Teacher Certification and Credentials: From a Focus On Qualification to a Commitment to Performance

Abstract

An often-repeated phrase among educational researchers is that the variance in teacher quality within a school is greater than the variance among the schools in any district . This same principle certainly applies when analyzing teacher certification in the United States and around the world. It does not, however, minimize the great policy and practice differences that exist between and among international countries with regard to educating and certifying teachers. Initial licensure, for example, is good for life in Japan, Hong Kong and England but in the United States, where each state has separate requirements, most teachers must renew their licenses throughout their career. Additionally, though most American teachers are required to pass a licensure examination after graduating from a teacher preparation program, teachers in Singapore and the Netherlands are under no such obligation (Wang, Coleman, Coley, & Phelps, 2003). While these differences are great, a closer look at teacher certification within the United States reveals countless systems and policies operating in often-contradictory ways.