Are they a fair requirement for teacher licensure?
By Kynise T. Morris, Montclair State University
Every preservice teacher must complete the basic requirement of the Praxis I series followed by licensure exams in their respective subject areas in the Praxis II series. A future teacher takes a minimum of four standardized exams. There is a Praxis for every subject and specialty. There are currently over 90 subject Praxis exams.
In 2014, I sat for the Praxis I series, with passing scores in reading and writing, but passing the Math Praxis took more than one sitting for me. During my journey to passing Math Praxis I, I have met preservice teachers who struggled to pass various Praxis exams. They have otherwise shown themselves to be excellent preservice educators, which raises a question: Is the Praxis a fair requirement for teacher licensure?
After my first attempt, I studied using books, workbooks and free math apps. Although I studied often, I did not achieve a passing score over my next two attempts. I purchased more books and expensive Praxis math programs that guarantee a passing grade. I continued to fail the exam.
My student adviser notified me that if I didn’t pass in time, I could not student-teach. As a result, I would have to change my degree. Unfortunately, I did not pass in time, and I had to change my degree. I graduated without a teaching certificate.
I then paid for live tutoring classes at a local college. In that class, I met other students who have taken the same exam many times and could not pass. One classmate told me that the class was their last option, and they were considering not being a teacher if they didn’t pass the next time.
The professor was an excellent math teacher, and he strongly encouraged everyone not to use calculators. I understood the math concepts, and I did well in the class. However, my mind just could not calculate as quickly as my classmates. During one session, the professor quickly walked over to me in the middle of the lesson and handed me a calculator. I held on to that in my memory; it felt as if he had given up on me.
When I again took the exam and did not reach the passing score, I decided there must be an issue. I found out about a math disability called dyscalculia. This is a learning disability that makes math difficult to learn, process and understand. I decided to get an educational evaluation. A year later I was diagnosed with dyscalculia.
The diagnosis gave me additional time on all math exams and, in 2019, I finally passed the math praxis exam. I am currently in an alternate-route program to get a teaching license. During the long process of trying to pass the exam, I completed a master’s degree in education.
I always have believed that teaching was my life’s purpose, but the Praxis exam brought me close to giving it all up. There is a risk of losing excellent future teachers for a test that is not about pedagogy. I felt that if I gave up on teaching I would be giving up on future students. So, I fought with everything in me. I don’t believe that these tests predict the kind of teachers we will be or demonstrate the knowledge that is necessary to teach students. They are just items on a checklist.
Statement from Dr. Claudine Keenan, Dean of Education, Stockton University
“While I am proud of the excellence among our teacher candidates in every measurable outcome, I am consistently troubled by the burdens that Praxis Core places on each successive entering class of candidates. As a member of the New Jersey Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, I’ve been among the dozens of deans of education who’ve shared these concerns with the New Jersey Department of Education and with state legislators. In the most recent few years, we’ve all acknowledged with growing alarm, the disproportionately negative impact that these tests have on candidates of color. Our association would like to continue to collaborate with the department and the legislature to find alternative measures that do not perpetuate the biases and burdens apparent in these tests.”