A new study finds that astonishingly high numbers of elementary school teacher candidates fail their professional licensing tests each year, with the highest failure rates among candidates of color. The tests assess subject knowledge in English, science, mathematics, and social studies. The study, conducted by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), also finds that teacher preparation programs give little attention to the content knowledge that teacher candidates need.

Kate Walsh, president of the NCTQ, talks with Paul E. Peterson about the new report, “A Fair Chance: Simple steps to strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce,” as well as what must change so that more new teachers can enter classrooms with the knowledge they need to do their jobs well.

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