Praxis Test Adoptions for New Jersey

Peter V. Yeager, Client Relations Director, ETSNew Jersey State Board of Education

July 7, 2010

Copyright © 2008 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. 8343

ETS Test Development

• National Advisory Committee (NAC)

– Reviews standards that the test should reflect

– Organizes overall structure of the job domains

– Defines competencies for beginning practitioner

– Develops a job analysis survey

– Develops test specifications (test map)

• Test Development Committee

– Writes questions to align with test specifications

• Multiple forms of the test are created

• Presented to states for review/adoption

Standard Setting

• Process of deciding how much knowledge and/or skills needs to be demonstrated on a licensure test to be considered ready to enter the profession

• The process of standard setting is based on expert judgment

• There is no single “correct” or “true” passing score

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What Is the Process of a Multi-State Standard Setting?

• States are asked to nominate candidates for multi-states – include teachers and higher education

• Depending on number of states, either one or two panels are held with care given to a diverse and representative panel.

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Process of a Multi-State Standard Setting

• Panelists define the knowledge and/or skills expected of a candidate who should just barely pass the test (Just Qualified Candidate)

• Two rounds of judgments, with feedback and discussion– Multi-Choice Items –Number of JQCs who would

know correct answer– Constructed-Response Items –Rubric score JQC

would likely earn

What Was the Process for the Multi-State Standard Setting Studies?

• Each panel provides a recommended cut score

• Each panel judges the importance of the content specifications for entering professional practice

• Study Report Documents Process and Results

• Each state reviews the information in the report and decides what it will adopt as its cut score(s)

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Tests for Adoption by New Jersey

• Test Adoption for 2010-2011– World Languages: Spanish (0195)– World Languages: French (0174)– World Languages: German (0183)– Teaching Reading (0204)– Business Education (0101)

• Replacing existing tests used by New Jersey that underwent significant change and needed new Standard Setting Studies– Teaching Reading a new test

Why change the current World Language tests?

• To align with ACTFL Standards which emphasize– Performance-based assessment– Producing competent language users to interact in a

global community

• To adhere to ETS standards for periodic review and if necessary, revision of our assessments

• To improve our delivery system for language tests

What has changed?

• New WL Series will offer 1 test (not 2) to assess:– Reading– Writing– Listening– Speaking – Cultural Knowledge

• Improved test delivery– Digital voice capture on assessments

• Pedagogy test kept separate

Test Design – Language Tests

• Language Tests – Uniform Design (2 hours and 45 minutes)

– Listening with Cultural Knowledge• 36 mc questions (50 mins.)

– Reading with Cultural Knowledge• 39 mc questions (50 mins.)

– Writing • 3 cr questions (50 mins.)

– Speaking• 3 cr questions (15 mins.)

New Reading test fully aligned to National Reading Panel

• Reflects the 5 essential components of reading instruction identified by the National Reading Panel– Phonetic awareness

– Phonics

– Fluency

– Comprehension

– Vocabulary

• Appropriate for licensure or adding a reading endorsement to an existing license

• 2 hour multiple-choice and constructed-response

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• Aligned to the National Standards for Business Education and the National Educational Technology Standards

• International business content added

• 2 hour multiple-choice

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Global perspective to Business Education test

Results: World Language Tests

• Spanish: cut score is 67 (on the raw score metric), which represents 70% of total available 96 raw points. The scaled score associated with a raw score of 67 on the Praxis Spanish assessment is 168.

• French: recommended cut score is 63 (on the raw score metric), which represents 65% of total available 97 raw points. The scaled score associated with a raw score of 63 on the Praxis French assessment is 162.

• German: recommended cut score is 64 (on the raw score metric), which represents 65% of total available 98 raw points. The scaled score associated with a raw score of 64 on the Praxis German assessment is 163.

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Results: Business Education & Teaching Reading

• Teaching Reading: recommended cut score is 68 (on the raw score metric), which represents 64% of total available 107 raw score points. The scaled score associated with a raw score of 68 on the Praxis Teaching Reading assessment is 159.

• Business Education: recommended cut score is 75 (on the raw score metric), which represents 62.5% of total available 120 raw score points. The scaled score associated with a raw score of 75 on the Praxis Business Education assessment is 154.

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Copyright © 2008 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. 8343

Questions?

Peter V. Yeager

Client Relations Director, ETS

Rosedale Road, MS 51-L

Princeton, NJ 08541

609-683-2797

pyeager@ets.org