Licensure Tests as Barriers to the Profession

At a time when schools are facing the most severe staffing challenges in recent memory and with interest in becoming a teacher a fraction of what it was a generation ago, it has never been more important for state policies to support innovative approaches to teacher hiring and retention and remove unnecessary barriers into the profession.

Instead of relying so heavily on standardized tests to predict teaching ability, states can set more meaningful licensure standards focused on demonstrated teaching ability. And because so many states waived testing requirements during the pandemic, leaders have a rare opportunity to demonstrate the real-world benefits of a new approach—following the lead of states already making the shift—without getting stymied by theoretical concerns about lowering teaching standards.