Maryland education panel recommends dropping Praxis Core math subtest for initial licensure
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Summary
The State Board Education Policy Committee voted unanimously to recommend the State Board discontinue the Praxis Core math subtest as a requirement for initial teacher licensure, while MSDE said content assessments for teachers who will teach math will remain in place.
The Maryland State Board of Education’s Education Policy Committee voted unanimously at its meeting to recommend that the full board discontinue the Praxis Core math subtest as a requirement for initial teacher licensure.
Miss Meadows of the Maryland State Department of Education presented the action item and framed it as an effort to remove an unnecessary barrier for candidates who are not preparing to teach math. "So with that, I will ask that the committee consider discontinuing the math core subtest," Meadows said during the discussion.
Meadows and other MSDE staff emphasized that content assessments specifically for mathematics will still be required for candidates who will teach math. "Any teacher in Maryland who is going to be teaching mathematics ... is required to take a content assessment that includes math content," Meadows said, noting elementary candidates must still pass the Praxis content knowledge assessment that includes a math subtest component.
Committee members asked for clarifications about how elementary and secondary teachers’ math competency will be verified if the Praxis Core math subtest is removed. MSDE staff explained that elementary candidates continue to use the Praxis Content Knowledge for Teaching (CKT) series (which includes a math subtest) and that secondary math candidates must pass the subject-specific Praxis content assessment.
A motion to recommend discontinuing the Praxis Core math subtest was made and seconded; it was "seconded by doctor Mahle McCarthy." The chair called for a voice vote: "All in favor of recommending that the board discontinue the math core the Praxis core math subtest as a requirement for a teacher licensure, please raise your hand and say aye." Members responded "Aye," and the chair said, "Looks unanimous." The committee will forward the recommendation to the full State Board at its forthcoming meeting.
The committee’s decision leaves intact MSDE’s process for requiring subject-specific content tests for teachers assigned to teach mathematics and sets a procedural next step: the Education Policy Committee will send its recommendation to the full board for formal action.
What's next: the committee's recommendation will be considered by the full State Board at the next board meeting. If the Board adopts the recommendation, MSDE will proceed with regulatory and guidance changes consistent with that decision.
