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January 2021

Ask A REL Question:

What policy shifts/changes have states/countries made to certification and licensure which have resulted in overall gains in literacy, or successful impacts for students who are low-income, English learners, or other traditionally under-served populations?

Response:

Thank you for the question you submitted to our REL Reference Desk regarding the impacts of policy changes to certification and licensure on under-served student populations. We have prepared the following memo with research references to help answer your question. For each reference, we provide an abstract, excerpt, or summary written by the study's author or publisher. The references are selected from the most commonly used research resources and may not be comprehensive. References are listed in alphabetical order, not necessarily in order of relevance. Other relevant studies may exist. We have not evaluated the quality of these references, but provide them for your information only.

Research References

  1. Blanton, L. P., Boveda, M., Munoz, L. R., & Pugach, M. C. (2017). The affordances and constraints of special education initial teacher licensure policy for teacher preparation. Teacher Education and Special Education, 40(1), 77-91. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1125399
    Request Full text available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/306924031
    From the abstract: “Initial licensure polices in special education were examined to determine how these policies support or hinder reform efforts to develop teacher education programs that prepare graduates for the increasingly complex needs of diverse students. Initial special education licensure policies are described with an emphasis on the differences across states on two key options: whether licensure for special education teachers is a stand-alone initial license or whether the state requires a general education license prior to obtaining a second license in special education. As the field grapples with how best to prepare both general and special education teachers who can teach to high standards for students with disabilities, the influence of these options is examined in relation to four contemporary issues facing special education and the trade-offs that accrue when a particular licensure option is adopted.”
  2. Farieta-Barrera, A. (2020). Initial education of philosophy teachers in Colombia: Association between new public policy requirements and national standardized tests. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 45(6), 34-61. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1267340
    From the abstract: “This paper evaluates the association between new public policy requirements for B.Ed. programs in Colombia: (1) demand high-quality accreditation; (2) restrict distance modality; (3) restrict multidisciplinary programs; and (4) increase academic credits in education courses and pedagogical practices-- and the outcomes of 1387 B.Ed. in Philosophy students in the National Saber Pro test 2016-2018, in 'Education' component. The methodology was multilevel linear regression; the residential region is the level variable, and were included other control variables (gender, age, ethnic minority, socioeconomic index, etc.). The results show that outcomes are associated with pedagogical practices and with non-multidisciplinary programs, supporting new regulations. Students attending on campus programs had better outcomes, but students in distance programs came from regions where there are no programs, so this must be taken carefully. Contrary to the hypothesis, high-quality accreditation was not significant. This should lead to a review of accreditation criteria and its mandatory nature.”
  3. Gilmour, A. F. (2020). Teacher certification area and the academic outcomes of students with learning disabilities or emotional/behavioral disorders. Journal of Special Education, 54(1), 40-50. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1250227
    Request Full text available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333608643
    From the abstract: “Special education certification is used as an indicator of teaching quality in research, practice, and policy. This study examined whether elementary and middle school students with learning disabilities (LD) or emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) scored better on state math and English language arts (ELA) assessments in years when they were taught by a teacher certified in special education or dual-certified in special education and another area compared to years when they were taught by general education--certified teachers. For most student groups, academic achievement appeared unrelated to teacher certification type. Students with LD and higher academic skills appeared to benefit from having a dual-certified teacher over a general education--certified teacher in ELA. Lower achieving students with EBD scored worse in math when they were taught by special education--certified teachers instead of general education--certified or dual-certified teachers. Implications for indicators of teaching quality in special education are discussed.”
  4. Hooper, A. (2018). The influence of early childhood teacher certification on kindergarten and first-grade students' academic outcomes. Early Child Development and Care, 188(10), 1419-1430. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1185967
    Request Full text available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311729932
    From the abstract: “There is considerable variation in state policies related to the certification required for teachers in kindergarten and first grade, and relatively little is known about these policies' effects on student learning. This study considers whether children who have kindergarten and first-grade teachers with certification in early childhood education (ECE) experience greater gains in reading and math compared to children whose teachers have only elementary education certification, using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Kindergarten cohort (ECLS-K). Results suggest that the ECE certification of the kindergarten has a small, positive effect on children's academic gains. Implications and future directions for research and policy are discussed based on the findings.”
  5. Kusumawardhani, P. N. (2017). Does teacher certification program lead to better quality teachers? Evidence from Indonesia. Education Economics, 25(6), 590-618. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1156444
    Request Full text available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318290400
    From the abstract: “This paper examines the impact of the teacher certification program in Indonesia in 2007 and 2008 on student and teacher outcomes. I create a rule-based instrumental variable from discontinuities arising from the assignment mechanism of teachers into certification program. The thresholds are determined empirically. The study applies a two-sample instrumental variable (TSIV) method to combine information from two different datasets. I find that there is no strong evidence of the effectiveness of certified teachers on student learning outcomes and teacher performance, as measured by student test scores, teacher test scores, teacher attendance, and teacher involvement in non-teaching side jobs.”
  6. Mentzer, G. A., Czerniak, C. M., & Duckett, T. R. (2019). Comparison of two alternative approaches to quality STEM teacher preparation: Fast-track licensure and embedded residency programs. School Science and Mathematics, 119(1), 35-48. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1203338
    Request Full text available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330122933
    From the abstract: “Alternative pathways to teaching licensure were developed to address teacher shortages. These programs differ widely, making it difficult to generalize the effects. This study compares the impact of two alternative licensure programs on the development of fundamental elements of science teacher preparation and persistence. The fast-track programs include a 6-month teacher preparation program and a one-year residency teacher preparation program. The study concluded that licensure type was unassociated with the impact on teaching self-efficacy, beliefs about teacher-focused/ student-focused teaching, preferences for inquiry instructional practices, and experiences with student misbehavior. However, the study revealed that licensure type was associated with a number of other variables: residency students had more confidence in their ability to provide quality instruction; preferred inquiry-based instruction more often; and may be better prepared for the high-needs classroom. Those in the 6-month program were more likely to score higher on practical versus theoretical approaches to teaching, and while they had a more realistic idea of how to measure success in the high-needs classroom, the residency students had more knowledge of educational theory and how to apply it. Findings suggest that more traditionally licensed teachers may be more inclined to use inquiry-based methods suggested in current reforms.”
  7. Ruiz de Castilla, V. (2018). Teacher certification and academic growth among English learner students in the Houston Independent School District. REL 2018-284. Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED580928
    From the abstract: “Aware of the challenges set before the Houston Independent school District by rapid growth in the numbers of English learner students, and a critical shortage of teachers with bilingual certification for more than a decade, members of Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest's English Learners Research Alliance sought information that districts can use when recruiting teachers and assigning them to schools and classrooms that serve large numbers of English learner students. To respond to this need, this study examined the relationships between teacher certification and growth in math and reading achievement and English proficiency among English learner students using data from the Houston Independent School District and the Texas Education Agency. The study assessed whether a teacher's certification type--bilingual or English as a second language--and certification route--additional exam (adding a certification area to an existing classroom teaching certificate by completing an exam), alternative (receiving certification through a nontraditional route that allows one to teach while completing the requirements), postbaccalaureate (completing a university program offered to people with a bachelor's degree or higher), or traditional (obtaining a bachelor's degree in education from an accredited university)--were correlated with growth in math achievement, reading achievement, and English proficiency (as measured by the most recent Texas state standardized exams) among English learner students whose home language is Spanish. Key findings from the main analysis are detailed and analyzed. Stakeholders may find the results of the study useful for understanding the teacher factors related to English learner student achievement, assigning teachers to English learner student classrooms at the school level, recruiting teachers at the school or district level, and developing standards for teachers of English learner students at the state level.”
  8. Sykes, G. & Martin, K. (2019). Equitable access to capable teachers: The states respond. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27(39). Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1213633
    From the abstract: “This study examined a sample of plans that states submitted to the U.S. Education Department in 2015, pursuant to requirements in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I, Part A. Plans were aimed at redressing inequities in access to qualified teachers as this problem has emerged in states and districts across the country. A considerable body of research has demonstrated that teachers are inequitably distributed to the disadvantage of low income and historically under-served students. Based on descriptive and inferential coding of these plans, the study reaches several conclusions. First, the federal planning mandate has served as an impetus for developing state data systems that track teacher distributions. Second, many of the strategies states are proposing are not directly relevant, targeted, or fully committed in terms of resources and implementation. Third, in states with highly rated plans, the strategies address fundamental, underlying conditions while offering a comprehensive range of targeted strategies to improve recruitment, support, and retention of teachers in schools serving concentrations of low income and under-served students. Progress on this issue is underway with much that remains to be done.”

