The number of individuals entering Florida’s pipeline for high school math teaching careers by taking the state’s certification in the subject for the first time ended its years-long decline in 2019. The number of those taking the exam for the first time in 2019 was 12% higher than it was in 2018. However, the 2019 number was still 35% below the 2013 level, signaling that the shortage of high school math teachers was not yet easing significantly.
The numbers come from the Florida Department of Education 2019 FTCE report, and from reports posted in previous years.
The passing rate for the high school math teaching exam ticked down a bit, so that the number of first-time exam takers passing the exam was level compared to the year before and 44% below the 2013 level.
The decline in the number of first-time chemistry exam takers ended as well, with the 2019 number 21% higher than in 2018. As was the case in math, the number of first-time chemistry exam takers in 2019 was still far (26%) below the 2013 level.
The number of first-time physics certification exam takers in 2019 was 21% higher than in 2018, but still 26% below its 2014 peak.
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