Program Update

Happy New Year from the Praxis team! As the New Year rolls out, the Praxis program will continue to enhance your teacher licensure program with continued rollout of computer-delivered tests, extended computer-delivered testing windows and regenerated tests for 2013–14.

Continued rollout of tests on computer. The Praxis program continues to provide candidates with computer-delivered testing, and there are more than 60 test titles available on computer. Computer delivery will be available for 90 percent of test candidate volumes by the end of the 2012–13 testing year. To find a complete list of computer-delivered tests visit the Praxis website. Below is the list of tests rolling out on computer in February 2013.

• Music: Content Knowledge (5113)
• Art: Content Knowledge (5134)
• Library Media Specialist (5311)
• Professional School Counselor (5421)

Extended computer-testing windows are now available. Candidates now have two-week windows to take their computer-delivered test, which provides candidates with more test date options. This expansion of test dates helps accommodate candidates who prefer to test at one of our 500 computer-testing centers. Testing windows for World Language tests are unchanged and will continue to be offered in a one-week testing window. Visit the Praxis website to find which tests are offered in each testing window as not all the tests are offered in every testing window.

Below are new computer-delivered testing windows for the remainder of 2012–13 testing year.

• January 28–February 9
• March 11–March 23
• April 29–May 11
• July 29–August 10

Please remember that scoring takes place after the conclusion of each window and scores will be available in the candidate's Praxis account 10 to 15 business days after the testing window closes. Therefore, candidates who test early in the window will receive their official results 10 to 15 days from the conclusion of the testing window.

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Upcoming Multistate Standard-Setting Studies

The new year begins with the continuation of National Advisory Committee meetings (NAC), regeneration of test titles and Multistate Standard-Setting Studies (MSSS) to keep the test content fresh, relevant and current with changing requirements for prospective teachers.

Below is the list of upcoming MSSS for new test titles and regenerated tests. Regenerated versions of the Praxis I® Reading, Writing and Mathematics tests and Mathematics and English Language Arts tests for middle school and high school are being aligned to the Common Core State Standards. If you are interested in attending a MSSS, contact your Client Relations Director for more information.

To find the dates of the NAC meetings, MSSS and test administrations, please see the Schedule at a Glance on the States and Agencies website.

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The Praxis Program's New Initiatives

The Praxis Program is working on several new initiatives for 2013 that will help states and institutions of higher education identify and certify quality teachers for our schools.

Online Certification – The Praxis program is starting development of an assessment that will allow states to certify those teaching in an online environment. Many states have already created or endorsed standards for these teachers, which could be used for licensure or endorsement.

ETS has conducted research into this area resulting in both a White Paper and an October 19, 2012 Peabody Journal of Education article, Virtual K–12 Learning: New Learning Frontiers for State Education Agencies."

Development of this new assessment will begin early this year with a possible launch in the 2014–15 testing year. State clients will be contacted and encouraged to participate.

Pre-Service Assessment – ETS was recently awarded a contract by the Missouri Department of Education to provide a pre-service, performance-based assessment to teacher candidates and has begun development work on this new assessment.

ETS will also develop a pre-service assessment that can be used by other states across the country. The assessment will be connected to InTASC Standards and Common Core Standards and have both formative and summative tasks. The assessment, including the submission of feedback from observations, video and work samples/artifacts will be completely online and allow for reflective dialogue and professional interactions between candidates and their university and cooperating instructors.

The Praxis program will look to states to assist in the development of task requirements and guiding prompts and rubrics sometime early in 2013, with an expected pilot anticipated in fall 2013 and full launch anticipated in 2014.

Clients should look for more information at the NASDTEC and AACTE annual conferences, as well as a webinar to be scheduled soon.

Workforce Skills — Research has provided evidence that non-cognitive factors can predict grades, workforce success and teaching quality and success.

A new initiative being developed by ETS's Center for Academic and Workplace Readiness and Success will look to provide non-cognitive measures of candidates to states, higher education and candidates themselves.

The assessment will utilize different measures, including forced-choice assessments as well as an "interest profiler" measuring a candidate's occupational interests, to provide information on a variety of candidate constructs.

Preliminary research and work has already begun, with an expected pilot in the 2013–14 testing year. ETS will be scheduling a webinar focusing on this new assessment early in 2013 to provide clients with additional information.

