Should Prospective Teachers Be Recommended for Certification by Their Colleges?

Abstract

A T the present time there is no general agreement that college graduates should or that they should not be required to be recommended for certification by their colleges before they are eligible to teach in the various states. An increasing number of states, however, are requiring the approval and recommendation of the teacher education institution from which a given student graduates as one requirement for a teacher's certificate.In a recent survey, the Oregon Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards asked the co-operation of the 50 state department of education officials in determining the present status of such procedure as well as their thinking in this regard. In order to secure the necessary data, these officials were asked to forward copies of any forms used in this regard if they had such a requirement or if they planned to put one into effect. They were also asked to send in any thoughts they might have regarding this kind of requirement.All of the 50 states responded. Of the total, 31 (or 62 per cent) indicated that they required the recommendation of a college before they would certificate a teacher. Twenty-six (or 52 per cent) said that this was done on an official form. (This is 83 per cent of those who require recommendation.) Of the 50 states, 5 (or 10 per cent) said that they were considering doing so in the future. (This is 26 per cent of those who do not now have this requirement.) An examination of the forms and literature used for this purpose discloses that certain states require (I) that candidates meet the college teaching requirements, (2) that the college program of teacher education be approved by the state department of education, and (3) that certain character and legal requirements be fulfilled. These requirements are as true for states not requiring college recommendations as for those that do.In their suggestions for administering such requirements, state officials remarked that (1) they like this requirement; (2) they assume that every candidate is satisfactory unless notified, therefore recommendations are not necessary; (3) if such a regulation is not in force, undesirable persons are admitted; (4) they believe that the responsibility should rest with the teacher education institutions; (5) this requirement is only held for students graduating after 1950; (6) the references from the last superintendent can be used if the candidate is experienced ; (7) in their state students can go directly to the state department of education and omit the recommendation of the college; and (8) if five or more years have elapsed since graduation, character references can be substituted.