On Monday, October 11, CSG South Policy Analyst and Education Committee Liaison Cody Allen testified on the state of teacher licensure examinations and recent legislative actions in Southern states before the Oklahoma House Common Education Committee’s interim study on teacher certification meeting chaired by Representative Rhonda Baker. His presentation illustrated a comparison in initial elementary teacher licensure passage rates among Southern states – highlighting deficiencies in the first-attempt passage and walk-away rates – and examined select state legislation. These measures proposed shifting teacher licensure assessment to competency and performance-based models, expanding alternative licensure pathways, and the benefits of teacher preparation program data sharing and transparency.

On Tuesday, October 12, CSG South Policy Analyst and Education Committee Liaison Cody Allen testified on student learning loss and Southern state policies to address the “COVID Slide” before a Joint Oklahoma Education Committee interim study on COVID Learning Loss meeting chaired by Senator Adam Pugh and Representative Rhonda Baker. In his presentation, Cody discussed the learning loss risk and project impacts of the “COVID Slide” on states in the region. He also shared possible solutions such as statewide tutoring corps, intensive summer accelerated and remediation learning camps, afterschool programs, and the importance of adequate educator staffing and the teacher-student relationship.

Presentation: Teacher Certification Exams & Recent Legislative Reforms in the South Recording: October 11, 2021 Presentation: Southern State Solutions to the "COVID Slide" Recording: October 12, 2021