Elementary teacher exams fall short on “science of reading,” report shows
A new report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) has found that most licensure exams for elementary school teachers do not adequately assess applicants for “science of reading” knowledge. The NCTQ’s report analyzed the 25 tests used assess reading instruction capability for elementary school teachers in the U.S. and gave passing marks to only 10 of them, rating four as acceptable and six as strong.
The “science of reading” movement seeks to incorporate evidence-based practices into literacy instruction throughout the U.S. Its proponents believe that many preservice-preparation programs fail to address the core components of reading instruction. In terms of licensure exams, most states in the country use tests that were rated as weak by the NCTQ, which council president Heather Peska says puts teachers, districts, and students at a disadvantage.
The study judged licensure exams based on the five components of reading as listed in the 2000 National Reading Panel Report: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. While there is not much data available regarding the relationship between teacher exam tests and student achievement in early education, Dan Goldhaber of the American Institutes for Research said that, conceptually, stronger tests could lead to better student results. Read more at EdWeek.
Alabama study group recommends regulatory consolidation
A study group formed by Alabama Gov. Jay Ivey in January met Wednesday to submit its final report, which includes recommendations to consolidate many state licensing boards and commissions. The group, formed with the task of exploring options to improve government efficiency, recommended the merging of “certain health and human services into the Department of Human Resources,” the consolidation of certain historical parks into the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and other reform measures.
The report includes research by the group on how the state government can increase accountability and efficiency among Alabama’s licensing boards. As part of its suggestions, the group recommends consolidating many of the stand-alone occupational licensing boards and commissions that regulate dozens of professions statewide. Supporters of such measures, like Sen. Chris Elliott, believe the moves would eliminate waste and duplication in Alabama’s regulatory ecosystem.
Critics of the group’s recommendations, like Keith Warren, executive director of Smith Warren Management Services, believe consolidating so many administrative duties into one organization could hinder public accountability and responsiveness. According to Warren, his company has encountered difficulties like delayed licensing when working with similar organizations that have been formed in other states. Read more at Alabama Daily News and 1819 News.
Georgia considers streamlined licensing for applicants with criminal backgrounds
This week, Georgia’s Lt. Gov. Burt Jones unveiled a set of regulatory reforms intended to streamline the licensing process for a number of professions in the state. One of the key proposed measures is Senate Bill 157, which aims to help applicants with criminal convictions seeking licensure as cosmetologists, barbers, engineers, librarians, and contractors. According to the Georgia Justice Project, these applicants are frequently disqualified from licensure because of their unrelated criminal background.
Jones’s Red Tape Rollback Initiative also includes a measure that would raise the threshold for what is considered a small business in Georgia from 100 to 300 employees, opening opportunities for many more businesses to receive tax benefits and loan guarantees. The lieutenant governor is also pushing for an economic analysis of how the proposed reforms would affect small businesses throughout the state. The goal, he says, is to protect these organizations from excessive bureaucracy.
According to Sen. Larry Walker III, chair of the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee, excessive bureaucracy is also hindering the state’s ability to recover from workforce shortages in fields like nursing and other health care professions. Walker’s committee is currently exploring options to address this issue, including universal licensure standards that would more easily allow out-of-state professionals to practice in Georgia. Read more at The Georgia Recorder.
Nova Scotia simplifies licensure for foreign-trained doctors
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia (CPSNS) has dropped a requirement for doctors from the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand to have their training evaluated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in order to work in the province. Doctors who hold valid medical licenses in those countries will now be able to obtain licensure in Nova Scotia much more easily thanks to an extensive vetting process that determined these countries’ health care systems have similar safety standards.
Foreign-trained doctors who move to Nova Scotia will now be given a defined license and the future opportunity for full licensure, pending six months of supervised work. This move from the college follows a similar measure applying to physicians from the U.S. that was passed last year. CPSNS CEO Dr. Gus Grant said roughly 15 doctors from the U.S. have used the new path to move to the province over the past year.
These efforts come at a time when nearly 145,000 people in the province are on a waitlist for a family doctor. According to Grant, the college is currently exploring options to allow foreign doctors from other countries to work in Nova Scotia more easily but would not act without first completing the necessary research and data collection. He pointed out Ireland as an example of a country with a similar medical system that could soon be added to the list. Read more at CBC.
