Teachers Should Be Able to Read and Write : Education: The state test doesn’t discriminate against minorities or non-native English speakers.

Few things are more important to the vitality, health and well-being of California than the quality of our public education system, particularly the competence of our public school teachers. Without competent teachers who are proficient at many skills, including basic academic skills, the quality of education would suffer.

To ensure that new teachers can read, write and compute at eighth to 10th grade levels, California law requires that all K-12 public school teachers pass the California Basic Educational Skills Test before they are granted a license to teach in state classrooms. Reading, writing and arithmetic competence at the eighth to 10th grade level can hardly be considered an unreasonable expectation for any person who will be entrusted with teaching our kids.

Fortunately, the great majority of those taking the CBEST meet our expectations. From 1982 through 1994, 86% passed all three sections of the exam. Only 3.3% of these examinees identified themselves as Asian Americans, but 75% of them passed the three-part exam. Only 5.7% identified themselves as Mexican American or Chicano, but 73% of them passed. Only 4.9% of the examinees were African Americans, but 56% of them passed. As you consider these numbers, remember that a substantial number of examinees do not speak English as their primary language.

In each of the years since the CBEST requirement was established, the number of teachers from ethnic minority groups passing and taking have increased, as has the percentage of teachers who are minority-group members.

Critics who say that only a certain percentage of each ethnic minority are permitted to pass the test are incorrect. The standards for passing are a preestablished number of correct answers--they are not based on a bell-shaped curve. If 100 people from any ethnic group took the exam and all of them met the passing standards, all of them would pass.

Individuals who fail the test can repeat it as often as five times in the same year. Special classes are offered to help people pass this exam. Also, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing sponsors several effective programs of teacher preparation, including preparation for minority candidates.

The citizens of California should expect that all new teachers are competent at teaching and proficient at the core academic skills that students are expected to learn. With the poorest reading scores in the nation, how can California expect any less?