One third of would-be elementary and preschool teachers in Connecticut flunk an exam on how to teach reading reports the Connecticut Mirror.
Teach for America teachers had the highest pass rate, 93 percent, despite their abbreviated training. University of Connecticut was next at 91 percent. At some Connecticut State University campuses, more than 40 percent of student teachers flunked the Foundations of Reading exam. (I got 100 percent on the test questions here.)
The certification exam, consisting of 100 multiple-choice questions and two essay questions, has been used in Massachusetts since 2002. It is designed to test knowledge of teaching methods that reflect a rigorous, systematic approach to reading instruction, including phonics.
Many of those methods, backed by various research studies, were recommended a decade ago by a National Reading Panel report and in Connecticut’s Blueprint for Reading Achievement, but some educators and children’s advocates contend that college and university teacher training programs have been slow to respond.
Prospective teachers are complaining their education classes didn’t prepare them for the exam. And some education professors say the exam doesn’t measure what it takes to be a good teacher.
Via NCTQ Bulletin.