Assessment 1: Praxis Examination
Student teaching semester
Description:
The State of Missouri requires that all candidates seeking initial teacher certification in special education must pass the Praxis II examination. Candidates pursuing Missouri K-12 Certification in Mild-Moderate Crosscategorical Special Education (CC) are required to pass two tests: Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content Knowledge (0353) and Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities (0542). Candidates seeking K-12 certification in Severe Developmental Disabilities (SDD) must also complete two tests successfully: Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content Knowledge (0353) and Education of Exceptional Students: Severe to Profound Disabilities (0544). Candidates in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) must take and pass Special Education: Preschool/Early Childhood (0690) to obtain Missouri certification. Each test is briefly described below, and crosswalked with CEC standards, based on the Test-At-A-Glance information available on the Educational Testing Service (ETS) website at www.ets.com.
Rationale:
The State of Missouri requires individuals seeking initial teacher certification to pass the Praxis examination(s) in the relevant area of certification. The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has established passing scores that they believe indicate candidates possess the necessary content knowledge to teach special education. UCM candidates are required to take their Praxis exams no later than the semester prior to student teaching. If they do not pass on the first attempt, they are allowed to retake the exam. UCM candidates who successfully complete student teaching and all the other requirements of their degree program may be awarded their BSE without having passed the required Praxis; however, the University will not recommend them for certification until they have achieved a passing score.
Criteria:
DESE has established Missouri’s minimum score for passing the various special education Praxis tests as follows:
Praxis Exam Minimum Score
· Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content Knowledge (0353) 160
· Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities (0542) 172
· Education of Exceptional Students: Severe to Profound Disabilities (0544) 153
· Special Education: Preschool/Early Childhood (0690) 620
Alignment of Praxis II tests with Council for Exceptional Children Standards:
Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content Knowledge (0353)
A one-hour, sixty-item, multiple-choice test designed for those planning to teach special education from preschool through grade 12.
Praxis Category
/Related CEC Standards
I. Understanding Exceptionalities: 15–18questions, 25–30% of exam. Topics include: human development and behavior, characteristics of students with disabilities, basic concepts in special education, and the influence of disability through the lifespan. / 1: Foundations2: Development and characteristics of learners
3: Individual learning differences
II. Legal and Societal Issues: 9–12 questions, 15–20% of exam. Topics include: federal laws and legal issues; school’s connections with families, employers and communities; historical movements/trends affecting the connections between special education and society. / 1: Foundations
9: Professional and ethical practice
10: Collaboration
III. Delivery of Services to Students with Disabilities: 30–36 questions, 50–60% of exam. Topics include: background knowledge concerning conceptual approaches, placement and program issues, and applying best practices; curriculum and instruction across the continuum of placements; assessment; structuring and managing the learning environment, and professional roles. / 4: Instructional strategies
5: Learning environments and social interactions
6: Language
7: Instructional planning
8: Assessment
9: Professional and ethical practice
10: Collaboration
Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities (0542)
A one-hour exam consisting of five constructed response application questions designed for candidates planning to teach students with mild to moderate disabilities in special education programs from preschool through grade 12.
Praxis Category
/Related CEC Standards
I. Assessment: 1–2 questions, 25–42% of exam. Topics include: special education policies, assessment for eligibility strategies, and assessment for instruction practices. / 1: Foundations8: Assessment
9: Professional and ethical practice
II. Curriculum and Instruction: 1–2 questions, 25–42% of exam. Topics include: evaluation, selection and development of curriculum materials; gaining the assistance of community resources for students likely to make progress in the general curriculum; how to write IEP goals/objectives; and how to plan instruction based on IEPs. / 2: Development and characteristics of learners
3: Individual learning differences
4: Instructional strategies
6: Language
7: Instructional planning
III. Structuring and Managing the Learning Environment: 1–2 questions, 25–42% of exam. Topics include: behavior management, problem-solving and conflict resolution, related services, and collaboration. / 4: Instructional strategies
5: Learning environments and social interactions
10: Collaboration
Education of Exceptional Students: Severe to Profound Disabilities (0544)
A one-hour exam consisting of five constructed response application questions designed for candidates planning to teach students with severe to profound disabilities in special education programs from preschool through grade 12.
