An empty curriculum: how teacher licensure tests lead to empty student minds

1. Why we know so little about teacher licensure tests

Problem

Sources of information

Definitions of key terms

Points to remember

Notes

2. Who needs a license to teach and why?

Purpose for licensure in other professions

Purpose for licensure for teachers in public schools

Why teachers in private schools don't need a license

Why all teachers in charter schools don't need a license

Points to remember

Notes

3. About teacher licensure tests

Organizations that develop teacher licensure tests

Types of teacher licensure tests

Legal basis for teacher licensure tests

When teacher licensure tests are taken

Meaning of pass scores

What we know about the content of teacher licensure tests

Points to remember

Notes

4. History of teacher licensure tests in the United States

Early teacher examinations

Teacher tests in the 20th century

Growing influence of teacher educators after World War II

Rising demand for teacher licensure tests in the 1970s and 1980s

Congressional requirement in 1998 of licensure tests for all prospective teachers

Points to remember

Notes

5. What generates topics on subject area licensing tests?

How the content of teacher licensing tests may be designated

Reliance on a college major or minor

Usefulness of a topic approach

How subject area licensure tests for teachers indirectly shape the school curriculum

Notes

6. Rationale for new and old licenses in the Bay state

Licensure tests for foreign language teachers

Licensure tests for teachers of young students

Licensure tests for teachers of middle school students

Licensure tests for full-time mathematics teachers in the elementary and middle school

Stand-alone licensure tests of mathematical knowledge for elementary school generalists

Licensure tests for science teachers

Licensure tests for teachers of communication and performing arts

Licensure tests for English teachers

Licensure tests for History teachers

Licensure tests for U.S. Government teachers

Notes

7. Other facets of a teacher licensing system to strengthen undergraduate majors

Academic time on task

Weeding out outdated licenses

Grade levels covered by a license

Grade levels and practicum hours for student teaching

Construction and types of test items on licensure tests

8. Strengthening veteran teachers

Gradual expansion of required credit hours in education coursework

Required coursework for a master's degree program in education

Requirement for professional development

Concluding remarks

Notes

9. Studies of predictive validity and construct validity

Examples of studies on predictive validity

What studies of predictive validity tell us

Studies of the construct or content validity of teacher tests

What studies of construct or content validity tell us

Notes

10. Difficulties in requiring more demanding subject area licensure tests

Anomaly of teacher licensure tests

Claims about the supply and academic quality of prospective teachers

Measure of value-added, not disciplinary, knowledge: which is preferable?

Procedural obstacles

Notes

11. What state legislators probably shouldn't do

Fail to ask for stronger quality controls

Leave academic admission standards alone

Rely on accreditation

Require states to report pass rates annually

Notes

12. What policy makers and state legislators can do

Strengthen the licensing system for CTE teachers at all levels

Require the same academic admission standards as other countries

Learn from changes in teh Bay State's licensing system for prospective teachers

Some specific changes to make

Above all, require qualified curriculum directors in K-12

Notes.