A handful of states are gradually adopting licensing tests that measure aspiring elementary teachers' ability to master aspects of what's arguably their most important task: teaching students to read. In the most recent example of what appears to be a slow but steady push, Wisconsin became the latest state to adopt a rigorous, stand-alone test of elementary teachers' knowledge of the science of reading. Though such efforts to improve the quality of reading instruction generally have been pushed by a fairly small network of constituents, those proponents say that updating licensing exams is one of the few ways states can ensure that reading-instruction skills are taught in teacher training. The recently adopted Wisconsin test originated in Massachusetts. The exam emphasizes teacher knowledge of the five crucial aspects of reading instruction outlined in the 2000 National Reading Panel report. Those components include phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.