Identifying the Invisible Barriers to Diversifying the Teacher Pipeline: Dismantling Racialized Gatekeepers in Teacher Education

Abstract

In this mixed-methods study, we seek to understand the impact of the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) on the makeup of the teacher pipeline. We are specifically interested in exploring how teachers of color are impacted by these tests when seeking to enter the teacher workforce. Findings from the data, both qualitative and quantitative, provide evidence that the tests negatively impact all four racialized groups as labeled by the California Teaching Commission (African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American), while also conveying racialized messaged to candidates of color. In contrast to common rhetoric about the utility of these exams, we found the CSETs to hinder efforts to diversify the teacher.