Licensure Deficiencies: Maryland
Elementary Teacher Preparation Policy
Analysis of Maryland's policies
Content Test Requirements: Maryland's early childhood education teachers, who are licensed to teach
elementary grades through grade 3, are required to pass the Praxis II Early
Childhood: Content Knowledge (5025) test. This test does not report separate
subscores in the core content areas of language arts, math, science or social
studies.
Scientifically Based Reading Instruction: As a condition of initial licensure, Maryland does not require its early childhood
candidates to pass a reading test addressing the five instructional components
of scientifically based reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics,
fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Teacher candidates or current
certificate holders with certifications in early childhood may test
out of reading requirements by passing the Praxis Teaching Reading:
Elementary (5203) test.
In its Reading Course Revision Guidelines, Maryland requires teacher
preparation programs to address the science of reading. Programs must provide
training in the five instructional components of scientifically based reading
instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and
comprehension. The state also requires reading coursework for all teacher
candidates: 12 credit hours for early childhood and elementary teacher
candidates and six credit hours for secondary teacher candidates.
Informational Texts: The Early Childhood: Content Knowledge test fails to address informational
texts. Early childhood education teachers are required to take coursework in
"materials for teaching reading to gain literary experience, to perform a
task, and to read for information." Also, the state articulates in its
Reading Course Revision Guidelines that teachers will demonstrate knowledge of
"selecting, organizing, and evaluating text that supports the development
of the five essential components of reading including but not limited to:
informational text."
Literacy Skills: Maryland has no requirements for the preparation of early childhood education teachers that address the incorporation of literacy skills into the core content areas.
Struggling Readers: Maryland's early childhood assessment only vaguely addresses the needs
of struggling readers. The test requires teachers to know the "major
indicators of common reading difficulties (e.g., delays in learning to read,
dyslexia, comprehension difficulties)." According to Maryland's
Reading Course Revision Guidelines, teachers will be able to "modify a
lesson to meet the needs of ... students with reading comprehension
difficulties."
Recommendations for Maryland
Require all early childhood candidates who are eligible to teach
elementary grades to pass a subject-matter test designed to ensure sufficient
content knowledge of all subjects.
Maryland should require all early childhood education teacher candidates
who teach elementary grades to pass an elementary content test appropriately
aligned with its college- and career-readiness standards. Although requiring a content test is a step in the right direction, the state should
require separate, meaningful passing scores for each core subject covered on
the test, including reading/language arts, math, science and social studies. Use of a composite passing score offers
no assurance of adequate knowledge in each subject area. A candidate may
achieve a passing score and still be seriously deficient in a particular
subject area.
Require all teacher candidates who teach elementary grades to pass a rigorous assessment in the science of reading instruction.
Maryland should require a rigorous reading assessment tool to ensure that its early childhood candidates are adequately prepared in the science of reading instruction before entering the classroom. Offering candidates the option of taking the Praxis Teaching Reading test or completing course requirements does not guarantee that teachers have the knowledge and skills related to the science of reading and address all five instructional components of scientifically based reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Early childhood teachers who do not possess the minimum knowledge in this area should not be eligible for licensure.
Ensure that early childhood teachers are prepared to meet the instructional requirements of college- and career-readiness standards for students.
Incorporate informational text of increasing complexity into classroom instruction.
Maryland's early childhood test does not adequately capture all the major instructional shifts of college- and career-readiness standards. Maryland is therefore encouraged to strengthen its teacher preparation requirements and ensure that all candidates who teach the elementary grades have the ability to address the use of informational texts as well as to incorporate complex informational texts into classroom instruction.
Incorporate literacy skills as an integral part of every subject.
To ensure that elementary students are capable of accessing varied information about the world around them, Maryland should also—either through testing frameworks or teacher standards—include literacy skills and using text to build content knowledge in history/social studies, science, technical subjects and the arts.
Support struggling readers.
Maryland should articulate more specific requirements ensuring that all candidates who teach elementary grades are prepared to intervene and support students who are struggling. The early elementary grades are an especially important time to address reading deficiencies before students fall behind.
State response to our analysis
Maryland recognized the factual accuracy of this
analysis, however this analysis was updated subsequent to the state's review.
Updated: December 2017
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Early Childhood Preparation
How we graded
2D: Elementary Licensure Deficiencies
- Adequate Content Knowledge: The state should ensure that all new elementary teacher candidates teaching under an early childhood license possess sufficient elementary content knowledge in all core subjects, including mathematics.
