New York state education officials have adopted a safety net for teacher candidates who fail a newly required "bar exam."
The Board of Regents on Tuesday agreed to let student teachers who fail this year or next use a passing score on a previous test as proof they're ready to teach.
Before the Regents vote, any teacher graduating college after May 1 was going to have to pass the bar exam — called the edTPA — to be certified. The test requires video and written proof of a would-be teacher's skills.
The state Education Department estimates the passing rate's been about 83 percent, but agreed to the safety net following backlash from those who say the exam's implementation was rushed.
© 2014 AP
