skip to main content skip to footer

A Transportability Study of the Reading, Writing, and Mathematics Skills Important for Teacher of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students PPST

Author(s):
Ehringhaus, Michael E.; Mounty, Judith L.; Rosenfeld, Michael
Publication Year:
1994
Report Number:
RR-94-53
Source:
ETS Research Report
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
80
Subject/Key Words:
Beginning Teachers, Content Validity, Hearing Impairments, Mathematics Skills, Praxis, Pre-Professional Skills Tests (PPST), Reading Skills, Writing Skills, Assessing People with Disabilities

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if the 57 reading, writing, and mathematics skill statements derived from the test specifications for the Praxis I Basic Skills Assessments and the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) are considered to be important for entry-level teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students. The skill statements were placed in a survey format, and judgments of importance were made using a 5-point rating scale. Two thousand surveys were mailed to administrators at schools and programs for deaf and hard of hearing students and to program directors at teacher training institutions throughout the United States. The administrators were asked to distribute the survey to teachers, administrators, and teacher educators at their institution and to give special consideration to the inclusion of deaf and hard of hearing faculty and staff members. In selecting the sample of institutions, every attempt was made to represent the full range of perspectives and practices in the education of deaf and hard of hearing students with respect to language and communication and program type. Usable surveys were returned by 833 teachers, administrators, and teacher educators. A skill statement was judged to be appropriate for entry-level teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students if it was judged to have a mean importance rating of 3.00 or greater (moderately important) from the total group of respondents as well as from each of the 44 subgroup comparisons that were conducted. All 57 skill statements received mean ratings above 3.00 from the total group as well as from all relevant subgroups of respondents. It may be concluded from the survey results that the skill statements used to build test specifications for the Praxis I Basic Skills Assessments and the PPST are appropriate for entry- level teachers of deaf and hard of hearing students. That is, the content of these assessments was judged to be important. However, it cannot be overemphasized that this finding does not imply that the items or modes of assessment being used to measure these skills have been judged to be appropriate for deaf and hard of hearing candidates. Additional studies need to be conducted to determine the impact of these measures on deaf and hard of hearing candidates as well as the need for any special accommodations to ensure that candidates with this disability have an adequate opportunity to demonstrate their level of skill on these measures. (80pp.)

Read More