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

Author(s):
Robustelli, Stacy L.; Tannenbaum, Richard J.
Publication Year:
2011
Report Number:
RM-11-08
Source:
ETS Research Memorandum
Document Type:
Report
Page Count:
30
Subject/Key Words:
Job Analysis, Licensure, Certification, Praxis, Reading Specialists, Validity

Abstract

A job analysis was conducted to define knowledge/skills important for entry-level reading specialists. The results will be used to guide the development of new test content specifications for the Praxis™ Reading Specialist assessment. A draft domain was constructed from national and professional organization standards, scholarly literature, and previous test content specifications. A national advisory committee (NAC) of reading specialists and college faculty 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 71 statements clustered within nine major categories: (a) Emergent Literacy; (b) Phonological Awareness; (c) Alphabetic Principle/Phonics; (d) Fluency; (e) Comprehension; (f) Vocabulary; (g) Pedagogical Principles of Reading Instruction; (h) Diagnostic, Assessment, and Collaborative Techniques; and (i) Reading Leadership. Survey responses of 574 educators 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-one 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 the 71 statements may be considered appropriate for guiding the development of new test content specifications for the Praxis Reading Specialist assessment.

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