Middle School Teacher Preparation :
Washington

Analysis of Washington's policies

Washington requires a middle-level endorsement for middle school teachers. However, the state does not explicitly require a major or minor in the subject areas that candidates plan to teach. Regrettably, Washington also allows middle school teachers to teach on a generalist K-8 license.

All new middle school teachers in Washington are also required to pass a Washington Educator Skills Test—Endorsement (WEST-E) subject-matter test to attain licensure. However, only candidates for the middle-level endorsement are required to take subject-specific assessments, which include middle-level humanities, mathematics and science. Those candidates who plan to teach middle school on the generalist license are only required to pass the general elementary content test, in which subscores are not provided for each subject area; therefore, there is no assurance that these middle school teachers will have sufficient knowledge in each subject they teach.

Citation

WAC 181-79A-150 http://www.west.nesinc.com/

Recommendations for Washington

Eliminate K-8 generalist license.
Washington should not allow middle school teachers to teach on a generalist license that does not differentiate between the preparation of middle school teachers and that of elementary teachers. These teachers are less likely to be adequately prepared to teach core academic areas at the middle school level because their preparation requirements are not specific to the middle or secondary levels and they need not pass a subject-matter test in each subject they teach. Adopting middle school teacher preparation policies for all such teachers will help ensure that students in grades 7 and 8 have teachers who are appropriately prepared to teach grade level content, which is different and more advanced than what elementary teachers teach.  

Strengthen middle school teachers' subject-matter preparation.
Washington should encourage middle school teachers who plan to teach multiple subjects to earn two minors in two core academic areas. Middle school candidates who intend to teach a single subject should earn a major in that area.

Require subject-matter testing for middle school teacher candidates.
Washington should require subject-matter testing for all middle school teacher candidates in every core academic area they intend to teach as a condition of initial licensure.

State response to our analysis

Washington recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.