New tests, standards mean changes for college of education

Changes to Missouri's educator preparation standards and testing will mean revisions to Southeast Missouri State University's college of education programs.

The state Board of Education approved new standards for the education, assessment and certification of all public school teachers and administrators in Missouri in 2012. They took effect in March.

Students take several tests in the teacher education program including an entrance exam, content exam and several assessments. The whole battery of tests is called the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments. Graduates have to meet the new Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standards by spring 2017.

Diana Rogers-Adkinson, dean of the college of education, said she's seen a framework for the new tests that begin in 2014, and although she and other teacher educators knew the changes were coming two years ago, they still don't have specifics. They got an idea in mid-August from DESE.

"We have to completely realign 100 percent of our curriculum for all 40 [undergraduate and graduate] licensure programs," she said, "and the fun part is we don't know any of the content standards yet or what's on the new tests that start next fall. But the students are already here who have to pass those tests."

There are 1,467 declared education majors at Southeast. Students take a series of exams during the program to assess their knowledge and the new exams are expected to be more difficult -- and cost more -- than the old ones.

To get into the college of education, students currently take the College Basic Academic Subject Examination. The new test will be the Missouri General Education Assessment, or MoGEA.

"You're considered pre-education your freshman and sophomore year. You have to pass MoGEA to get in and have a 2.75 GPA in the new standards," Rogers-Adkinson said.

The old exams cost $245 to $295, including Chalk & Wire, the system used for the students' work portfolio. The new exams will cost $566 to $678, if the student passes all parts of the exam the first time. Plus, Rogers-Adkinson said, there's a mismatch between the current curriculum and the new assessment going into place next year.

She also said there are no study guides for MoGEA.

Gale Hairston, director of educator preparation for DESE, said there are some test materials now out that provide "at least a sample or two of the questions for each objective."

There is a list of objectives and different competencies covered within that objective available to educators and practice tests will be available in mid-October, Hairston said.

Hairston said three goals went with the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessment: are the right people going into teaching; do they have the content knowledge they need; and can they perform in the classroom and affect student knowledge.

Even if potential teachers pass the test, Hairston said, "that doesn't guarantee success as a classroom teacher."

The state also has changed test vendors from Assessment Resource Center in Columbia, Mo., part of the University of Missouri, to Evaluation Systems group of Pearson in Hadley, Mass., Hairston said.

Educator preparation programs knew in August 2012 that the state was going out for bids on tests for students studying to become teachers. He said the process of choosing the test was open and work on the MoGEA testing framework was done based on recommendations of a content advisory committee, made up of people working in public schools and teacher preparation programs, and a bias review committee. The framework was finalized Aug. 15 and released a couple of days later.

Hairston said one of the "complicating factors" in the process was defining general education requirements, because those depend on each individual university. Some may have to change curriculum and some may not, he said.

The key thing, Hairston said, is how Southeast's general education requirements match up to MoGEA and how the school counsels students on what courses to take. He added that Southeast has always had a strong history of producing good teachers and school leaders for the region.

"Developing teachers, that's a key part of their mission," Hairston said.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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