An education advocacy group is pushing for teacher candidates to face higher academic standards before they even begin taking college classes. The move by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education comes after Tennessee education officials linked teacher effectiveness to better ACT scores. They say some colleges and universities admit that teacher education students are scoring as low as 15 on the college admissions test when a score of 21 is considered the standard of readiness for college. The recommendation was part of the group's third annual State of Education in Tennessee report which was released on Tuesday that recommends stricter licensing policies for teachers. (bg)