Praxis ‘flunkers’ have options elsewhere

CNMI public school teachers who failed to meet the local passing scores for Praxis have other options as they could still apply elsewhere in the United States, according to Public School System Commissioner of Education David M. Borja.

Borja said he wouldn’t call it a “failure” for those teachers who failed to pass the exams; instead he would describe it as “not passing the CNMI standards.”

Failing to meet the passing scores for the CNMI is not the end of the world for these teachers, Borja said, as they could still teach in other states.

As an example, Borja cited that the CNMI’s passing score for Elementary Education is 146, while in the state of Washington the passing score for the same category is only 141. “This means those who didn’t make it here could still teach in Washington,” he said.

He said he could name at least three states that could accommodate these teachers because they have lower passing scores for Praxis. These include Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. Other states that have lower passing Praxis scores, based on PSS records, are Rhode Island, South Dakota, Alabama, Idaho, and Maryland.

“But I would prefer the teachers to stay here,” said Borja. This is why he is pushing for a revision of the passing scores for public school teachers in the CNMI. Borja said he would make it a point to push for this change.

Borja added that this revision would also mean a favorable response to recruit teachers from other states, who obtained Praxis scores lower than the CNMI standards.

“So when they come here [CNMI] they would automatically be Highly Qualified Teachers,” he said.

Currently, PSS has 506 full-time classroom teachers in 20 schools on Saipan, Rota and Tinian. As of this date, there are already 263 classroom teachers—52 percent—who are deemed “Highly Qualified.”

There are 243 classroom teachers who are not yet qualified. Of this number, there are 130 elementary education teachers, 94 secondary teachers and 19 “other” classroom teachers.

“Specifically, this group has passed the required Praxis 1 and 2 content area tests,” said PSS, adding that these 243 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.”

Earlier, PSS applied for an extension of the August 2006 deadline and was approved for another year. The deadline for meeting the HQT requirement is now on July 31, 2007.