The question of what teachers need to know to be “quality” teachers has been raised often recently, as debates about how to measure teacher quality rage in the education policy community. (“NCLB Rules on ‘Quality’ Fall Short,” May 16, 2007.) One aspect of teacher quality being examined is a requirement that new teachers must meet in order to obtain certification.
Source: EPE Research Center, 2007
In order to keep up with changing times, and increasingly tech-savvy students, many teachers are now required to complete technology coursework in order to receive their initial teaching licenses. A state policy survey conducted by the EPE Research Center for the report Technology Counts 2007 found that 19 states require prospective teachers to take technology-related coursework or pass a test in order to receive a teaching license. Of the 19 states, 12 require teachers to pass a test to receive initial certification, and two (Georgia and California ) require both coursework and testing. The survey also revealed that while 45 states have standards for teachers that include a technology component, only nine states require technology training or testing for recertification of teaching credentials.
For more information on technology standards in the 50 states and the District of Columbia, visit the Education Counts database.