Praxis Category
/Related CEC Standard
I. Characteristics of Learners: 1-2 questions, 25-42% of test. Topics include: etiology and medical aspects, psychological and social emotional characteristics, medical complications and implications for student support needs. / 1: Foundations2: Characteristics of learners
3: Individual learning differences
II. Assessment: 1–2 questions, 25–42% of exam. Topics include: assessment instruments, methods, and strategies; modifications and adaptations; assessing and reporting appropriate and problematic social behaviors; using assessment information for instruction. / 5: Learning environments and social interactions
6: Language
8: Assessment
III. Curriculum and Instruction: 1–2 questions, 25–42% of exam. Topics include: evaluation, selection and development of curriculum materials; integrating related service; including community and caregivers in program support; how to write IEP goals/objectives; and how to plan instruction based on IEPs; planning transitions; collaboration. / 4: Instructional strategies
7: Instructional planning
9: Professional and ethical practice
10: Collaboration
IV. Structuring and Managing the Learning Environment: 1–2 questions, 25–42% of exam. Topics include: systematic behavior management plans; problem-solving, conflict resolution, and crisis management; and specialized health care. / 4: Instructional strategies
5: Learning environments and social interactions
Special Education: Preschool/Early Childhood (0690)
A two-hour, 110-question, multiple-choice exam designed for candidates planning to work with young children in special education settings, ages 3 through 6.
Praxis Category
/Related CEC Standards
I. Human Growth and Development: 16 questions, 15% of exam. Topics include: typical and atypical development in cognitive, physical, motor, social/emotional, language, play, and perceptual domains / 1: Foundations2: Characteristics of learners
3: Individual learning differences
II. Knowledge of Disabling Conditions: 12 questions, 11% of exam. Topics include: causes and characteristics of at-risk and disabling conditions, and biological, environmental, and nutritional aspects. / 1: Foundations
2: Characteristics of learners
3: Individual learning differences
III. Evaluation, Assessment, and Eligibility Criteria: 16 questions, 15% of exam. Topics include: instrumentation and procures for child find and screening, referral implementation, diagnostic evaluation, tracking, eligibility criteria, assessment of the child/family/environment. / 6: Language
8: Assessment
10: Collaboration
IV. Planning and Service Delivery: 17 questions, 15% of exam. Topics include: IFSPs, IEPs, interdisciplinary process, service delivery systems, case management. / 4: Instructional strategies
5: Learning environments and social interactions
6: Language
7: Instructional planning
V. Family and Community Aspects: 21 questions, 19% of exam. Topics include: family systems theory, family dynamics, issues faced by families, communications, family support systems, community resources, and family involvement. / 9: Professional and ethical practice
10: Collaboration
VI. Professional Practice: 28 questions, 25% of exam. Topics include: history, legislation and litigation, philosophical and ethical issues, records management, curriculum considerations, transitioning, community resources, placement. / 9: Professional and ethical practice
10: Collaboration
Assessment Data:
Praxis II for tests taken 09/01/2006 – 08/31/2007 and 2006-2007 SPED program completers
The data in the tables that follow are derived directly from the Institutional Summary Report compiled by ETS for the University of Central Missouri. They include all individuals who indicated UCM as their training institution, regardless of their path to certification. Thus, these UCM summary data include not only the scores of candidates completing the undergraduate BSE program in special education who are the subject of this report, but individuals who are pursuing one of several alternative routes to certification permitted in Missouri. Additionally, some of the candidates completing the BSE in special education during the 2006-2007 school successfully passed the Praxis examination prior to the academic year reported in this data, before category scores were available from ETS. The “SPED PC” column of data in the tables below has been calculated from individual score reports, and provided specific to the 2006-2007 special education program completers. Therefore, although the SPEC PC pass rate was calculated for all 21 completers, the SPED PC n in each table header refers only to those candidates in the 2006-2007 cohort for whom category scores were available from the ETS database.
