Computer-delivered Praxis II® Tests Update

The rollout of computer-delivered Praxis II tests began last fall with the Elementary Education (5011 & 5014) tests being delivered continuously starting October 12, 2010. Candidates are taking advantage of the 400+ test centers that offer 5,000 seats across the country on any given day. Based on this access, more than 6,000 candidates registered for these two Elementary Education tests.

The first World Language testing window also took place in October and 684 candidates were successfully tested. ETS learned some important lessons to apply when scheduling future testing windows to provide candidates greater convenience and accessibility. Candidates are currently registering for the next Praxis World Language testing window scheduled for February 12, 14, 15 and 18. ETS closely monitors the demand and adjusts availability in each market as needed, so encourage candidates to register early. Registration can be completed online by going to www.ets.org/praxis/register or by calling Prometric Candidate Services at 1‑800‑853‑6773.

In total, there will be an additional 20 test titles introduced onto computer in 2011 in our Reading Assessments, Middle School Assessments, SLS Assessments, Elementary Education Assessments, and Special Education Assessments. The Praxis™ Program has extensively analyzed each state and its markets to ensure our network has the capacity to support these additional tests. From this work came recommendations of where the Praxis Program would either supplement capacity in a given market or add test sites in markets that were identified to be underserved.

ETS will be using this information along with client feedback to begin recruiting additional sites in early 2011. Once approved, these sites will be operational in the fall of 2011 for the delivery of all Praxis I®, Praxis II and SLS test titles that are offered on the computer.

National Advisory Committee Nominations

The Praxis Program has scheduled five National Advisory Committee (NAC) meetings to take place in 2011. Convening the committees signals the start of a test review or new test development project. Praxis state clients are asked to nominate licensed teachers with between two and 10 years of experience, as well as faculty preparing teachers for that licensure area, to serve on the committees.

Each Praxis test is reviewed by a committee every five years to confirm that it is aligned with the most recent standards and focused on the core knowledge related to the teaching profession. Test specifications are adjusted when necessary, and when new specifications change to such a degree that states need to re-establish passing scores for the test, ETS conducts a multistate standard setting study to facilitate that process.

ETS selects individuals for each committee so that the committee is representative of the teacher population holding that specific license. Each committee is required to be diverse with respect to gender, race and ethnicity, and state and grade level representation. States are asked to direct their nominees to register at the National Advisory Committee website.

Below is the current schedule for National Advisory Committee Meetings

Area Test(s) NAC Meeting Month Registration Dates:
Reading Across the Curriculum: Elementary 0201 March 2011 Closed
Middle School English Language Arts 0049 April 2011 Closed
Family and Consumer Sciences 0121 May 2011 February 21, 2011
English Language, Literature, and Composition 0041, 0043 and 0044 June 2011 April 13, 2011
Agriculture 0700, 0780 August 2011 April 20, 2011

 

After nominees have submitted the requested information at the website, they will receive an e-mail confirmation. Nominees selected to serve will be sent an invitation along with all details regarding meeting logistics, honoraria, and travel arrangements.

NAC meetings typically take place on the ETS campus in Princeton, New Jersey, and most NACs will meet twice over the course of a year (there will also be some pre-meeting and/or post-meeting work). Committee members receive an honorarium for each meeting they attend, and all travel and lodging expenses are paid by ETS.

Standard Setting Studies in 2011

The Praxis Program is planning to conduct 12 Multistate Standard Setting Studies and several state-specific standard setting studies in calendar year 2011. Multistate Studies will be conducted in Princeton, and current and new user states receive invitations to send licensed teachers with less than 10 years of experience, as well as faculty preparing teachers for that licensure area, to be considered for the study panels. Like the National Advisory Committees, these panels are selected to be representative of the teacher population currently holding the license for that teaching job.

Below is the current schedule for Multistate Standard Setting Studies.


Tests Current Code New Code Standard Setting Month First Administration Test Year
Principles of Learning and Teaching (4 tests) 0521, 0522, 0523 & 0524 0621, 0622, 0623 & 0624 January and February 2011-2012
Special Education: Preschool/Early Childhood 0690 0691 September 2012-2013
Reading Specialist 0300 0301 August 2012-2013
Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students 0271 0272 October 2012-2013
Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (new test) 5031 July 2011-2012
Middle School: Multiple Subjects (new test) 5141 April 2011-2012
Music: Content and Instruction 0111,0112 0114 November 2012-2013
Environmental Education 0830 0831 November 2012-2013
Special Education: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments 0281 TBD December 2012-2013

 

The ETS Multistate Standard Setting Process, designed by ETS researchers, assists states when new and regenerated tests require new passing scores by convening practitioner panels to recommend a passing score for states to consider. The panels simulate a test-taking experience prior to recommending a passing score, and confirm that the content of the test is important and relevant to entry-level practice. Using this approach reduces the states' burden of recruiting educators to serve on the panels, and provides a more efficient process for moving states from old to new tests. Having it over two days allows for multiple rounds of panel judgments and discussion among the participants.

State-specific studies are also planned for customized tests developed for Arkansas, Indiana, and Virginia. These include a test for a new endorsement for Instructional Facilitators, a test for principals, and two tests for teaching reading.

Test Prep Update

ETS now offers additional interactive test preparation to help teacher candidates prepare for their Praxis exam.

Interactive Practice Test Now Available

Our new, innovative practice test allows candidates sitting for Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment (0011/5011) to simulate a testing experience with a fully interactive, retired practice test for that title.

Features include:

The Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Interactive Practice Test is available in the ETS Store for $17.95 and is available as a 90-day subscription (from the time a candidate first launches the test).

Praxis I® Study Plan on Demand

This new, interactive product is a multimedia presentation that gives test takers an overview of what to expect before, on and after test day. It also contains a detailed walk-through of the Test-at-a-Glance for Mathematics, Reading and Writing, and provides the candidate with helpful tips and glossaries for each subject section.

The Praxis I® Study Plan on Demand is available in the ETS Store for $15.95 and is available as a 90-day subscription (from the time a candidate first launches the product).

Online Tutorials

In addition to the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Online Tutorial, ETS now offers a Praxis I Writing Online Tutorial and a Praxis I Reading Online Tutorial. The easy-to-navigate online software offers a wealth of authentic sample test items, extensive content overviews and interactive exercises to help master the content covered on the exam for only $39.50.

How Does ETS Develop Test Questions?

ETS published a new video to provide information about educational assessments that answers questions such as, what is the purpose of standardized testing, how are ETS tests and test questions developed, how standardized tests are scored and how should test takers prepare for a test. Watch this Assessment Video (Flash 5:59) to learn more about this work at ETS.