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54 percent of PSS teachers pass Praxis
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Posted on Nov 29 2006
More than half of the 506 Public School System teachers in the CNMI have already passed Praxis 1 and 2—a breakthrough performance that has caught the eye of the U.S. Department of Education.
According to PSS Federal Programs advisor Tim Thornburgh, 280 public school teachers, or 54 percent, have already passed the state certification exams as of Nov. 27.
“We’re very pleased with the progress,” said Thornburgh.
Due to the CNMI’s high rate of compliance, he said the U.S. Department of Education praised the Commonwealth during a recent conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. He said that the USDE cited the PSS as a role model for all insular areas.
Thornburgh, together with Education Commissioner David M. Borja and associate commissioner for curriculum and instruction Jackie Quitugua, attended the conference earlier this month.
Comparing the CNMI’s record with other states, Thornburgh said that Californinia achieved only 52 percent in its two-year compliance with Praxis.
“So the CNMI is doing excellently,” he said.
Thornburgh said the October test results have been turned in, adding another 2 percent to the current data.
Last month there were already 263 classroom teachers—52 percent—who were deemed “highly qualified.”
There are now only 226 public school teachers who have not yet qualified but this group has passed the required Praxis 1 and 2 content area tests, said PSS, adding that these 226 teachers have taken at least one of the required Praxis tests.
“Many of them have taken both tests but have not met the CNMI established cut scores,” according to an earlier PSS report.
Thornburgh said the November Praxis t est results would not be out until January next year but he expressed optimism that more teachers would make it. “The data is looking good,” he said.
The Praxis scores will no longer be lowered, as proposed earlier, said Thornburgh, as many teachers and parents opposed the idea.
Board of Education board member Herman T. Guerrero had expressed opposition to the proposal. He said PSS should not be wishy-washy on the regulations it imposes and that keeping the scores would result in a higher quality of instruction in the CNMI.
