The Missouri State Board of Education is considering lowering the GPA requirement for teacher certification. Currently, a 3.0 GPA is required for teaching certain secondary subjects and specialty courses, but the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has proposed reducing this to a 2.5 GPA.
A study of 1,174 teacher candidates found no significant difference in certification exam pass rates between those with GPAs between 2.75 and 3.0 and those with higher GPAs. This raises questions about the 3.0 GPA requirement and whether it truly reflects teaching ability. "As part of a comprehensive effort to address teacher recruitment and retention challenges in Missouri, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has been focused on removing unnecessary barriers to the teaching profession," said Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.
The public can share their opinions on the proposed change during the open comment period. Feedback can be sent by email to [email protected] or by mail to the Office of Educator Quality in Jefferson City. The comment period will last for 30 days after the notice is published in the Missouri Register on January 15. A final decision is expected at the State Board of Education's meeting in March 2025.
Since the GPA requirement for content teacher certifications was introduced in 2017, Missouri has seen a decline in program completions, particularly in STEM fields where there is a high demand for qualified teachers. This trend, along with research showing fewer certification candidates, suggests the need to reconsider the GPA requirements and align with neighboring states, none of which have a content GPA requirement for teachers.
