Middle School Teacher Preparation : Arizona

Analysis of Arizona's policies

Arizona only requires that middle school teachers, who are allowed to teach on a generalist K-8 license, complete a teacher preparation program. Teachers with secondary licenses may also teach single subjects in middle school. The state does not explicitly require a major or minor in the subject areas that the candidates plan to teach. Arizona offers an optional middle grades endorsement (grades 5-9) for teachers who already have either an elementary or secondary certificate "to expand the grades a teacher is authorized to teach on an elementary or secondary certificate."

All new middle school teachers whose primary assignments are in academic subjects are required to pass a subject-matter portion of the Arizona Educator Proficiency Exam, the state's licensing test, to attain licensure.

Citation

Arizona Administrative Code, Title 7, R7-2- 607, -608, -609, -613(N) http://www.aepa.nesinc.com/AZ_viewFW_opener.asp

Recommendations for Arizona

Eliminate K-8 generalist license.
Arizona should not allow middle school teachers to teach on a generalist license that does not differentiate between the preparation of middle school teachers and that of elementary teachers. These teachers are less likely to be adequately prepared to teach core academic areas at the middle school level because their preparation requirements are not specific to the middle or secondary levels and they need not pass a subject-matter test in each subject they teach. Adopting middle school teacher preparation policies for all such teachers will help ensure that students in grades 7 and 8 have teachers who are appropriately prepared to teach grade level content, which is different and more advanced than what elementary teachers teach.  

Strengthen middle school teachers' subject-matter preparation.
Arizona should encourage middle school teachers who plan to teach multiple subjects to earn two minors in two core academic areas. Middle school candidates who intend to teach a single subject should earn a major in that area. 

State response to our analysis

Arizona recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis.