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Should Immersion Teachers Get More Time to Pass Basic Skills Tests?
Some state legislators and parents believe immersion teachers should have more time to pass the required test in English. What do you think?
Last February, a new state law requiring all public school teachers to pass the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Basic Skills Test took effect. The teacher licensing exams are currently only offered in English. Parents of immersion students were concerned that the level of English proficiency required for the test is not basic and goes beyond conversational English. Before the new law, public school teachers were already required to take the basic skills test but did not have to pass before they began teaching. Under the old law, would-be teachers who failed the test– as about 30 percent did– could get a three-year provisional license that allowed them to teach while trying to get a passing score. "We hold our immersion teachers to the same …
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Melissa Richards de Campana
1:36 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
Actually, if they are speakers of a language other than English they are given additional time to take the tests. It's given because it's only fair! more ›