Results show that Ohio State students exceeded the statewide passing score on the national exam that determines a future teacher’s level of preparation for the classroom.
OSU reported in a written statement that 98 percent of OSU students who took the Praxis II exam passed, compared to 91 percent statewide.
The Praxis II is a national assessment exam that 23 states require for licensing a teacher.
“Ohio State has been a national leader in education for decades,” said OSU President William “Brit” Kirwan. “Our students’ success on their licensing exams shows we continue to graduate outstanding teachers.”
Each state determines the exam cut rate for licensing its teachers, and Ohio has the third highest Praxis II cut rates in the nation.
A cut rate is the minimum score that the student must achieve to pass the exam and become certified.
Ohio students are held to the third highest standard in the nation for the exam. An unsatisfactory score in Ohio could potentially be a passing score in a state with lower standards.
Evelyn Freeman, director of the School of Teaching and Learning, said the current scores are consistent with past averages and that not all potential teachers take the same exam.
“Everyone takes a different test,” Freeman said. “Depending on what your certification area is, you may have to take one or more of these tests to become certified.”
Freeman said that because Ohio holds its graduates to such a high standard, the university is constantly working to better prepare its students.
“We need to continue to produce high quality results,” Freeman said.
Donna Evans, dean of the College of Education at OSU, believes higher scores will result in higher expectations of OSU graduates in education.
“Our Praxis II scores are consistently high, which demonstrates the strength of the college’s programs,” Evans said. “The scores also show the citizens of Ohio that we send only the best of the best into their children’s schools.”
