Wyoming received a D-minus for its new teacher preparation in a new report by the National Council on Teacher Quality. The state ranked 49th in the nation for its education of teachers to make sure students are prepared for higher education.
Sandi Jacobs is the Council’s Vice President and Director for State Policy and says Wyoming is making some progress, but still lags behind much of the nation.
Wyoming is one of a very small number of states, just 8 states in the country that don't require all secondary teachers to have passed a test that shows that they know the subject matter.
“Wyoming has actually enacted some new requirements for elementary teachers to make sure that they pass a more rigorous test that demonstrates that they know their subject matter," says Jacobs. "But Wyoming is one of a very small number of states, just 8 states in the country that don’t require all secondary teachers to have passed a test that shows that they know the subject matter.”
Wyoming improved its grade from an F last year, but still ranks only above Alaska and Montana.