standards.[3] That is not to say the license requirements must be identical; there are certainly different focuses in terms of child development and pedagogy. But the idea that content knowledge is only needed by upper-grade elementary teachers is clearly false.
Focus on reading instruction is especially critical for early childhood teachers. Although some states do not ensure that any elementary teachers know the science of how to teach young children to read, in the states where this is a priority, it is inexcusable to hold elementary teachers on an early childhood license to a lower standard. Research is clear that the best defense against reading failure is effective early reading instruction.[4] Therefore, if such licenses are neglecting to meet the needs of the early elementary classroom, of which learning to read is paramount, they are failing to meet one of their most fundamental purposes.