title: Credentialing high school psychology teachers.
abstract: The National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula (American Psychological Association, 2013b) require a teacher with considerable psychology content knowledge to teach high school psychology courses effectively. In this study, I examined the initial teaching credential requirements for high school psychology teachers in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. Thirty-four states (the District of Columbia is included as a state) require the social studies credential to teach high school psychology. An analysis of the items on standardized tests used by states to validate the content knowledge required to teach social studies indicates little or no presence of psychology, a reflection of psychology's meager presence in the social studies teacher preparation curricula. Thus, new teachers with the social studies teaching credential are not prepared to teach high school psychology according to the National Standards. Approval of The College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards: Guidance for Enhancing the Rigor of K-12 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History (National Council for the Social Studies, 2013) presents an opportunity to advocate for establishing a psychology credential in the 34 states.
authors.affiliation: Emporia State University.
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Weaver
mesh_terms: D003406:Credentialing; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards*; D005178:Faculty / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D011584:Psychology / Q000193:education*; D012574:Schools / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States