Michigan Teacher Professional Readiness Examination (Update: Test Scores)

State’s would-be teachers’ scores plunge on new test

26% pass rigorous certification exam

By Lori Higgins Detroit Free Press Education Writer

   The pass rates for would-be teachers on the state’s certification exams in math and writing took a nosedive this year after the state replaced its basic skills tests with tougher exams that are harder to pass.

   Just 45% of those who took the math portion of the new Professional Readiness Examination (PRE) passed it. In writing, 31% passed. The overall pass rate was 26%.

   In the 2012-13 school year, pass rates on the older test were 90% and above.

   The scores, released by the Michigan Department of Education, are sobering, illustrating that teacher preparation programs will have some work to do to ensure their students are prepared for a more demanding classroom.

   “We were expecting a more rigorous test but are still surprised,” said Jann Joseph, dean of the College of Education at Eastern Michigan University. “Anytime you change the content of a test, the scores tend to dip right away, but correct themselves over time.”

   The pass rates can’t be directly compared with last year because the tests are completely different. For in- stance, the math test changed from just covering fundamental math, algebra, operations, geometry and reasoning to also include trigonometry, probability and statistics, Joseph said.

   Also, the results compare pass rates for 615 students who took the PRE Oct. 5 against pass rates for 6,450 who took the basic skills test during the 2012-13 school year.

   But the fact that so few students passed the new test is a concern. State law requires students to pass the PRE beforethey can do their student teaching. Some colleges still allow students to complete their student-teaching without passing the exams; however, no one can be certified without passing them .

   The exams are part of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification, which also includes tests in teaching specialties. Those tests also have been made more rigorous.

   The drop in scores mirrors what happened when the state made it tougher to pass state exams students must take in grades 3-8. Since then, far fewer students have passed them.

   The impact for teachers is unclear, however, given this was the first group of students to take the exam. Teacher preparation programs in Michigan typically produce far more teacher candidates than there are jobs in Michigan, prompting many to seek employment outside the state and leading the State Board of Education to issue a moratorium on allowing new preparation programs to operate.

   The board will discuss the results during its monthly meeting Tuesday.

   State officials said the test was toughened as part of a push for more effective teachers.

   “We want the best and brightest teachers in Michigan classrooms,” State Superintendent Mike Flanagan said in a news release.

   Susan Dalebout, assistant dean for student affairs at the College of Education at Michigan State University, said she applauds the increased rigor. There, unlike at most institutions, students must pass the PRE before they can be admitted to the program.

   “I would be sad to see a student who wanted to be a teacher turned away. On the other hand, I really think that we have — and the public has — every right to expect that teachers will be very well trained, and have deep subject matter preparation, and I think this is the move in the right direction,” Dalebout said.

   Deborah Ball, the dean of the College of Education at the University of Michigan, said that while it is important to tighten up the requirements to teach children, she said the devil is in the details. Just being rigorous isn’t enough.

   “There has to be rigor around the academic content they actually have to explain to children.”

   Ball said that there also has to be focus on ensuring would-be teachers are competent in the practice of teaching, meaning they can’t just know the subject matter but know how to teach.