R.I. teacher prep programs among strongest in country

THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON TEACHER QUALITY gave Rhode Island an overall grade of B+ for its teacher preparation policies. / COURTESY THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON TEACHER QUALITY
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON TEACHER QUALITY gave Rhode Island an overall grade of B+ for its teacher preparation policies. / COURTESY THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON TEACHER QUALITY

(Updated Feb. 24) PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island’s teacher preparation policies are among the strongest in the country, earning the Ocean State an overall grade of B+, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality.
Deborah A. Gist, commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, said she welcomed the recognition for the “quality and rigor” of the standards.
“Ensuring educator excellence has been our top priority over the past five years, and it is gratifying to receive national recognition for the progress we have made in this area,” she said.
Deborah A. Gist, commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, said she welcomed the recognition for the “quality and rigor” of the standards.
“Ensuring educator excellence has been our top priority over the past five years, and it is gratifying to receive national recognition for the progress we have made in this area,” she said.
The average grade for all states for teacher preparation in 2014 is C, the report said. Last year, Rhode Island also earned a B+, up from a C in 2012.
Rhode Island requires a GPA of 3.0 and a proficiency test for admission into teacher prep programs, setting a higher bar than most other states, the report said.
However, there is still room for improvement.
While Rhode Island is one of only 21 states that requires elementary teaching candidates to pass a content test in each of the four core subject areas, the state does not ensure that they know the science of reading.
Rhode Island, as well as 37 other states, also has “significant loopholes” in its licensing requirements for high school teachers.
On the positive side, Rhode Island’s special education policies are stronger than most states. Rhode Island also requires elementary and secondary special education teachers to demonstrate subject matter knowledge as a condition of licensure.
Other findings:

  • Rhode Island collects data on the performance of teacher prep programs in the state but does not yet hold teacher prep programs accountable for the quality of the teachers they produce.
  • Rhode Island is one of just 10 states in the nation that connects student achievement data to teacher preparation programs.

The National Council of Teacher Quality is a nonpartisan research and policy group.
Read the report here.

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