ACT and GPA as predictors of PPST scores for prospective teachers at UW-Stout

Abstract

A hot topic in recent books and education journals is the need to ensure that today’s schools are filled with qualified staff in elementary and secondary classrooms. Many states have enacted legislation to strengthen teacher recruitment, education, certification, and professional development. The U.S. Department of Education reported that public schools will need 2.2 million new teachers over the next seven years. The last two decades have provided much insight and understanding into the profession of teaching. There is a need for increased incentives to entice new trainees into quality teacher preparation programs. The time is urgent to get teachers trained and in the classroom. There are a number of coordinated large scale studies that provide a clearer picture of the national situation and increase the potential for linking features of teacher preparation programs with the outcome data such as scores on exams. Tests often play an important role in what candidates study and their licensure systems. In summary, the two predictor variables ACT and GPA were not found to be statistically significantly correlated with each other. However, the three criterion variables; the math, reading, and writing sub-scales of the PPST were all found to be statistically significantly correlated with each other. All three of the criterion variables are determined to be statistically significantly correlated with ACT scores. Conversely, none of the three criterion variables were shown to be statistically significantly correlated with GPA.