Education of Exceptional Students: Core Knowledge (0353)SPED PC n=17, UCM n=36
SPED PC median=177, UCM median=177, national median=174
MO passing score=160, SPED PC pass rate=100%, UCM pass rate=94.4%
Points Available Range / SPED PC Avg. % Correct / UCM Avg. % Correct / MO Avg. % Correct / National Avg. % Correct
I. Understanding Exceptionalities / 13-17 / 78% / 79% / 77% / 75%
II. Legal and Societal Issues / 9-13 / 84% / 81% / 78% / 76%
III. Delivery of Services to Students with Disabilities / 30-35 / 81% / 79% / 76% / 76%
Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities (0542)
SPED PC n=14, UCM n=37
SPED PC median=183.5, UCM median=180, national median=178
MO passing score=172, SPED PC pass rate=92.8%*, UCM pass rate=81.1%
Points Available Range / SPED PC Avg. % Correct / UCM Avg. % Correct / MO Avg. % Correct / National Avg. % Correct
I. Assessment / 9-12 / 77% / 70% / 65% / 65%
II. Curriculum and Instruction / 15 / 61% / 59% / 59% / 58%
III. Structuring and Managing the Learning Environment / 9-12 / 73% / 65% / 60% / 59%
*Pass rate for this group was 100% by September, 2007
Education of Exceptional Students: Severe to Profound Disabilities (0544)SPED PC n=2, UCM n=5
SPED PC median=173.5, UCM median=170, national median=169
MO passing score=153, SPED PC pass rate=100%, UCM pass rate=80.0%
Points Available Range / SPED PC Avg. % Correct / UCM Avg. % Correct / MO Avg. % Correct / National Avg. % Correct
I. Assessment / 9 / 61% / 62% / 62% / 66%
II. Curriculum and Instruction / 15 / 73% / 56% / 56% / 63%
III. Structuring and Managing the Learning Environment / 12 / 75% / 63% / 63% / 59%
Special Education: Preschool/Early Childhood (0690)
SPED PC n=4, UCM n=13
SPED PC median=650, UCM median=640, national median=630
MO passing score=620, SPED PC pass rate=100%, UCM pass rate=84.6%
Points Available Range / SPED PC Avg. % Correct / UCM Avg. % Correct / MO Avg. % Correct / National Avg. % Correct
I. Human Growth and Development / 16 / 80% / 76% / 73% / 73%
II. Knowledge of Handicapping Conditions / 12-15 / 69% / 72% / 73% / 72%
III. Evaluation, Assessment, and Eligibility Criteria / 11-15 / 67% / 73% / 73% / 72%
IV. Planning and Service Delivery / 16-22 / 83% / 81% / 76% / 76%
V. Family and Community / 19-20 / 83% / 75% / 75% / 77%
VI. Professional Practice / 26-30 / 73% / 71% / 69% / 70%
Summary of Data Findings
UCM special education examinees meet or exceed the 80% minimum pass rate requirement for the required Praxis examinations. Pass scores for all UCM test-takers ranged from 80% on the constructed response SDD test (0544) to a high of 94.4% on the multiple-choice common core exam (0353). As noted earlier, Missouri provides several alternative paths to certification, one of which is a Praxis-only option for certified teachers wishing to add areas of endorsement. Because those individuals may take the Praxis at UCM without taking any special education coursework in our program, it is difficult to use the aggregated results to target program improvements.
Twenty-one candidates completed the BSE in Special Education at the University of Central Missouri during the 2006-2007 academic year, fourteen in Mild-Moderate CrossCategorical (CC), five in Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), and two in Severe Developmental Disabilities (SDD). All but one of the 21 completers passed the required Praxis exam(s) prior to graduation. One CC major failed her constructed response exam (0542) on the first attempt, retook it in September, 2007 and passed. Because this is the first year for which category data are available electronically from ETS, and because SDD and ECSE both had very small numbers of candidates in this cohort, it also is difficult to glean specific program improvement opportunities from this data. Both SPED PC candidates and UCM median and category average scores as a whole indicate that our students perform at or above the state and national level on most aspects of the exams. It does appear, however, that SPED PC candidates and UCM test-takers, had more difficulty with constructed response items than with multiple-choice items. Areas to examine more closely for potential program improvement appear to be Understanding Exceptionality/ Knowledge of Handicapping Conditions (0353/0690), Assessment (0544, 0690), and Curriculum and Instruction (0542).
Interpretation of How Data Provides Evidence that CEC Standards Have Been Met
There appears to be good alignment between the categories of the various special education Praxis examinations and CEC content standards. UCM candidates have consistently passed the state-required exams at rates that meet or exceed the 80% minimum requirement. The 2006-2007 cohort of BSE completers all successfully passed their exams by September, 2007. Therefore, this data, considered with results of other formative and summative performance assessments, demonstrates that UCM program completers in special education have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to become special educators.
Note: This analysis describes the 2006-2007 cohort. Praxis data for Fall 2002 through August 2008 appears in Tables 6a and 6b on page 31 of the SDD program report.
Assessment 1: Praxis – page 1
University of Central MissouriAssessment 2: Special Education Portfolio
Prior to Admission to Teacher Education and Prior to Completion of Program
Description: