Fisk students achieve 100% pass rate on state exams

Students at Fisk University received a 100 percent passage rate on state teacher certification test in 2004-2005,
according to the Tennessee State Board of Education.

Graduates wanting to teach in Tennessee must pass the exam, called the Praxis II exam, to become fully licensed teachers. The State Board of Education tracks pass rates to monitor which colleges adequately prepare students.
A college that fails to have 70 percent of its graduates pass is placed on probation, according to the State Board of Education. If the school fails to have 70 percent of its graduates pass two years in a row, the college will have its state certification revoked.

Fisk University, went from 50 percent in 2001-02 to 83.3 percent in '03-04 to 100 percent in '04-05. Fisk had only five graduates taking the test in 2004-05, compared with six in '03-04.

Several colleges in the state require students to pass before awarding a diploma, ensuring a 100 percent pass rate among its graduates. Others encourage students to pass it before they student-teach for a semester.
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