Ed. Note: Below is a press release from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a highly-regarded nonprofit, nonpartisan organization solely dedicated to issues of teacher quality. In a report issued in November, “False Assurances,” NCTQ described the tests the New Jersey uses to certify elementary teachers in reading as “weak” because they “do not effectively measure teachers’ knowledge of scientifically based reading instruction prior to entering the classroom.” This is not rocket science: We could replace our current Praxis test, rated “weak,” with one rated “strong,” like the “Praxis Elementary Education: Teaching Reading.” (These are not the basic skills tests “eliminated” by Gov. Murphy this week but the subject-specific tests still required.)

NCTQ has followed up with a deeper dive into NJ’s reading licensure tests and the results are the subject of the press release. The analysis finds that teachers’ ability to teach reading is driven in large part by the teacher preparation colleges they attend. The three worst schools for effective reading instruction are Kean, St. Peter’s, and Stockton University. The three best are Rutgers-New Brunswick, Seton Hall, and College of New Jersey. Yet, “none of the 10 educator preparation programs in New Jersey that NCTQ reviewed in the 2023 Teacher Prep Review provide aspiring teachers with adequate coursework in the science of reading.”

In addition, the report drills down on how many times prospective teachers have to take the test in order to pass it. According to the data (available here), 10% of future NJ teachers have to take the test three of more times to pass it, which, says NCTQ, “may indicate systemic problems such as low admissions standards, inadequate support, too little attention to the content coursework candidates take, or a strong misalignment between the coursework and the state’s expectations.”

The NJ analysis concludes, “New Jersey is missing an opportunity to use a readily available tool to tackle alarmingly high rates of illiteracy.”

Meanwhile, according to the most recent state data, 42% of NJ third-graders are proficient in reading; 58% are not.

Here’s the press release:

Reading licensure exams serve as an important guardrail for policymakers to ensure that elementary teachers possess the basic knowledge and skills they need to effectively teach students to read. A new data dashboard from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) shows that aspiring teachers in New Jersey have significant variance in their pass rates on these exams depending on the college, university, or prep program attended. In fact, the institutions in New Jersey with the lowest reading licensure test pass rates lag behind the top performers by nearly 30 percentage points. 

Kean, Saint Peter’s, and Stockton Universities rank at the bottom in first-attempt pass rates for aspiring teachers, with an average pass rate of 59% compared to the top three institutions (Rutgers University – New Brunswick, Seton Hall University, and The College of New Jersey) which average 88% of test takers passing the exam on the first try. 

Compounding that concern, New Jersey uses the Praxis Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001), Reading and Language Arts (5002) subtest as its reading licensure test. As revealed in the recent NCTQ report on reading licensure test quality, False Assurances, this is a weak test that does not adequately address the science of reading. Moreover, in NCTQ’s recent Teacher Prep Review: Reading Foundations report, none of the 10 teacher prep programs NCTQ reviewed provide aspiring teachers with adequate preparation in the science of reading. 

According to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 33% of New Jersey 4th grade students are below basic in reading. That number rises sharply for Hispanic students (46% are reading at a below basic level), Black students (50%), and students from low-income communities (53%). 

Given that a child’s reading skills by 4th grade affect all later learning and career opportunities, this data is indeed sobering. 

“It’s painfully clear that New Jersey children need teachers who are well-prepared to teach reading,” said NCTQ President Heather Peske. “Having teachers trained in the science of reading is a critical step toward improving reading outcomes for children and a strong licensure test serves as an important indicator of whether an aspiring teacher has the knowledge and skills to teach students to read.” 

A strong test is also the most efficient, cost-effective and comprehensive way to gauge a teacher’s knowledge of reading. 

In addition to first-time pass rates, NCTQ’s New Jersey dashboard shows that 10% of test takers take the reading licensure exam three or more times. In states where licensure tests are required, every aspiring teacher has to take it once. It’s common to have to take it twice. But if an aspiring teacher has to take it three or more times, it’s a clear indication that they are dedicated to becoming a teacher and yet are struggling to demonstrate they have the knowledge and skills to pass. This data is a clear signal that the institutions preparing them can and should do more to support them in attaining these skills and earning a teaching license. 

Few states make first-time pass rate data publicly available, meaning that the education leaders do not have access to information that could help identify and address weaknesses in their new teacher pipeline. NCTQ’s New Jersey pass rates dashboard is publicly available to all, allowing state education leaders and policymakers, advocates, and journalists to explore a bevy of data that can support improved preparation for aspiring teachers, including: 

● First-attempt pass rates for all test takers at an institution 

● Best-attempt pass rates for all test takers at an institution 

● Pass rates disaggregated by the admissions selectivity of the institution and teacher prep programs ● Pass rates disaggregated by the proportion of undergraduate students on a campus who receive Pell grants 

● Proportion of test takers at each institution who take the test three or more times 

● Pass rates for test takers of color as well as the number of aspiring teachers of color at each institution who ultimately pass or fail the test 

Learn more about NCTQ’s pass rates project and dive into the data on other teacher licensure tests or other states at our Teacher Licensure Pass Rates page.