Additional Organizations to Consult

  • Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation: https://www.ncate.org/
    From the website: “CAEP advances equity and excellence in educator preparation through evidence-based accreditation that assures quality and supports continuous improvement to strengthen P-12 student learning.”
  • National Board for Professional Teaching Standards: https://www.nbpts.org/
    From the website: “The founding mission of the National Board is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by:
    • Maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do;
    • Providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards;
    • Advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board Certification in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers.”

Methods:

Search Strings. Teacher certification policy change impact low-income students OR state teacher licensure policy shift outcomes under-served students OR educator licensure policy requirements impact student literacy OR teacher licensure student outcomes OR teacher certification requirements student outcomes OR educator certification underserved student outcomes OR educator teacher certification licensure policy shift OR educator preparation policy shift student outcomes

Searched Databases and Resources.

  • ERIC
  • Academic Databases (e.g., EBSCO databases, JSTOR database, ProQuest, Google Scholar)
  • Commercial search engines (e.g., Google)
  • Institute of Education Sciences Resources

Reference Search and Selection Criteria. The following factors are considered when selecting references:

  • Date of Publication: Priority is given to references published in the past 10 years.
  • Search Priorities of Reference Sources: ERIC, other academic databases, Institute of Education Sciences Resources, and other resources including general internet searches.
  • Methodology: Priority is given to the most rigorous study types, such as randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs, as well as to correlational designs, descriptive analyses, mixed methods and literature reviews. Other considerations include the target population and sample, including their relevance to the question, generalizability, and general quality.

REL Mid-Atlantic serves the education needs of Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

This Ask A REL was prepared under Contract ED-IES-17-C-0006 by Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic administered by Mathematica Policy Research. The content does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of IES or the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.