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Praxis Study Companions Now Available

Praxis Study Companions are now available for teacher candidates preparing to take a Praxis test. These free, comprehensive guides provide test takers with one document that houses valuable test prep information for each test.

Study Companions combine practical information previously available in other popular test prep resources, including Tests at a Glance (TAAG), General Information and Study Tips such as How to Reduce Test Anxiety, as well as pertinent information from the website to help the test takers know what to expect on test day. Links to new videos and to a computer-testing demonstration are also included.

Study Companion features include:

• The broad scope of topics covered for your test, along with content categories, the number of questions, question types, testing time, test format and other important information
• Practice questions and explanations of correct answers for your test
• Test-taking tips and strategies
• A study plan template and sample study plan
• Frequently asked questions
• Links to detailed information, including videos and demonstrations
• An overview of The Praxis Series tests

Study Companions are being introduced in stages to cover over 130 Praxis tests, and are available for select titles. They will be available for each Praxis test by July 2013. This new resource is in addition to our test prep products and services that include free webinars and videos, as well as priced tutorials, study guides and practice tests.

Visit the Praxis website to find the new Study Companions and all official Praxis test preparation materials.

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Spring Praxis Webinar Schedule

The Praxis program has published the 2013 Spring Praxis I and Praxis II® webinar schedule. These free webinars deliver in-depth information about the tests and offer teacher candidates the opportunity to interact and ask questions. Webinar attendees are also presented with a plan to help guide their preparation for the Praxis tests.

Praxis I Webinar Dates

• Friday, January 11, at 1 p.m. ET
• Monday, March 25, at 1 p.m. ET
• Monday, May 13, at 1 p.m. ET

Praxis II Webinar Dates

• Wednesday, February 13, at 1 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, April 10, at 1 p.m. ET
• Wednesday, June 19, at 1 p.m. ET

Registration opens approximately one week in advance of the webinar date. To register, visit the Praxis Prepare for a Test website. Stay tuned for the launch of the Pre-recorded Webinar coming soon.

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ETS Classroom Video Library

ETS is pleased to announce the launch of the new online ETS Classroom Video Library powered by My Learning Plan.

K–12 teachers across the country graciously opened their classroom doors to ETS high-definition cameras that captured real teaching, in real time. And you see and hear it all, as it happened — authentic and unrehearsed, spanning a wide range of grades, settings and subjects.

Online users can choose a wide-angle view that shows the action throughout the entire classroom or select a dual-view that simultaneously shows a close-up of the front of the room. A multidirectional microphone captures not only the teacher's instruction, but also student discussions from all parts of the classroom.

Over 50 unedited and lesson-length classroom videos are currently available online, with more continually being added. They support a wide variety of teacher effectiveness initiatives:

• Administrators, school districts, states and organizations responsible for implementation of teacher evaluation and calibration work
• Teachers seeking to strengthen their professional teaching skills in accordance with established standards and evaluation rubrics
• Researchers and organizations who master code videos and provide job training for classroom observers
• Principals responsible for staff development programs
• Professional Development (PD) staff and teacher leaders creating PD courses and initiatives
• Teachers and principals participating in peer mentoring
• Professors and instructors responsible for teacher preparation programs
• Educators working with student teachers and beginning teachers
• Instructional designers of online education courses and programs
• PD providers and organizations

The online classroom videos are searchable by grade, subject and setting (urban, suburban and rural). Plus, users can create, tag, save and share literally hundreds of video clips in their own personal online video clip library. Instructional artifacts like lesson plans, worksheets and student assignments accompany videos where available.

Using the robust My Learning Plan platform, the web-based system can be easily accessed using any personal computer or iPad®. There are no additional software requirements or lengthy downloads.

Every classroom video can be previewed in its entirety online, free of charge, before making a purchase decision. Included in the affordable 12-month licensing fee is full access to all classroom videos and artifacts (where available), all video clip capabilities and user history data.

Schools that would like to participate in filming can contact Walter Rabchuk at wrabchuk@ets.org. Participating schools receive a free, 12-month subscription for 25 users.

For pricing information and free previews, visit www.etsvideo.mylearningplan.com.

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