ABCTE: Creating a Teacher Mill
Like the owners of puppy mills who churn out litters of puppies for instant gratification, new teacher certification schemes like the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence aim to supply states with teachers, but where is the quality control?
Since 2001 the federal government has supported groups like the Education Leaders Council (ELC), the National Council for Teacher Quality (NCQT)*, and the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE), all which seek to eliminate what the groups deem "barriers" to entering the teaching profession. Over $35 million has been granted to these groups with little accountability.
The most active group, ABCTE, tends to concentrate on content only as criteria for entering the classroom, essentially ignoring the professional refinement of basic teaching skills such as instruction techniques, best practices, differentiated instruction, and classroom management.
This idea that content knowledge is the only necessary requirement for teacher certification sadly belies what statistics show to be true: one-half of all new teachers leave the profession within five years with much of the dissatisfaction stemming from failures in teacher preparedness and professional support.
Research and practice have shown that licensing standards should require beginning teachers to possess a wide range of skills before they enter the classroom. These include a deep knowledge of the subjects they teach, a firm understanding of how students learn, the ability to help all students achieve to high standards, the capacity to diagnose and respond to various learning needs, and the aptitude to instill a passion for learning in students.
Over and over again, teacher quality is cited as the single most important factor in improving student achievement and delivering on the promise to "leave no child behind." With highly qualified teachers being the sought after end result of the No Child Left Behind Act, this hardly seems the time to relax standards.
What is ABCTE Certification?
Discounting such information, the ABCTE offers certification to anyone with a bachelor's degree who passes the online "Passport to Teaching" test, a federal background check, and hands over $500.
ABCTE has developed three "Passports" to certification in elementary education (K-6), mathematics (6-12), and English (6-12). The core requirement is passing content knowledge and brief pedagogy (teaching skills) multiple choice assessments. There is an option for on-line advisement but it is not required. No student teaching or internship is required. The cost of a Passport assessment is $500.
Currently six states recognize ABCTE certification: Pennsylvania, Florida, Idaho, New Hampshire, Utah, and Texas. However, very few teachers have received certification. A look at the ABCTE's website found no reference of the number of teachers who have sought and/or received ABCTE certification.
In response to an item on the Frequently Asked Questions page of the website: Is Passport to Teaching certification accepted as a teaching certificate by school districts? The reply is: If a state recognizes American Board Passport to Teaching certification, the school districts will as well.
However, NEA reports that many districts within the
states who have adopted this option will not hire
ABCTE teachers.
The ABCTE assessments have no track record of validity
or legal credibility. The Educational Testing Service,
the creator of the Praxis exams, has
been very negative about its development. The American College Testing
organization, who was the initial contractor for
development, dropped out over technical
concerns. No evaluations have been completed regarding its effectiveness
in
identifying qualified teachers who will remain in the profession.
The bottom line is that many credible alternative certification programs are in existence. But most quick-fix solutions, such as the ABCTE, lead to novice teachers who are unprepared for the classroom and quickly leave the profession. It devalues the teaching profession and further distances teachers from their counterparts in law and medicine that value comprehensive assessment for entry and continued professional development to support high standards.
*Chester Finn, a member of the board of NCTQ, is also a member of
Lt. Governor Steele's Commission on Quality Schools. See ActionLine,
December 2004, for more on the Steele Commission and Chester Finn.
