Released Spring 2025 — The National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) Network members recognize that not only are they responsible for preparing day-one-ready educators through the teacher residency program, but they are also responsible for supporting aspiring teacher residents to pass state certification exams to lead the classrooms in which they have been prepared.
Graduates of teacher residency programs, as well as other state-approved teacher preparation programs, are required to pass state certification exams, like the Praxis. The Praxis series is used in over 40 states to determine eligibility for a teaching license or certificate. Like many other U.S. standardized tests, Praxis exams bear out inequities in access and pass rates, including along racial lines. For example, data show that aspiring African American teachers pass at lower rates than aspiring white teachers, despite having the same GPA and attending similarly selective institutions. While several studies show inconsistencies in the objectivity and predictability of such tests, which relate to the differences in passing rates, they remain a commonly utilized benchmark for residents’ credentialing.