Testing Teachers

School Administrator, Sept, 1997

Do school districts rely more on credentials or standardized test results when considering applicants for a teaching position?

A recent report by the National Center for Education Statistics produced these findings:

* Even though public school districts continue to request credentials more frequently than tests, districts increasingly require teacher tests;

* A state's basic skills and subject knowledge tests are more widely used by districts than the National Teachers Examination; and

* Districts in the Midwest and South favor state tests, while districts in the Northeast favor the NTE.

Copies of the report, "Credentials and Tests in Teacher Hiring: What Do Districts Require?" (NCES 97-592) are available by calling the National Library of Education toll-free at 800-424-1616.