Teacher Standards and Practices Commission .us



Teacher Standards and Practices Commission250 Division Street NESalem OR 97301November 7-8, 2013ITEM:REMOVAL OF MULTIPLE SUBJECTS TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR MIDDLE-LEVEL AUTHORIZATIONACTION:ACTION ITEMRECOMMENDATION:The Executive Director and the Licensure Committee recommend the following resolutions:RESOLVED that, the Commission believes it is in the best interest of teachers and the public to align licensure requirements with researched best practices;RESOLVED FURTHER that, the Commission is eliminating the requirement to take and pass the multiple-subjects test for middle-level grade-level authorizations effective immediately;RESOLVED FURTHER that, amendments to OARs 584-018-0125 Middle Level Authorizations; and 584-060-0051 Teaching Authorization Levels are filed immediately as temporary rules to eliminate the multiple-subjects testing requirement to add the middle-level authorization.RESOLVED FURTHER that, these amendments are temporary measures until the Commission can fully implement a comprehensive licensure redesign RMATION:Background Information: In 1997, Legislation was enacted authorizing the Commission to establish a tiered licensure system that reflected licensure for beginning proficiency teachers (Initial Teaching License), and licensure for advanced proficiency teachers (Continuing Teaching License). [For a full history of TSPC licensure authorizations, see Agenda Item 3.1a.]As part of the then-new licensure system, grade-level authorizations were developed for non-specialty subject areas Early Childhood Education grade levels – pre-K-4, (ECE); Elementary grade levels – 3-8 (ELE); Middle-Level grade levels – 4-9 (ML); and High School grade levels – 7-9 (HS). These grade levels had various other restrictions based on the classroom design (self-contained or departmentalized) and school buildings (elementary, middle schools, 7-12 high schools, etc.). The intent of the four grade authorization designations was to focus more deliberately on the developmental teaching strategies that were most successful at all age groups. The new licensure system took effect on January 1, 1999. As part of that new system, teachers holding licenses issued prior to January 1, 1999, were allowed to keep those licenses. (Provisional and Five-Year Teaching Licenses (pre-1965) and Basic and Standard Teaching Licenses (1965-1999).The 1999 to present licensure design was developed in conjunction with the implementation of the K-12 mandated “reform” under Oregon’s Educational Act for the 21st Century; (1991’s HB 3565). Two key features of that legislation were focused on the importance of early childhood education for long-term academic success; and the need to build developmentally appropriate learning environments for children ages 11 to 14 (middle school-aged). Some research at that time revealed that it was in those grades that students became “lost” within the system; particularly if the schools were very large. Getting “lost” or overlooked at this stage of education was correlated highly with dropping out of education altogether. Additional research observed that smaller self-contained environments taught by multiple-subject prepared educators appeared to produce fewer drop outs. Oregon’s then-new licensure design attempted to combine the known elements for successful middle-school transition with multiple-subjects preparation. Accordingly, the proposal to require middle-level teachers to have at least one single-subject major, in addition to multiple subjects preparation, was adopted by the Commission. University preparation programs were required to recommend candidates who had had specific pedagogical preparation appropriate for that age group in addition to one single-subject content knowledge area as well as multiple subjects preparation in Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and Mathematics. Subject-matter content knowledge was demonstrated by holding a major, passing a single-subject content knowledge licensure test, or having at least one academic year’s worth of content (whatever that meant) in addition to passing the Commission-adopted multiple-subjects licensure test. What is particularly interesting is that these were primarily single-subject content knowledge area teachers who would only have the single-subject endorsement on their license if they specifically took and passed the single-subject test. These teachers had little multiple-subjects preparation, but were required to take and pass the multiple-subjects test resulting in the anomalous situation where you would have a middle-level teacher with perhaps a Language Arts major, who did not have Language Arts on her license, but did have the multiple-subjects endorsement on her license.In order to curtail misassignment, designations related to departmentalized and self-contained were used to limit assignment of both elementary prepared candidates as well as middle-level prepared candidates.A teacher holding the “Multiple Subjects Self Contained” endorsement with the Elementary authorization could not teach in grades 7-8 if the classroom was “departmentalized.” She could if the classroom was self-contained, but not if the assignment was in a “departmentalized” environment. Concomitantly, a “Multiple Subjects” (not self-contained) endorsement