Missouri To Launch Performance-Based Assessments for Teacher Candidates

Missouri has entered into an agreement to develop performance-based assessments for teacher candidates seeking licenses.

Part of the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessments (MEGA) and dubbed the Missouri Standards-Based Performance Assessments, the tests will be developed by Missouri and Electronic Testing Services (ETS) under a three-year contract. With a focus on helping candidates to relate instruction to learning, the tests will be "designed to identify strengths and weaknesses, contribute to a development plan for professional growth, and develop more effective teachers in the classroom," according to an ETS news release.

The assessments will include entrance examinations with a formative task for candidates entering a teacher prep program, and exit examinations with one formative and three summative tasks. According to a news release about the agreement, areas assessed in the exit examinations will include:

  • "Beginning steps of student teaching";
  • "Assessment and the use of data collection to measure student learning";
  • "Instruction and Technology"; and
  • Standards and "a candidate's ability to use research-based instructional strategies, adapt instruction for individual needs and reflect on practice."

"In addition, the pre-service assessment is aligned to Missouri's Standards for Teacher Education Program, Content Standards, and the Common Core State Standards," said George Powell, ETS vice president and COO of teacher licensure and certification programs, in a prepared statement. "This provides the state with a quality, research-based assessment to help them place effective teachers in their classrooms."

After completion of the exit examination, candidates will receive a "Professional Competency Profile" outlining areas for individual professional development.

"One of our primary goals is developing and supporting effective educators who can provide students with the skills and knowledge they need for success in postsecondary education and the workplace," said Paul Katnik, interim assistant commissioner for the Office of Educator Quality at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in a prepared statement. "The performance assessments will help prospective educators make the most of their student teaching experience as they prepare to enter the teaching profession."

About the Author

Joshua Bolkan is contributing editor for Campus Technology, THE Journal and STEAM Universe. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • a cloud, an AI chip, and a padlock interconnected by circuit-like lines

    CrowdStrike Report: Attackers Increasingly Targeting Cloud, AI Systems

    According to the 2025 Threat Hunting Report from CrowdStrike, adversaries are not just using AI to supercharge attacks — they are actively targeting the AI systems organizations deploy in production. Combined with a surge in cloud exploitation, this shift marks a significant change in the threat landscape for enterprises.

  • student reading a book with a brain, a protective hand, a computer monitor showing education icons, gears, and leaves

    4 Steps to Responsible AI Implementation in Education

    Researchers at the University of Kansas Center for Innovation, Design & Digital Learning (CIDDL) have published a new framework for the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence at all levels of education, from preschool through higher education.

  • figures sitting around a round table, discussing over an open book, papers, and glasses

    Alliance for Learning Innovation, Digital Promise Form National Education R&D Advisory Committee

    The Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI) and Digital Promise are bringing together a coalition of education leaders to help develop a national education research and development agenda and foster innovation in schools and districts across the country.

  • red brick school building with a large yellow "AI" sign above its main entrance

    New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

    In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.