One of the first critical steps to becoming a schoolteacher has been passing a basic skills test to ensure that students aspiring to be educators are proficient in the three R's — reading, writing and math.
But under a new law facing resistance from some college officials, the state has dropped a 12-year requirement that students pass the skills test before admission to a teacher training program, usually before junior year in college.
Instead, students can take teacher preparation courses even if they keep flunking the test. They ultimately must pass, but not until well into senior year, giving struggling students more time to practice. That's a departure from practices in most states, according to national data.
The Washington-based National Council on Teacher Quality, which rates states on the quality of their teacher preparation programs, recently gave Illinois a D+ in the area of producing well-prepared teachers. The council criticized the law, saying colleges are investing considerable resources in students who may not be able to complete a teacher preparation program and pass additional licensing tests down the road.
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