Study finds relaxed licensing rules may hinder teacher retention rates
A recent study has found that while Texas’s relaxed teacher licensing requirements have helped bring new teachers into the classroom, they have ultimately been unsuccessful in addressing gaps in high-need teaching areas. Researchers say that earnings power for new teachers has fallen because of the relaxed requirements, and that this has fueled a cycle of teacher turnover and made it more difficult for the state to retain educators after recruiting them.
Sarah Guthery, of the University of Oklahoma, and Lauren Bailes, of the University of Delaware, found that Texas’s 2001 policy change opening alternative pathways to licensure for teachers did succeed in creating a larger pool of teachers in the state. However, districts that hired more alternatively licensed teachers experienced higher turnover, and first-year teacher pay rates throughout Texas overall have been on a steady decline over the past 20 years.
The study concluded that the state’s more relaxed approach to licensure may have created a vicious cycle in which school districts offer lower salaries and must regularly hire teacher replacements. According to Guthery and Bailes, these districts must shift their focus to teacher retention, rather than exclusively addressing recruitment, if they want to break the cycle. Teacher shortages are not unique to Texas, either – the U.S. Department of Education said 86% of public schools reported challenges hiring teachers this past school year. Read more at WPDE.
Michigan health care, advocacy organizations oppose mandatory nurse staffing ratios
A series of legislative measures that would impose mandatory nurse staffing ratios on all hospitals in Michigan is facing opposition from a newly formed coalition of health care, business, and advocacy organizations in the state. The coalition includes organizations like the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, the Health Care Association of Michigan, and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, and it argues that a blanket approach to nurse staffing has been proven ineffective elsewhere and would have serious consequences for the state’s health care ecosystem.
According to Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association (MHA), a one-size-fits-all mandate to hospital nurse staffing could severely restrict access to care throughout the state. The organization points to California, which has mandated staffing ratios for over 20 years, as an example of the failure of such an approach. California still faces a shortage of 40,000 registered nurses and trails Michigan in terms of hospital quality, the MHA says.
The coalition argues the proposed legislation would have severe economic consequences for the state. According to some figures, mandatory nurse staffing ratios could cost the health care industry an additional $1 billion. Additionally, a recent poll conducted by EPIC-MRA seems to show that a majority of Michigan voters oppose mandating staffing ratios. The coalition supports alternative workforce shortage solutions like joining the Nurse Licensure Compact, expanding license eligibility, and funding workplace violence prevention campaigns. Read more at Express Healthcare Management.
More news:
- In a recent two-day meeting in Halifax, some of Canada’s premiers expressed support for Premier Tim Houston’s suggestion that provinces and territories stop trying to recruit health workers who are already employed elsewhere in Canada. Several of the premiers agreed that trying to lure unemployed university graduates to certain jurisdictions was an acceptable practice, while poaching employed health care workers was not.
- Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) Secretary-designee Dan Hereth has been announced as a recipient of the Council of State Governments’ (CSG) 20 Under 40 Award, which recognizes strong young leaders in the U.S.’s public sector. Hereth, a recent guest on Ascend Radio, said he was honored to be included with such an outstanding group of public servants from across the country.
- The College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) has reported a record-breaking number of nurse license renewals in the province for the 2023-24 practice year. According to the CRNA, the new data shows that Alberta is a destination of choice for health care professionals, and officials hope the recent uptick in registrants will benefit health care institutions in high-need areas.
- Nurses and health care advocates in Massachusetts are urging lawmakers to consider joining the Nurse Licensure Compact, a 20-year-old interstate agreement. Advocates argue that joining the compact would address the state’s nursing shortage, enhance access to telehealth, and simplify nurses’ ability to practice across state lines. Supporters have also highlighted benefits such as workforce flexibility and improved pandemic response capabilities.
Also noteworthy:
Interesting opinion, commentary, and analysis from the web:
- Well, California has decided to regulate crypto (Lexology)
- How the federal government’s AI risk management practices will set the standard: A closer look at government action following President Biden’s executive order on AI (JD Supra)
- The federal government is already using AI — it’s time for a formal process to ensure the technology is safe (NextGov)
- Hospital 2040: Will AI regulation safeguard the public, or stifle innovation? (Medical Device Network)
Disclaimer: The thoughts, opinions, and commentary of the articles we share links to in Week in Brief do not necessarily reflect those of Ascend Magazine or Thentia.
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