- Scientifically Based Reading Instruction: The state should ensure that all new elementary teacher candidates teaching under an early childhood license are required to pass a rigorous test of scientifically based reading instruction. The design of the test should ensure that prospective teachers cannot pass without knowing the five scientifically based components of early reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
- College- and Career-Readiness Standards: The state should ensure that all new elementary teachers teaching under an early childhood license are sufficiently prepared for the ways that college- and career-readiness standards affect instruction in all subject areas. Specifically,
- The state should ensure that these early childhood education teachers are prepared to incorporate informational texts of increasing complexity into instruction.
- The state should ensure that these early childhood education teachers are prepared to incorporate literacy skills as an integral part of every subject.
- The state should ensure that these early childhood education teachers are prepared to identify and support struggling readers.
One-half of the total goal score is earned based on the following:
- One-half credit: The state will earn one-half of a point if it requires early childhood teachers to pass the same individually scored content tests as elementary teachers.
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if it requires early childhood teachers to pass the same content tests as elementary teachers, but the content tests are not individually scored.
One-quarter of the total goal score is earned based on the following:
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if it requires all new early childhood teachers to pass a rigorous test of scientifically based reading instruction. The design of the test must ensure that all prospective teachers are competent in the five research-based components of early reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
One-quarter of the total goal score is earned based on the following:
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if its elementary teacher preparation tests or standards address the three components of college- and career-readiness standards. To earn credit, states must have at least one component "fully addressed" and two "partially addressed."
Research rationale
Early childhood teachers who teach elementary grades must be ready for the demands of the elementary classroom. Many states have early childhood licenses that include some elementary classroom grades, usually up to grade three.[1] Because teachers with this early childhood license can still teach many elementary grades, they should not be held to a lower bar for subject-matter knowledge than if they held more standard elementary licenses. Given the focus on building students' content knowledge and vocabulary in college- and career-readiness standards,[2] states would put students at risk by not holding all elementary teachers to equivalent standards.[3] That is not to say the license requirements must be identical; there are certainly different focuses in terms of child development and pedagogy. But the idea that content knowledge is only needed by upper-grade elementary teachers is clearly false.
Focus on reading instruction is especially critical for early childhood teachers. Although some states do not ensure that any elementary teachers know the science of how to teach young children to read, in the states where this is a priority, it is inexcusable to hold elementary teachers on an early childhood license to a lower standard. Research is clear that the best defense against reading failure is effective early reading instruction.[4] Therefore, if such licenses are neglecting to meet the needs of the early elementary classroom, of which learning to read is paramount, they are failing to meet one of their most fundamental purposes.
[1] National Council on Teacher Quality. (2016, June). Some assembly required: Piecing together the preparation preschool teachers need. Retrieved from http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Preschool
[2] Student Achievement Partners. (2015). Research supporting the Common Core ELA/literacy shifts and standards. Retrieved from https://achievethecore.org/content/upload/Research%20Supporting%20the%20ELA%20Standards%20and%20Shifts%20Final.pdf
[3] Numerous research studies have established the strong relationship between teachers' vocabulary (a proxy for being broadly educated) and student achievement. For example: Wayne, A. J., & Youngs, P. (2003). Teacher characteristics and student achievement gains: A review. Review of Educational Research, 73(1), 89-122.; See also: Whitehurst, G. J. (2002, March). Scientifically based research on teacher quality: Research on teacher preparation and professional development. In White House Conference on Preparing Tomorrow's Teacher.; Ehrenberg, R. G., & Brewer, D. J. (1995). Did teachers' verbal ability and race matter in the 1960s? Coleman revisited. Economics of Education Review, 14(1), 1-21.; Research also connects individual content knowledge with increased reading comprehension, making the capacity of the teacher to infuse all instruction with content of particular importance for student achievement.; Willingham, D. T. (2006). How knowledge helps: It speeds and strengthens reading comprehension, learning, and thinking. American Educator, 30(1), 30. Retrieved from https://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/spring-2006/how-knowledge-helps
[4] Torgesen, J.K. (November 2005). Preventing reading disabilities in young children: Requirements at the classroom and school level. Presented at the Western North Carolina LD/ADD Symposium.; Walsh, K., Glaser, D., & Wilcox, D. D. (2006). What education schools aren't teaching about reading and what elementary teachers aren't learning. National Council on Teacher Quality. Retrieved from http://www.nctq.org/nctq/images/nctq_reading_study_app.pdf