Categories: News

Grading NJ’s Teacher Preparation Programs

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has released its State Teacher Policy Yearbook, which rates individual states on teaching preparation programs; elementary, middle, and high school teaching requirements; special ed teaching preparation; student teaching; and accountability.

New Jersey did okay: a bump up from last year’s D+ to a C-, which puts us 18th among all states in the country. According to NCTQ, these should be our top priorities:

Admission into Preparation Programs: require that preparation programs screen candidates prior to admission by using a common test normed to the general college-bound population and limit acceptance to those candidates demonstrating academic ability in the top 50th percentile.

Elementary Teacher Preparation: Ensure new content test sufficiently measures knowledge of all subjects. Require a rigorous assessment in the science of reading instruction. Require preparation programs to provide mathematics content specifically geared to the needs of elementary teachers. Require a content specialization in an academic subject area.

Student Teaching:
Ensure that cooperating teachers have demonstrated evidence of effectiveness as measured by student learning.

Teacher Preparation Program Accountability: Collect performance data to monitor programs. Set minimum standards for program performance with consequences for failure to meet those standards. Publicly report performance data.

Laura Waters

Recent Posts

BREAKING: Statement from JerseyCAN on State’s Long-Delayed Release of Student Test Results

This is a statement by Paula White, Executive Director of JerseyCAN, on the New Jersey…

2 years ago

NJEA: Murphy’s Elimination of Teacher Performance Test Is a Major Win for Students and Educators

This is a press release. Earlier today, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill to eliminate…

2 years ago

Murphy Signs Bill Eliminating EdTPA Test for Teacher Certification

Today Gov. Phil Murphy signed Senate Bill 896, which prohibits the New Jersey Department of…

2 years ago

LILLEY: Blue States Had More School Closures and More Learning Loss — Just Like NJ under Gov. Murphy

The 74 conducted a study of the relative learning loss in Democratic (Blue) and Republican (Red) states and…

2 years ago

One of Newark Superintendent’s New High Schools Tolerates Racism Against Black Students

In October 2020 Newark Superintendent Roger Leon announced with great fanfare the opening of district’s…

2 years ago