Senator McCrory Leads Passage of Legislation to Expand Pathways to Teacher Certification

Senator Doug McCrory, Senate chair of the Education Committee, led passage early Friday of legislation intended to provide aspiring educators additional pathways for earning subject area endorsements for teaching certifications beyond assessment tests required under current law.

S.B. 1513 passed the Senate on a unanimous vote and will now head to the House for consideration ahead of the legislative session’s June 4 adjournment date.

The bill tasks the state Educator Preparation and Certification Board with developing and adopting new minimum content knowledge requirements to provide aspiring teachers with alternative ways to demonstrate their expertise.

“There’s more to teaching mastery than the ability to master standardized tests, and our continued reliance on this narrow requirement reduces the number and variety of people who can teach,” Senator McCrory, D-Hartford, said. “We’ve been arguing for years that we need better methods of assessing student progress and, given our shortage of educators, it’s time we practice what we preach. This bill is an important step toward providing more pathways to Connecticut classrooms.”

Currently, an aspiring teacher must pass a standardized test in order to earn a subject area endorsement. Under S.B.1513, the board may consider alternative methods for prospective teachers to prove their proficiency. These may include assessment interviews by school boards or additional years of student teaching experience.