MELTDOWN, NECESSITY WERE ALSO
VERY FRIGHTENED.
>> TONIGHT THE STATE OF INDIANA
IS STILL FACING A CRISIS IN THE
CLASSROOM PAP 13 INVESTIGATES
EXPOSED HOW MANY YOUNG TEACHERS
CAN'T BECAUSE THEY CANNOT PASS
THE TEST TO GET A TEACHING
LICENSE.
>> STATE OFFICIALS PLEDGED TO
FIX THAT PROBLEM.
BUT MONTHS LATER, THAT FIX IS
STILL NOWHERE IN SIGHT.
>> AS STUDENTS AND TEACHERS HEAD
BACK TO SCHOOL AT GREENWOOD
MIDDLE SCHOOL, SOMEONE IS
MISSING, IT'S JESSICA ROBERTS,
SHE WAS JUST HIRED TO TEACH
SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE GYM.
THEY OFFERED ME THE SPOT.
I WAS EXCITED AND COULDN'T WAIT.
>> JUST ONE PROBLEM, THIS RECENT
GRADUATE FROM BALL STATE PASSED
THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION EXAM, BUT
NOT TAKEN A GENERAL LICENSING
EXAM REQUIRED OF ALL TEACHERS,
SHE TOOK IT LAST WEEK AND DID
NOT PASS.
>> I GOT AN IMMEDIATE PHONE CALL
THERE THE SCHOOL, BUT I'M SORRY,
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RESIGN.
I'M DEVASTATED I MOVED MY LIFE,
BUT I DON'T HAVE A JOB BECAUSE
OF THE TEST.
>> TO MONTHS, 13 INVESTIGATES IS
LOOKING AT THE CORE ASSESSMENT
EXAMS THAT TEACHING CANDIDATES
HAVE BEEN FAILING THOUSANDS OF
TIMES.
TEACHERS LIKE THESE FAILED THE
TEST OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
>> I'VE TAKEN IT FIVE TIMES.
>> FIVE TIMES?
>> I HAVE NOT PASSED YET.
>> IT'S EVERYTHING, IF YOU DON'T
PASS THE TEST, YOU DON'T GET
EMPLOYED.
>> THEY GRADUATED AT OR NEAR THE
TOP OF THEIR CLASSES.
BUT, NOW, THEY ARE TEACHING IN
OTHER STATES ON TEMPORARY
LICENSES OR IN SOME CASES NOT
TEACHING AT ALL.
>> BECAUSE OF NEW EXAMS THAT ARE
SERIOUSLY FLAWED.
>> YOU DIDN'T FINISH ALL THE
QUESTIONS?
>> I DID NOT, THAT IS CORRECT.
IF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS CAN'T
PASS THE EXAM, WHAT DOES IT SAY.
>> IT SAYS IT ISN'T FAIR.
>> SOME OF THE EXAMS HAVE
FAILURE RATES OF UP TO
82 PERCENT.
LAST YEAR, TWO THIRDS OF
TEACHING CANDIDATES DID NOT
PASS.
>> WE'VE GOT A CIRCLE OF
PROBLEMS HERE.
>> THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
TOLD EYEWITNESS NEWS IT WOULD
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE
PROBLEM BACK IN JANUARY, IT
ORDERED AN INVESTIGATION, THIS
WEEK MORE THAN SIX MONTHS LATER,
THE BOARD LEARNED THAT THE
INVESTIGATION HAS STALLED
BECAUSE OF THE TECHNICAL
ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS NOT GOT
THE INFORMATION IT NEEDS FROM
PEARSON EDUCATION, THE COMPANY
THAT DESIGNED AND ADMINISTERED
THE TEST.
>> IT'S A DIFFICULT SITUATION,
I'M NOT GOING TO SUGARCOAT IT,
IT'S NOT.
>> IT'S NOT JUST A PROBLEM FOR
TEACHER THE SUPERINTENDENT SAID.
>> IT'S FRUSTRATING FOR THE
TEACHERS AND THE ADMINISTRATORS.
WE'RE WELL AWARE OF IT.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HEAR
THE FRUSTRATION UNTIL WE HAVE
ANSWERS.
>> TEACHERS LIKE KAYLA LONG IS
HOPING TO HEAR ANSWERS SOON.
SHE HAS FOUR EXAMS SHE NEEDS TO
PASS TO GET THE LICENSE, SHE'S
STUDIED HARD, BUT ONLY PASSED
ONE.
>> YOU GO INTO THE TEST THINKING
YOU'RE GOING TO PASS IT AND THEN
AT THE END, YOU FIND OUT YOU
DIDN'T, IT'S SO OVERWHELMING.
GOOD QUALITY TEACHERS ARE
STOPPED FROM THE PROFESSIONS
BECAUSE OF THE TEST.
>> RIGHT NOW INDIANA HAS A STATE
WIDE TEACHERS SHORTAGE.
SOME OF THE SCHOOLS ARE STARTING
THE SCHOOL YEAR WITHOUT LICENSED
TEACHERS.
BUT AT THAT POINT IT WILL LIKELY
BE THREE OR FOUR MORE MONTHS TO
SHOW HOW VALID THE STATES
TEACHING EXAMS ARE, UNTIL THEN
THEY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT
SOLUTIONS.
UNTIL THEN THEY'VE ISSUED
HUNDREDS OF EMERGENCY WAIVERS.
WE'VE TALK TO SOME TEACHERS WHO