Aspiring teachers might want to spend more time studying for the teacher certification test: the initial pass rate for the required test to be admitted to teacher preparation programs fell from 82 to 26 percent after the state made it more rigorous this fall.
The Professional Readiness Examination, or PRE, measures students’ proficiency in reading, writing and math, and is usually taken before their junior year of college.
Donald Heller, the dean of the MSU College of Education, said he’s concerned the new qualifications could be snuffing out potentially good teachers who didn’t score high enough on the PRE.
“We worry about that,” Heller, who argues for a more “holistic” metric that also takes students’ GPA into account, said.
The College of Education, which consistently is ranked as one of the most prestigious in the country, has yet to change its curriculum to react to the added rigor.
Supporters say the bolstered metrics will help create better prepared teachers, potentially causing those who weren’t “exactly sure what direction they wanted to take” to reexamine their path, said Bill DiSessa, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Education.
The department spearheaded the reforms which lead to a 56 percent decline in passing rate among the roughly 6,000 students statewide who took the examination this fall. Thankfully for them, they can retake it.
DiSessa said the objective is to turn away students who were “minimally qualified,” hopefully landing the “effective, qualified teachers” in their rightful positions.
“We want the best and brightest teachers in Michigan classrooms,” State Superintendent Mike Flanagan, an ardent supporter, said in a statement. “Increasing the expectations necessary to pass the certification exam gets us closer to that goal.
“Just like we’d want the best and most effective doctor,” Flanagan said, “the same applies to teaching Michigan’s students.”
The writing portion of the examination was the biggest challenge both for MSU students and statewide.
Heller gave the example of new trigonometry questions added to the math section. Students who want to become elementary or art teachers would have to demonstrate they know that material, he said.
“Is it really critical that they know trigonometry?” Heller asked rhetorically.
Heller said he thinks students will take the test more seriously after getting the word out about the shift. For now, the college is waiting to see if people score higher the second time around.
Thomas Morgan, spokesman for the Michigan Education Association, said the union hasn’t yet taken a stance on the new metrics.
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