[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-582815-105":59,"doc-detail-582815-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":123,"head_meta":125,"extra_data":127,"updated_unix":129},105,"en","certification-patterns-of-grades-k-8-teachers-in-maine-public-schools-research-report","Certification Patterns of Grades K-8 Teachers in Maine Public Schools - Research Report","","The report examines certification patterns affecting Grades K-8 teachers in Maine public schools and evaluates how proposed changes to the Elementary Education endorsement could impact current teachers. It frames the policy debate around concerns that the K-8 endorsement may be overly broad for early childhood versus middle school instruction, while also considering arguments that many affected teachers already hold sufficient subject preparation through coursework or experience. It reviews requirements tied to math, science, English Language Arts, and social studies and their implications for staffing and employment options.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/certification-patterns-of-grades-k-8-teachers-in-maine-public-schools-research-report/582815/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/certification-patterns-of-grades-k-8-teachers-in-maine-public-schools-research-report/582815.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Rhys","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":34},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What policy change is being considered for Maine’s Elementary Education teaching endorsement?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The endorsement currently covers teaching from grades K through 8 in specified content areas, and the proposal would narrow it to grades K (or possibly pre-K) to 6.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Why are concerns raised about the current K-8 certification requirements?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Critics argue that the academic knowledge, pedagogy, and skills suited for early childhood differ from those needed for middle school, so preparation requirements may not match the grade span taught.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How do proponents argue the broader K-8 grade span may still work for teachers?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"They note many teachers at middle grades already have more academic preparation than the minimum, and some can bridge to a middle level endorsement in their subject areas or rely on prior subject depth from training and experience.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},582815,1792192477,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":34,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145,"preview_page_count":4},687207024643,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2","University of Southern Maine  \nUSM Digital Commons  \n\n| School Improvement | Center for Education Policy, Applied Research and Evaluation (CEPARE) |\n| --- | --- |\n| 2021\u003Cbr>Certification Patterns of Grades K-8 Teachers in Maine Public Schools\u003Cbr>Amy F. Johnson Lisa Morris\u003Cbr>Follow this and additional works at: [https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/cepare_improvement](https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/cepare_improvement) |  |\n\nRecommended Citation  \nJohnson, Amy F. and Morris, Lisa, \"Certification Patterns of Grades K-8 Teachers in Maine Public Schools\"(2021) . School Improvement. 31.  \n[https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/cepare_improvement/31](https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/cepare_improvement/31)  \nThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Education Policy, Applied Research and Evaluation (CEPARE) at USM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in School Improvement by an authorized administrator of USM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [jessica.c.hovey@maine.edu](jessica.c.hovey@maine.edu).  \nCertification Patterns of Grades K-8 Teachers in Maine Public Schools  \nPrepared by  \nAmy Johnson, Ph.D.  \nLisa Morris, Ph.D  \nJune 2021  \nMaine Education Policy Research Institute University of Maine System  \nCertification Patterns of Grades K-8 Teachers in Maine Public Schools  \nAmy Johnson Lisa Morris  \n[amyj@maine.edu](amyj@maine.edu) [lisa.morris@maine.edu](lisa.morris@maine.edu)  \nIntroduction  \nRecent policy conversations have discussed the possibility of narrowing the grade span of Maine’s Elementary Education teaching endorsement. The certificate currently qualifies an individual to teach math, science, English Language Arts, or social studies from grades K through 8 and has been proposed to be changed to grades K (or possibly pre-K) to 6. Before undertaking this change it was deemed appropriate to identify the number of current teachers who may potentially be negatively impacted by such a change.  \nBackground  \nMaine’s Elementary Education teaching certificate (endorsement number 020) has come under scrutiny from organizations such as the National Center for Teacher Quality1 for having a grade span that is overly broad. The potential concern is that the academic knowledge, pedagogy, and skills that are most appropriate for teaching in early childhood are too different from teaching middle school, and that therefore the preparation requirements should be tailored more closely to the grade span being taught. Additional description of this challenge has been described in prior MEPRI reports (2017, 2019) .  \nAt the top end of the K-8 grade span (grades 7 and 8) the primary concern about the current certification requirements is that the minimum academic preparation is inadequate to ensure deep knowledge of the middle school curriculum. The endorsement requires six credits each in the four content areas of math, science, English Language Arts and social studies; this can be met through any passing grades in two introductory-level courses in each subject. A beginning middle level teacher with only that minimal level of academic background in a subject area may encounter curriculum content and concepts that they have not themselves studied at the college level, and may therefore struggle to teach.  \n1 [https://www.nctq.org/publications/State-of-the-States-2021:-Teacher-Preparation-Policy](https://www.nctq.org/publications/State-of-the-States-2021:-Teacher-Preparation-Policy)  \nOn the other hand, proponents of the broader grade span note that the K-8 academic requirements represent only the minimum needed background. Most teachers at the middle grade levels do have significantly more academic background in the subject(s) they teach. In at least some cases, the grade 7 or 8 teachers who would be potentially impacted if their K-8 credential was changed to a K-6 credential already have the prerequisite number of college credits to readily obtain a middle level endo","cbCaimzyZW8D5UWo","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaimzyZW8D5UWo","pdf",221511,11,"English","# Introduction\n# Background\n## Concerns at the Upper End of K-8 (Grades 7–8)\n## Arguments Supporting the Broader Grade Span\n## Staffing and Flexibility Considerations\n# Lower End of the K-8 Grade Spectrum","[{\"question\":\"What policy change is being considered for Maine’s Elementary Education teaching endorsement?\",\"answer\":\"The endorsement currently covers teaching from grades K through 8 in specified content areas, and the proposal would narrow it to grades K (or possibly pre-K) to 6.\"},{\"question\":\"Why are concerns raised about the current K-8 certification requirements?\",\"answer\":\"Critics argue that the academic knowledge, pedagogy, and skills suited for early childhood differ from those needed for middle school, so preparation requirements may not match the grade span taught.\"},{\"question\":\"How do proponents argue the broader K-8 grade span may still work for teachers?\",\"answer\":\"They note many teachers at middle grades already have more academic preparation than the minimum, and some can bridge to a middle level endorsement in their subject areas or rely on prior subject depth from training and experience.\"}]","Certification Patterns of Grades K-8 Teachers in Maine Public Schools - Research Report | PDF",1792044566,28]