Contents Preface: What Led to the Massachusetts "Education Miracle"? 1. Why We Know So Little about Teacher Licensing Tests Overview Problem Sources of Information Definition of Key Terms 2. Who Needs to be Licensed to Teach Purpose for a License in Other Professions Purpose for Licensing Teachers in Public Schools Why a License Is Not Required for Teachers in Private Schools Why a License Is Not Required for all Teachers in Charter Schools 3. About Teacher Licensing Tests Organizations that Develop Teacher Licensing Tests Types of Teacher Licensing Tests Legal Basis for Teacher Licensing Tests When Teacher Licensing Tests Are Taken Meaning of Pass Scores What We Know about the Content of Teacher Licensing Tests 4. History of Teacher Licensing Tests in the United States Early Teacher Examinations Teacher Tests in the Twentieth Century Growing Influence of Teacher Educators after World War II Rising Demand for Teacher Licensing Tests in the 1970s and 1980s Congressional Requirement in 1998 of Licensing Tests for all Teachers 5. What Generates Topics on Subject Area Licensing Tests? How the Content of Subject Area Licensing Tests May Be Designated Reliance on a college major or minor. Usefulness of a topic approach. How Subject Area Licensure Tests Indirectly Shape the School Curriculum 6.

Rationale for New and Revised Licenses in the Bay State Licensure Tests for Foreign Language Teachers Licensure Tests for Secondary Teachers of a Foreign Language Licensure Tests for Elementary Teachers of a Foreign Language Licensure Tests for Latin and Classical Humanities Teachers Licensure Tests for Teachers of Young Students Stand-Alone Licensure Tests of Reading Instructional Knowledge for Teachers of Elementary-Age Children Licensure Tests for Reading Specialists Comparisons with other Licensure Tests for Elementary Teachers Stand-Alone Licensure Tests of Reading Instructional Knowledge for Pre-School Teachers Licensure Tests for Teachers of Middle School Students Licensure Tests for Middle School Teachers of Two Subjects Licensure Tests for Middle School Teachers of a Single Subject Licensure Tests for Mathematics Teachers Licensure Tests for Full-Time Mathematics Teachers in the Elementary and Middle School Stand-Alone Licensure Tests of Mathematical Knowledge for Elementary School Generalists Licensure Tests for Science Teachers Licensure Tests for Teachers of the Communication and Performing Arts For Music Teachers For Theater Teachers For Dance Teachers For Speech Teachers For Visual Art Teachers Licensure Tests for English Teachers Licensure Tests for History Teachers Licensure Tests for U.S. Government Teachers 7. Other Facets of a Teacher Licensing System to Strengthen Undergraduate Majors Academic Time on Task Weeding Out Outdated Licenses Grade Levels Covered by a License Grade Levels and Practicum Hours for Student Teaching Construction and Types of Test Items on Licensure Tests 8. Strengthening Veteran Teachers Gradual Expansion of Required Credit Hours in Education Coursework Required Coursework for a Master''s Degree Program in Education Requirements for Professional Development Concluding Remarks 9. Studies of Predictive Validity and Construct Validity Examples of Studies on Predictive Validity What Studies of Predictive Validity Tell Us Studies of the Construct or Content Validity of Teacher Tests What Studies of Construct or Content Validity Tell Us 10. Difficulties in Developing More Demanding Subject Area Licensure Tests Anomaly of Teacher Licensure Tests Claims about the Supply and Academic Quality of Prospective Teachers Measure of Value-Added or Disciplinary Knowledge: Which is Preferable? Procedural Obstacles 11. What State Legislators Probably Shouldn''t Do Fail to Ask for Stronger Quality Controls Leave Academic Admission Standards Alone Rely on Accreditation Require States to Report Annually on Pass Rates 12.

What Policy Makers and State Legislators Can Do Ensure a Separate Licensing System for "Shop" Teachers Require the Same Academic Admission Standards as Other Countries Learn from Changes in the Bay State''s Licensing System for Teachers Some Specific Changes to Make Above All, Require Qualified Curriculum Directors in K-12.