Purdue News

National test proposed by teachers' union is just more of the same Marilyn J. Haring The American Federation of Teachers, the nation's second largest teachers' union, has proposed a national test for prospective teachers. The report "Building a Profession: Strengthening Teacher Preparation and Induction" calls for all new teachers to pass a test that "proves" they are capable of teaching the subject of their choice. The problem with this proposal is that it is equivalent to proclaiming there ought to be a national exam for prospective doctors or lawyers. Like those professions, there already are a number of tests that graduates entering the field of education must successfully pass before they are certified to teach. The most common is the Praxis II national test series, administered by the Educational Testing Service, which focuses on pedagogy, or how to teach, and subject matter, or what to teach. This test is used by many states, and is regularly upgraded and improved to help ensure that new teachers have the right knowledge of their subject and the right skills to teach in a classroom environment. If "most states also set a low passing grade, allowing those who leave even half the questions blank to pass," as stated in an April 14 New York Times article, then the problem is not in the test but in the grading standards set by the individual states. But that is not the only test that pre-service teachers must successfully pass. In addition to Praxis II, the nationally respected Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, or AACTE, have developed a national test called "Test of Teacher Knowledge." Purdue University, which is a member of this association, recently participated in a pilot administration of this test, which includes basic skills and relevant subject matter. However, testing is not the only answer to guarantee that individuals entering the profession of teaching have the skills and ability to teach. The American Federation of Teachers argues that nearly one-third of all teachers are teaching subjects in which they did not major. As stated in the New York Times article, "about four million children every year learn math from someone who may not have taken a math class since high school." Why is this? One is led to believe it is the lack of a proper testing for pre-service teachers. In fact, the real problem may not be poor preparation of teachers but poor hiring and licensing procedures. In many states, superintendents have the authority to hire whomever they wish to teach in their school districts. Specifically in Indiana, superintendents can recommend anyone for a special license to teach, and there is no additional scrutiny by the state. All too often an individual is hired to teach English or math or science, not because of their exceptional expertise in those disciplines but because of their ability to coach football or basketball or soccer. An answer to this may be that superintendents be held to the same accountability as the institutions that certify new teachers. What about those teachers in this union who already work in a classroom? There is no reference in the union's report to these individuals, or put more bluntly, those who are members of the AFT. What about practicing teachers who have elected not to join this union? Do they receive the same exception, or will they be encouraged to join this union in order to avoid additional testing? There are too many unanswered questions to take this proposal seriously, and it ignores the testing processes already in place. Put simply, this recommendation is just more of the same, and offers no realistic suggestions to improve teacher quality. Marilyn J. Haring is the dean of Purdue University's School of Education and a professor of counseling and development. To the Purdue News and Photos Page