Alignment of the AEPA with Arizona Educational Standards

The objectives on which the tests are based reflect certification standards, curriculum materials, and the content of educator preparation programs in Arizona. The objectives for each test field were refined and validated by advisory committees composed of university educators and certified Arizona educators practicing in public schools. For each test field, Evaluation Systems conducted a Content Validation Survey of a sample of Arizona educators and college and university faculty members. Each survey participant reviewed and rated the objectives in his or her field to ensure that those selected for the tests are important to the job of an Arizona educator and reflect the knowledge and skills that are important to the job performance of educators in Arizona public schools. The test questions and performance assignments were matched to the objectives for the test fields and were verified as valid by the content advisory committee for each field.

An individual's performance on an AEPA test is evaluated against an established standard. The passing score for each test is established by the Arizona State Board of Education (ABE) and is based on the professional judgments and recommendations of Arizona educators.

During their development, the AEPA tests were directly aligned with the applicable Arizona standards. The standards that have been addressed within the AEPA tests are the following:

• The Arizona Professional Teaching Standards. These standards are addressed most directly in the Elementary and Secondary Professional Knowledge tests. The Arizona Professional Teaching Standards describe pedagogical knowledge and skills, instructional strategies, assessment principles and practices, and an understanding of students with special needs.
• The Arizona Professional Administrative Standards. These standards define the knowledge and skills that educators who receive Arizona administrative certificates must possess. The standards are the basis of the test objectives developed for the three AEPA Administrator tests: Superintendent, Principal, and Supervisor.
• The Arizona Academic (K–12) Standards. These standards define the content-area knowledge and skills that are to be taught to Arizona students. These standards provided the basis of the test objectives for the corresponding AEPA subject knowledge tests.