Success Against the Odds: How African American Preservice Teachers Pass Licensure Exams After Failing Initially

• In Event: Roundtable Session 54
  In Roundtable Session: Impact of Examinations on Racial Dynamics of Teacher Licensure

Abstract

Teacher licensure exams such as the Praxis Series significantly shape the racial demographics of the teaching profession and the underrepresentation of teachers of color. This study focused on African American preservice teachers who passed their “basic skills” exam after multiple failed attempts, went on to pass their content area exam, and graduated as licensed teachers. By doing so, these teachers were successful against the trends of large-scale quantitative studies. The results of this study focus on the range of tactics participants used to pass the Praxis I basic skills exam after initial failure experiences, the cognitive and affective reorientations they made along the way, and how they believed this ultimately successful experience shaped them moving forward in their professional trajectories.

Author

• Emery Marc Petchauer, Oakland University