The National Council on Teacher Quality, a research and policy organization located in Washington, D.C., is looking for elementary teachers, elementary teacher candidates, and individuals who once tried to become an elementary teacher who would be willing to share their experiences with their state's licensing test.

We want to tell the stories of individuals who took the licensing test of elementary content knowledge, including those who were unable to pass it (at least not on the first attempt).

If you did not pass the test, you are not alone. A new report from NCTQ, A Fair Chance: Simple steps to strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce, reveals that more elementary teacher candidates fail their professional licensing exams on their first attempt (54 percent) than pass them. Candidates of color are hit hardest. NCTQ also found that only a tiny percentage of programs (3 percent) require courses to ensure candidates gain foundational knowledge across science topics. There is good evidence that the high failure rates on this test cannot be blamed on individual candidates, but on a broader set of systemic problems.

Help us tell your story. This is an important national issue that needs to be addressed, so many voices are essential. (You can choose to share your story anonymously if you prefer.)

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