Mississippi teacher shortage sparks a new change in licensing some educators

Mississippi is moving forward with a proposal that would allow more than 100 teachers to obtain certification on a performance-based licensure system.

The pilot program, first announced at a September state Board of Education meeting, is a pivot from Mississippi’s current requirements for certification and illuminates how pronounced the state’s regional teacher shortages have become.

“Every school must have effective teachers to help students learn and achieve at the highest level,” state Superintendent of Education Carey Wright said in a statement. “This project is part of a statewide strategy to diversify the teacher pipeline to ensure all students have access to teachers who are well-prepared, appropriately licensed and serve as role models for success.”

More: Mississippi's teacher shortage leads to accreditation trouble for some districts

While revisiting the proposal at the November board meeting, Wright said that within the past five years the number of education candidates enrolling and graduating from teacher preparation programs at the state’s universities has dropped by 40 percent.

Jean Cook, a spokeswoman with the Mississippi Department of Education, told the Clarion Ledger on Nov. 8 that "licensure exams are not a factor for performance-based (licensure)." She added that a separate pilot program, a teacher residency initiative, launched by the department would mandate that candidates pass all required licensure exams.

Mississippi requires teachers to take two tests for certification.

Candidates are required to make a 21 on the ACT or pass the Praxis Core, which tests teachers on reading, writing and math. Teachers must also pass a test in the subject matter they wish to teach.

The cohort of 110 aspiring educators participating in MDE's pilot program could have the content area requirement waived.

The pilot program does not apply to or modify the current requirements for entering into traditional teacher prep or alternate route programs at Mississippi colleges or universities.

“Children are important enough to make adjustments,” said Adrienne White Hudson, a former teacher who now runs a nonprofit called RISE geared at addressing teacher shortages in the Mississippi Delta.

Hudson works with school leaders who struggle to hire enough licensed educators, an accreditation standard required by state law.

Hudson says finding educators in these districts is often a two-fold challenge. Superintendents might struggle to attract certified candidates to rural areas where individuals are more likely to leave than move in.

Compounding the challenge is individuals who are interested in teaching but unable to pass the Praxis Core, make a 21 on the ACT or pass the Praxis Content Area test.

More: Certification tests a barrier for some aspiring Mississippi teachers

Mississippi requires juniors in public schools to take the ACT. Results published by the state Department of Education on Thursday show the average ACT score was just shy of an 18.

A bill filed during the 2018 legislative session would have lowered the required score to an 18. The proposal from Rep. Orlando Paden, a Democratic lawmaker who represents several Delta communities, died without debate.

“If we don’t break the cycle, this is going to continue,” Hudson said. “There are kids who might have three certified teachers during a seven-period day.”

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More: Children in these districts are taught by unlicensed teachers. Does it matter?

Elizabeth Ross with the National Council on Teacher Quality said it’s not uncommon for states to issue temporary or emergency licenses to teachers who have not passed required licensure tests.

A 2017 survey by the nonprofit found at least 13 states allow teachers with provisional licenses to teach for three or more years without passing a licensure test.

Ross said Mississippi’s pilot program stands outs because it offers a pathway to “permanent licensure” that doesn’t rely solely on licensure tests.

Instead, eligibility will hinge on the state's revamped teacher evaluation system. The performance of the candidate's students on certain tests will also be a factor.

Ross said by tapping into such data, "Mississippi is thinking strategically about how to use the system it's invested in to make personnel decisions."

Still, she expressed there are some risks with doing away with licensure tests that can serve as a "guardrail" on the front end, noting that students who are the most vulnerable are the most likely to be taught by uncertified teachers.

Ross' concerns echo the findings of a 2016 MDE report showing students in high-minority and high-poverty districts are disproportionately taught by teachers who are not highly qualified.

"I really encourage Mississippi to carefully monitor and evaluate any impact on the students being served," she said.

This is not the first time MDE has implemented policy changes to address regional teacher shortages.

Six months ago, Mississippi lowered the passing score for a licensure test required for prospective middle school and high school math teachers.

And last November, the state Board of Education approved a proposal to allow the state to issue a one-year license to teachers who hold at least a bachelor’s degree in the subject they want to teach.

To renew the license for a second year, license holders would have to show proof of enrollment in an alternate route program that would require passing certification exams.

The agency’s pilot performance-based licensure program would help some teachers holding such provisional licenses become fully licensed.

The work is part of a broader initiative to not only address the state’s teacher shortages but to diversify the state’s teacher workforce.

Education officials say they will use a $4 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to start teacher residency programs in four districts: Jackson Public Schools, Sunflower County, Biloxi and Ocean Springs.

The program, which is separate from the department’s performance-based licensure pilot, will require teachers to pass licensure tests.

A release from MDE says participants in the residency program will be placed in the classroom of a National Board-Certified teacher or “highly skilled” teacher for two years.

Candidates will also receive full tuition termed on their commitment to remain in the district for three years, after their residency is complete.