[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 161 (Friday, October 30, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7675-S7676]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 301--CALLING ON THE COUNCIL FOR THE ACCREDITATION OF 
   EDUCATOR PREPARATION TO MODIFY THE ACCREDITATION STANDARDS OF THE 
   COUNCIL TO PREVENT THE STANDARDS FROM NEGATIVELY IMPACTING ALASKA 
             NATIVE AND NATIVE AMERICAN TEACHER CANDIDATES

  Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself, Mr. Sullivan, and Mr. Schatz) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 301

       Whereas Alaska Natives and Native Americans are 
     underrepresented in the profession of teaching;
       Whereas Alaska Native and Native American students benefit 
     academically from the cultural perspectives of Alaska Native 
     and Native American teachers;
       Whereas Alaska Native and Native American teachers often 
     serve as positive role models for Alaska Native and Native 
     American students;
       Whereas increasing the number of Alaska Native and Native 
     American teachers working in native communities empowers 
     tribes, benefits native youth, and strengthens tribal self-
     sufficiency;
       Whereas the Council for the Accreditation of Educator 
     Preparation (referred to in this preamble as the ``Council'') 
     is the sole accrediting body for educator preparation 
     programs at institutions of higher education in the United 
     States;
       Whereas the Council approved new accreditation standards in 
     2013 and plans for the standards to be fully implemented by 
     2020;
       Whereas the 2013 accreditation standards of the Council 
     require that institutions of higher education, when accepting 
     candidates to their schools of education, ensure that the 
     group average performance on assessments such as the ACT and 
     SAT is--
       (1) in the top 50 percent from 2016-2017;
       (2) in the top 40 percent of the distribution from 2018-
     2019; and
       (3) in the top 33 percent of the distribution by 2020;
       Whereas because of social, academic, and economic barriers, 
     the average ACT and SAT scores of Alaska Natives and Native 
     Americans are disproportionately lower than other categories 
     of students;
       Whereas Alaska Native and Native American students have 
     disproportionately inadequate access to exam preparation 
     opportunities and 21st century technology and are less likely 
     to take the ACT or SAT than other categories of students;
       Whereas no definitive research or data has shown that 
     performance on the ACT or SAT is an effective indicator of 
     the likelihood of success of a prospective student in an 
     educator preparation program or as a teacher;
       Whereas the 2013 accreditation standards of the Council--
       (1) will force institutions of higher education to accept 
     fewer Alaska Native and Native American students into teacher 
     preparation programs in order to retain accreditation;

[[Page S7676]]

       (2) will result in fewer Alaska Natives and Native 
     Americans gaining acceptance into those programs; and
       (3) will exacerbate the already low representation of 
     Alaska Natives and Native Americans in the teaching 
     community;
       Whereas the Federal Government has a trust responsibility 
     to support the education of Alaska Natives and Native 
     Americans; and
       Whereas the Council should recognize the negative impact of 
     the standards of the Council on Alaska Native and Native 
     American teacher candidates: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate calls on the Council for the 
     Accreditation of Educator Preparation--
       (1) to consult with tribes and native organizations;
       (2) to jointly develop changes to the accreditation 
     standards of the Council to ensure that Alaska Native and 
     Native American teacher candidates will not be negatively 
     impacted by the standards; and
       (3) to adopt changes to the accreditation standards of the 
     Council expeditiously.

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, today I am submitting a resolution, 
with Senators Sullivan and Schatz, calling on the Council for the 
Accreditation of Educator Preparation, CAEP, to modify one of their 
accreditation standards that applies to the qualifications for 
enrollment of teacher candidates.
  The goal of accreditation agencies is to ensure that the education 
provided by our Nation's institutions of higher education and their 
various programs meet appropriate levels of quality.
  In 2013, CAEP--the only accreditor of teacher preparation programs in 
the country--revised its accreditation standards. Problematic, however, 
is Standard 3.2 that would require teacher preparation programs to 
ensure that each cohort of students enrolled in the program has an 
average SAT/ACT/GRE score in the top 50 percent from 2016-2017; the top 
40 percent from 2018-2019; and the top 33 percent by 2020.
  I am all for making sure that our Nation's youngsters have the best 
possible teachers. We need well-trained, culturally competent, 
intelligent, effective teachers in every classroom in America.
  But there is no definitive research or data that shows that 
performance on the SAT, the ACT, or the GRE is an effective indicator 
that someone will become an excellent teacher. Worse, basing acceptance 
into a teacher preparation programs on these tests will have a negative 
impact on young Native Americans and Alaska natives who want to become 
teachers in their own communities--where they are so desperately 
needed.
  Compounding this inappropriate use of these tests is the fact that 
Native American and Alaska native students experience academic, 
economic, and social barriers that result in their SAT, ACT, and GRE 
scores being disproportionately lower than their peers of other races. 
Native students also have disproportionately inadequate access to exam 
preparation and are less likely to take the ACT or SAT than their 
peers.
  This new CAEP Standard 3.2 will, therefore, effectively block 
decades-long efforts to train more Native American and Alaska native 
teachers, when we know that Native American and Alaska native students 
benefit from having teachers who understand their culture, their 
history, and their learning styles.
  My resolution calls on the Council for the Accreditation of Educator 
Preparation to do three things: to consult with tribes and native 
organizations; to jointly develop changes to these standards to ensure 
that Native Americans and Alaska natives will not be negatively 
impacted by these standards; and to adopt changes to the standards 
expeditiously.
  I hope that my colleagues will pay close attention to this issue, 
reach out to the teacher preparation programs in their states, and join 
my colleagues, Senators Sullivan and Schatz in co-sponsoring this 
resolution, as the Council's standards will impact not only our Native 
American and Alaska native communities. This standard will also very 
likely impact young African Americans and Hispanic Americans who hope 
one day to become teachers but who experience similar barriers to 
producing high scores on standardized tests.

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