Making the grade just got a tad easier for new teachers in Virginia. Educators seeking full licenses no longer have to reach minimum scores on teaching exams in reading, writing and math but can instead be certified based on a composite score. The board at that time raised the cutoffs, making them the highest of the 29 states and districts that use the Praxis I, a high school-level standardized test.
Common sense says that . . .
Superintendent of Public Instruction Jo Lynne DeMary said that teachers who have missed certification will be allowed to resubmit their scores under the new guidelines. Thomas A. Elliott, assistant superintendent for teacher education and professional license, said he has already set aside staff to handle re-applications. Almost half of the teachers who received new licenses to work in Virginia classrooms last year didn't meet the Praxis standard or complete required course work. One teacher nervously pleaded with the board Thursday to stop relying on a lone test to assess teachers. Math is the only test he has passed, although he said he has gotten nothing but good reviews during four years of teaching in Virginia.