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The State of Michigan requires teacher candidates to pass two
different types of tests. Both of these tests are offered under the Michigan
Test for Teacher Certification program.
One test is a content test of
basic understanding of mathematics, reading, and writing that is similar
to the ACT college entrance examination. This Michigan Basic Skills Test
(MBST) is generally taken at the beginning of one's teacher education
program. According to Michigan law, teacher education students may not
be placed for student teaching unless they have successfully passed all
three sections of this test. The SAU School of Education (SOE) requires
students to successfully pass all three sections before being admitted
to the teacher education program, and will not allow students to take 300-
or 400-level education courses without the MBST. The SOE suggests that
first-year students take the test during their first year and that transfer
students and post-baccalaureate students take it during their first semester
of courses.
The second test(s) assesses content knowledge in a specialty
area that corresponds to a program of study that the teacher candidate
wishes to complete. For each endorsement corresponding to that program
of study, the candidate must pass the test in that area. The State will
not certify students who have not passed the test(s) in their area(s) of
endorsment. Teacher
education students may graduate from Spring Arbor, but they are not considered
to have completed the teacher education program without passing the test(s)
in their area(s) of endorsement. The SOE suggests that students take this
test after they have completed the coursework for their major or minor,
such as the semester prior to student teaching, the semester of student
teaching, or the very next test date after the conclusion of student teaching.
None of the tests in the MTTC are tests of pedagogy; all are
tests of subject matter including the elementary education test which covers
basic knowledge in the areas of Health and Physical Education, Science,
Social Studies, Language Arts, Mathematics, and The Arts.
SOE faculty and staff generally refer to the first test as the
MBST and the second test(s) as the MTTC, the subject tests, or the major/minor
tests.
Examples:
- An elementary education student with a major in Language Arts would be
required to take test #83 (Elementary
Education)
for an endorsement to teach all subjects in a K-5 classroom. SAU would
also encourage the student to take test #90 (Language Arts) for an endorsement
to teach Language Arts in a 6-8 classroom.
- An elementary education student with a major in Language Arts who completed
the Early Childhood program would be required to take test #83 (Elementary
Education)
for an endorsement to teach all subjects in a K-5 classroom. SAU would
also encourage the student to take test #82 (Early Childhood) for an
endorsement to teach in an early childhood setting (birth-age 8). The
student could also take test #90 (Language Arts) for an endorsement to
teach Language Arts in a 6-8 classroom. Note that if a student wanted
to student teach in all three settings they would have to extend their
student teaching to two semesters.
- A secondary education student with a major in Mathematics and a minor
in Exercise & Sports Science would
be required to take test #22 (Secondary Mathematics) AND test #44 (Physical
Education) to teach in a 7-12 classroom in those areas.
- A secondary student with a major in Visual Arts would not need to have
a minor and would be required to take the Visual Arts test #95 to teach
in a K-12 classroom in this area.
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