NCTQ: Yearbook: Reading Licensure Test

Reading Licensure Test

Licensure tests provide a scalable and reliable measure that, with other evidence, can determine whether teachers are well prepared in the science of reading. While this is an area ripe for further research, the available evidence suggests that various measures of teachers' knowledge of scientifically based reading instruction correlate with their students' reading achievement gains.¹ States with strong licensure tests can help verify that people who earn a teaching license truly do understand the science of reading. A weak test fails to do so and costs candidates time and money for an assessment that doesn't tell them, their prep programs, or their hiring districts whether or not they have the knowledge to successfully teach children to read. States should publish institution- and program-level pass rate data on these tests, including pass rates for the first time that candidates take the test as well as their pass rates after multiple attempts (also known as “best-attempt pass rates”). This data can help identify programs with strong instruction in the science of reading, as well as missed opportunities to send more teachers into the classroom well prepared to teach reading.

How many states use strong reading licensure tests?

2024

Figure details

Strong: AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, LA, MA, MD, MS, NC, NH, NM, OH, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI

Mix of strong and acceptable: MA

Acceptable: MN

Mix of acceptable and weak: OK, MI

Weak: AK, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MO, MT, ND, NE, NJ, NV, NY, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, VT, WA, WV, WY

No Test: IA

Do states publish reading licensure test pass rates?

2024

Figure details

Publishes first-time pass rates: AL, CO, FL, IN, MI, MS, NC, NJ, NM, TX, WI

Publishes some data other than first-time pass rates: AR, CA, DE, GA, IA, IL, LA, MA, MN, NE, NY, OH, OR, TN, VA, WA

Does not publish any pass rate data: AK, AZ, CT, DC, HI, ID, KS, KY, MD, ME, MO, MT, ND, NH, NV, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, UT, VT, WV, WY

Updated: January 2024

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Spear-Swerling, L., & Zibulsky, J. (2014). Making time for literacy: Teacher knowledge and time allocation in instructional planning. Reading and Writing, 27(8), 1353-1378; Moats, L. C., & Foorman, B. R. (2003). Measuring teachers' content knowledge of language and reading. Annals of Dyslexia, 53(1), 23-45; Hudson, A. K., Moore, K. A., Han, B., Wee Koh, P., Binks-Cantrell, E., & Malatesha Joshi, R. (2021). Elementary teachers' knowledge of foundational literacy skills: A critical piece of the puzzle in the science of reading. Reading Research Quarterly, 56, S287-S315; Piasta, S. B., Connor, C. M., Fishman, B. J., & Morrison, F. J. (2009). Teachers’ knowledge of literacy concepts, classroom practices, and student reading growth. Scientific Studies of Reading, 13(3), 224-248.

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