A new report by the National Council on Teacher Quality indicates slightly more than a fourth of all Tennessee elementary school teacher candidates and more than a third of teacher candidates of color who fail their licensure test on their first attempt don’t try a second time, but the data in the report shows the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga – the area’s primary teacher training institute – betters the state numbers.
The analysis focuses on the years 2015 to 2018, when elementary teacher candidates were required to take two Praxis exams for state licensure. One covered teaching curriculum, instruction and assessment, and the other involved the minimum content knowledge to teach a subject.
Two years ago, the state moved to one Praxis test that generated scores on content knowledge in the areas of English language arts, math, science and social studies. Students must pass all of the areas to obtain licensure, but they can take tests on each of the subsections individually if they fail the first time around.
Of the 317 state test takers who failed the Praxis curriculum, instruction and assessment test on their first try over the 2015-2018 period, 84 (26.5%) walked away and did not test again. Of the 1,959 who failed the content knowledge test over the same period, 413 (21.1%) walked away.
At UTC, though, all seven who took the curriculum, instruction and assessment test passed on their first try. Of the 81 who failed their content knowledge exam the first time, only 10 students (12.3%) walked away and did not test again.