95 PERCENT OF BLOOMFIELD GRADS PASS PRAXIS EXAM; 100 PERCENT OF PROGRAM COMPLETERS ARE TEACHING
April 9, 2001, Bloomfield, NJ - Nineteen of the 20 students who completed the Bloomfield College Teacher Education program passed the PRAXIS teacher’s exam, for an overall pass rate of 95 percent. Of these students, 10 either re-took the test or took it after the 1999-2000 cut-off date.
During the 1999-2000 academic year, nine of the 18 students passed the PRAXIS for an initial pass rate of 50 percent. Of the nine students who re-took the test after the cut-off date, eight passed. Two others took the test outside the time period, and also passed. Bloomfield College had 100 percent pass rates in four of the six different tests taken. Still, statistics don’t present the total picture since the small sample size significantly impacts Bloomfield College’s pass rate, and each student constitutes a 5.5 percent change.
All 19 of the 20 Bloomfield College students who took the PRAXIS and passed are presently licensed by the State and teaching; 18 of these are teaching in New Jersey schools, mainly in the inner city and Abbot School Districts, and one is teaching in Philadelphia.
“As a testimony to the preparedness of Bloomfield College student teachers, I have already hired two of them and will hire another as soon as a position becomes available. They are conscientious and reflective learners,” said Katherine Vitone, Principal of Bradford Academy in Montclair.
Rose Serra, Principal of the Roseville Avenue School in Newark concurs. “Bloomfield College student teachers have completed their field work in Roseville Avenue School for the past three years. Their knowledge of teaching strategies to maximize learning for diverse students is outstanding. These young people are skilled in pedagogy, compassionate, tenacious, and are wonderful role models to our children.”
The Bloomfield College Teacher Education Program has managed to do what has proven to be a challenge for other institutions of higher learning. Bloomfield serves minority students who traditionally score lower than other groups on standardized tests such as the ACT and the SAT. More than 60 percent of Bloomfield College students who passed the PRAXIS are students of color: nine African-American and four Hispanic students.
“Our students do pass the PRAXIS; however, they may need more than one opportunity to do so. Bloomfield College students acquire the confidence and exhibit the persistence to overcome the obstacles presented by standardized tests. As a result, they are ideally positioned to pass these skills on to the students they serve,” said Elena Scambio, Director of Teacher Education at Bloomfield College.
While performance on standardized tests can be a helpful component in assessing a student’s knowledge, abilities and skills, it is only one measure of an aspiring teacher’s talents. Many of the attributes that are vital to good teaching - communication and interpersonal skills, dedication, patience - cannot be measured through standardized testing.
Bloomfield College has additional qualifiers for its students, including an entry grade point average of 3.0 into the Teacher Education Program, and a required 3.0 grade point average to graduate from the program. This requirement is higher than the State’s required average. The Bloomfield College Teacher Education Program also offers strong training in pedagogy which the PRAXIS does not measure. Every student admitted into the Teacher Education Program works at a school beginning with their first education course.
