Teacher competency testing: what are special education teachers expected to know?

Area of Science:

• Education
• Special Education
• Teacher Assessment

Background:

• Teacher competency testing (TCT) is a significant component of current education reform initiatives.
• 48 states are implementing or planning teacher testing programs.
• 25 states and D.C. are developing or administering subject-specific tests, including special education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey the current landscape of teacher competency testing in special education across the United States.
• To identify which states are utilizing or developing special education teacher competency tests.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide survey was conducted to gather data on TCT in special education.
• Responses were collected from 46 states and the District of Columbia.

Main Results:

• Significant variation exists among states in their application of teacher competency tests.
• Approximately half of the surveyed states are currently using or actively researching specific special education teacher competency tests.

Conclusions:

• The implementation of special education teacher competency tests is not uniform nationwide.
• Findings have implications for the practice and policy development within special education teacher preparation and certification.