Elementary Teacher Preparation Policy
Content Test Requirements: Beginning January 2020, Texas will begin issuing PreK-3 early childhood licenses. Candidates must pass the Early Childhood PK-3 (292) test as a condition of initial licensure. However, this test is not an adequate test of content knowledge in the core subjects of English language arts, math, science, and social studies.
Scientifically Based Reading Instruction: Texas now requires all new early childhood education teachers to pass the Science of Teaching Reading (293) test. This assessment adequately addresses the
five components of scientific reading instruction: phonemic awareness,
phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
In its standards for early childhood programs, Texas requires preparation programs to address the science of reading instruction.
Provisional and Emergency Licensure: Because provisional and emergency licensure requirements are scored in Provisional and Emergency Licensure, only the test requirements for the state's initial license are considered as part of this goal.
Require early childhood teacher candidates to pass a subject-matter test designed to ensure sufficient content knowledge of all subjects.
Texas should require all early childhood teacher candidates who teach the elementary grades to pass a content test with separate passing scores for each of the core subject areas, including reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. Although the state requires appropriate testing for elementary teachers teaching on an elementary certificate, Texas creates a significant loophole by not holding early childhood teachers who teach elementary grades to the same requirements. The state's current practice of allowing teachers up through grade 3 to teach without ever having passed a content test is particularly worrisome and should be amended.
Texas asserted that preK-3 candidates will be required to pass the Early Childhood PK-3 (292) test as a condition of initial licensure.
They will also have to pass the Science of Teaching Reading (293) test. While the rulemaking is not complete for these (see link below for discussion text), this has always been the expectation and has been communicated widely to the field.
2D: Elementary Licensure Requirements
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.