In 2009 New York State began an initiative to improve teaching and learning through the implementation of new teacher certification exams. The Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST) replaced the much-maligned Liberal Arts and Sciences Exam (LAST) that had been in a legal battle with minority test takers since 1996. Billed as a "basic test of…

Until 2014, admission requirements for the educator preparation program at a university in the north central United States included a minimum competency level on the Praxis I basic skills writing test and completion of one general education writing course. However, evidence from the university's ETS reports showed that less than 60% of students as…

Teacher preparation programs provide teacher candidates with foundational knowledge, application experiences, and training to graduate highly effective teachers. The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation has a major impact on how faculty in teacher education programs prepare their preservice teacher candidates. For subject matter…

Teacher preparation programs in U.S. colleges and universities have been forced to re-evaluate curricular and student teaching requirements due to federal reform initiatives to support accreditation standards. A state-determined assessment must be passed to earn teaching credentials and in the state of Missouri candidates must pass the appropriate…

With the unveiling of the National Educational Technology Plan 2010, both preservice and inservice K12 teachers in the United States are expected to create a classroom environment that fosters the creation of digital citizens. However, it is unclear whether or not teacher education programs build this direct instruction, or any other method of…

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the types of preparation that students used to prepare for the Texas Examination for Educators Standards (TExES) Examination. Specifically, this study was concerned with the different types of preparation methods that impact test scores based on gender, ethnicity, age and specialization. The…