Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Highly Qualified Minority Teachers: Do High-Stakes Teacher Tests Weed Out Those We Need Most?, Julie Esparza Brown

Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of standardized teacher tests as demonstration of licensure competencies for diverse candidates in Oregon and nationally. The following four areas and their accompanying questions guide the development of this paper: (1) Why would a diverse teacher workforce help close the achievement gap?; (2) What are the barriers that exist to meeting the need for diverse educators?; (3) What type of research will be needed to validate alternative assessments as viable options?; and (4) What qualities in leaders produce policies for equity? At the conclusion of this paper, the author provides …