with the Middle Level authorization could teach in both self-contained and departmentalized settings in grades 5-9. Remember, these folks were not prepared in the full-range of multiple-subjects pedagogy.For example, in 2002, OAR 584-060-0051 stated (in pertinent part):(3) Elementary authorization is valid for any teaching assignment, except specialization requiring endorsement under OAR 584-060-0071 [specialty endorsements], at or above third grade in a school designated as a self-contained elementary school or in a 5th or 6th grade self-contained classroom in a middle school. This level requires passing the PRAXIS Multiple Subjects Assessment for Teachers test or a successor test approved by the commission, together with completion of student teaching or an internship with students in one or more grades between three and eight in a self-contained elementary classroom or in a 5th or 6th grade self-contained classroom in a middle school. [Agenda Item 3.1b]Note: The “elementary authorization” was also part of “specialty endorsements” (see fn. #1 above). This caused a significant amount of confusion since the Commission specifically stated that persons holding a specialty endorsement on their license did not have to pass the Multiple Subjects test. Additionally, persons holding a multiple subjects endorsement, could not teach any specialty endorsement area. Therefore, all PE, Reading, ESOL, Art, Music, etc subjects had to be taught by teachers holding those specialty endorsements. This interpretation led to TSPC evaluation conclusions that first grade teachers could not teach reading (among other similar illogical applications.)Additionally, restrictions on the “Middle Level” authorization were correspondingly awkward. The 2002 Commission administrative rules stated:(4) Middle level authorization is valid for any teaching assignment, except specialization requiring endorsement under OAR 584-060-0071, in grades five through nine of a school designated as an elementary, middle, or junior high school. This level requires passing the PRAXIS Multiple Subjects Assessment for Teachers test or a successor test approved by the commission, together with completion of student teaching or an internship with students in one or more grades between five and ten. The authorization also requires qualification in at least one specialty appropriate to the middle level by completing a college major, or passing the corresponding test of subject mastery approved by the commission, or presenting evidence satisfactory to the commission of specialized education equivalent to one academic year of college study. Actual endorsement on the license requires passing the subject mastery test. Needless to say, the passage of No Child Left Behind created a complicated morass as we attempted to sort out which new teachers met the federal definition of “highly qualified” and which teachers did not.Fast-forward to the present – to this day, the Commission requires any new Oregon teacher who wishes to teach in grades 5-9 to take and pass the multiple-subjects content licensure test. For years this meant that out of state single-subject teachers who are authorized to teach in grades 5-12 had to not only take and pass our corresponding single-subjects licensure test, perhaps basic skills, but also had to take and pass our multiple-subjects test in order to teach below grade 9. These folks had absolutely no separate pedagogical or developmental preparation outside of their initial “secondary” preparation. However, Oregon teachers who chose initially to only be licensed at the high school level, had to take a 6 quarter or 3 semester hour “level” programs that included developmental preparation along with a supervised practicum in order to add the middle-level authorization onto their license.[Going from the high school authorization to the elementary or early childhood authorization required completion of “level” programs. Whether the candidate had to have multiple-subjects specific pedagogical preparation was been variously interpreted by the university of programs.]The policy issue: Currently, there is very little evidence that supports the required passage of the multiple-subjects test to teach in the middle grades (if one is moving from the secondary to the middle-level) results in a more successful teaching outcome. The Licensure Redesign Committee is recommending that the Commission consider eliminating this separate middle-level program requirement as soon as possible in order to begin the phase-in of new K-12 grade levels that will be aligned with the Licensure Redesign proposals. Additionally, it would eliminate the need to pass the multiple-subjects test; ensure a stronger focus on single subject preparation and ease the current Commission student teaching placement requirements for pre-service candidates’ recommendations for more than one grade authorization level on their license.The rules that would need to be amended or repealed (eliminated) are:OAR 584-018-0125 Middle Level Authorizations [Agenda Item 3.1c]OAR 584-060-0051 Teaching Authorization Levels [Agenda Item 3.1d]3.1a History of Authorization Issues3.1b Levels of Teaching Authorized (2002).3.1c 584-018-0125 Middle Level Authorization3.1d 584-060-0051 Grade Level Authorizations. ................
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