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Validity Evidence to Support the Development of a Licensure Assessment for Library Media Specialists: A Job-Analytic Approach

Author(s):
Robustelli, Stacy L.; Tannenbaum, Richard J.
Publication Year:
2010
Report Number:
RM-10-08
Source:
ETS Research Memorandum
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
32
Subject/Key Words:
Job Analysis, Licensure, Certification, Library Media Specialist, Validity, Praxis

Abstract

A job analysis was conducted to define knowledge/skills important for entry-level library media specialists. The results will be used to guide the development of new test content specifications for the Praxis SeriesTM Library Media Specialist assessment. A draft domain was constructed from various national standards (e.g., National Technology Education Standards, International Society for Technology Education [2007]), state standards (e.g., Texas, Ohio), professional organization standards (Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning, American Association of School Librarians & Association for Educational Technology and Communication [1998]), and scholarly literature (e.g., Shannon, 2004). A national advisory committee (NAC) of five library media specialists, four college faculty, and a Department of Education representative reviewed and modified the draft domain to reflect the knowledge/skills they believed were important for safe and effective practice and needed at time of entry into the profession. The revised domain consisted of 85 statements clustered within five major categories: Program Administration, Collection Development, Information Access and Delivery, Learning and Teaching, Professional Development, Leadership, and Advocacy. Survey responses of 683 library media specialists provided independent evidence of the importance of the domain. Respondents judged each knowledge/skill statement on a scale ranging from 1 (not at all important) to 5 (extremely important). Seventy-seven knowledge/skill statements had mean ratings above 3.50 in the aggregate sample and for subgroups containing more than 30 respondents. These results indicate that these 77 statements may be considered appropriate for guiding the development of new test content specifications for the Praxis Series Library Media Specialist assessment.

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