Testing Teacher Candidates: The Role of Licensure Tests in Improving Teacher Quality
Increasingly, states are testing candidates who want to become teachers. Forty-two states require teacher candidates to pass one or more tests to earn a license. States use licensure tests for admission to teacher education, as a condition of graduation, and for the initial licensure of teachers. Failure rates on current tests are not insubstantial, particularly for racial/ethnic minority candidates. These tests have significant consequences for teacher candidates and potentially for America’s students and schools.