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Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of important assessment concepts, such as reliability, validity, and bias, and the characteristics, uses, advantages, and limitations of various types of formal and informal assessments.
- Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate assessment instruments and practices for given instructional situations or needs and how to select or construct assessment instruments for various purposes.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for integrating assessment and instruction, for aligning assessment with instructional goals, and for using assessment to monitor student understanding and to guide instruction.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the benefits of using multiple assessment methods to support instruction and appropriate strategies for adapting classroom assessments for students with various characteristics and needs, including English language learners and students with exceptionalities.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for providing students with timely, accurate, and effective feedback and for helping students use teacher assessment, peer assessment, and self-assessment to guide their own learning.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how to interpret assessment results and how to communicate assessment results to students and their families.
Sample Item:
A teacher regularly gives students brief quizzes of three to five questions covering material taught in the
current or preceding lesson. Which of the following is likely to be the primary benefit of this practice?
- helping improve instruction through ongoing feedback on teaching effectiveness
- minimizing the amount of reteaching required for students to master curricular content
- ensuring that the teacher has adequate performance data to assign students a fair grade for the class
- enhancing students' engagement in the learning process and recognition of key learning goals
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. This question requires the examinee to apply strategies for using assessment to monitor student understanding and to guide instruction. A primary purpose of classroom assessment is to determine whether students have mastered targeted concepts and skills. Giving students brief quizzes at frequent intervals allows the teacher to quickly determine whether students have achieved this mastery as well as the effectiveness of particular instructional strategies or approaches in promoting student learning. If students perform well on a daily quiz, the teacher can be relatively sure that the approach used in a lesson was effective in promoting student learning. If students perform poorly on a daily quiz, the teacher must then use an alternate methodology or different examples to facilitate students' understanding. The ongoing use of frequent quizzes helps promote the teacher's ability to tailor instruction to students' specific learning needs.
Descriptive Statements:
- Identify procedures used in curricular planning and decision making, such as defining scope and sequence, determining prerequisite knowledge and skills, and aligning the curriculum with content standards.
- Apply knowledge of effective lesson and unit plans and their characteristics, such as logical sequence, completeness, and feasibility.
- Demonstrate knowledge of key factors to consider in instructional planning, such as local, state, and national standards; the nature of the content; and students' characteristics, prior experiences, current knowledge and skills, and readiness to learn.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how to define appropriate learning goals and objectives, select effective instructional approaches, and determine the sequence of instruction.
- Apply knowledge of how to use appropriate criteria to evaluate instructional resources, including technological resources, and how to select resources to meet various instructional needs.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the benefits of and strategies for integrating curricula, creating interdisciplinary units of study, and planning learning experiences that provide students with opportunities to explore content from integrated and varied perspectives.
- Apply knowledge of strategies for modifying instruction based on student characteristics and needs and for adapting lessons to ensure the success of all students in learning, including English language learners and students with exceptionalities.
Sample Item:
Eighth-grade science, social studies, and language arts teachers are planning an integrated unit on the Industrial Revolution. This instructional approach can be expected to enhance student learning primarily by:
- facilitating students' accelerated achievement of content standards in multiple subject areas.
- presenting students with tasks that are responsive to their individual learning preferences.
- promoting students' ability to apply a wide range of academic problem-solving strategies.
- connecting ideas for students in ways that make content more authentic and meaningful.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of the benefits of and strategies for integrating curricula. Isolated subject area instruction often prevents students from identifying important interconnections among the subjects they study. Interdisciplinary instruction integrates topics from multiple content areas, usually focusing on a specific theme. This approach provides students with links to help them connect otherwise discrete bits of knowledge and simulates real-world learning and work environments. Interdisciplinary instruction adds meaning and relevancy to students' learning by helping them discover relationships across content areas and to their own lives. It also prompts them to use their knowledge in one content area to better understand and appreciate content in other curricular areas.
Descriptive Statements:
- Identify the characteristics, uses, benefits, and limitations of various instructional approaches, such as direct instruction, cooperative learning, inquiry, and class discussion.
- Apply knowledge of how to organize and implement instruction that promotes the ability of all students to achieve learning goals and of how to continuously monitor instructional effectiveness and respond flexibly to student understanding, engagement, and feedback.
- Demonstrate knowledge of various instructional approaches in terms of student and teacher roles and responsibilities, expected student outcomes, and effectiveness in achieving given instructional purposes.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how to provide instruction that promotes higher-order thinking and creativity; encourages independent thinking and learning; enhances students' ability to synthesize knowledge, solve problems, and acquire, analyze, and organize information; and helps students work cooperatively and productively in group settings.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the use of technology in instruction and strategies for effectively integrating technology into specific instructional situations to support student learning.
Sample Item:
A tenth-grade history teacher is introducing a long-term project with several components. Students will be required to conduct research and interviews on a self-selected topic, write a report, and make an oral presentation. At this point in instruction, the teacher can best promote all students' ability to achieve the goals of the project by using which of the following strategies?
- assigning students partners to provide support throughout the project and scheduling regular times for the partners to meet
- reassuring students that they possess all of the skills and abilities needed to complete the project tasks
- organizing project tasks in a step-by-step sequence and providing students with directions and reminders for completing each step
- explaining to students how the objectives of the project fit into a larger instructional plan
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. This question requires the examinee to apply knowledge of how to organize and implement instruction that promotes the ability of all students to achieve learning goals. To complete a long-term project successfully, students must be able to manage their time and organize their work. Individual students vary in their ability to plan and organize their work effectively as well as in the level of independence they demonstrate with regard to their learning. Structuring long-term projects as a series of smaller steps, each with specific directions, provides scaffolding to help students develop organizational skills and achieve the goals of the project. This strategy keeps students aware of what they have to accomplish each day or week and allows the teacher to monitor their progress and provide assistance and support at the point of need.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, strategies for gaining students' attention and promoting motivation to learn, and ways to use encouragement and various types of peer support to sustain student interest and promote learning.
- Apply knowledge of the relationship between direct engagement in learning and students' interest in lessons and of procedures for enhancing relevance and promoting intrinsic motivation to learn.
- Recognize factors and situations that tend to promote or diminish student motivation, appropriate ways to apply various motivational strategies, and the expected outcomes of different strategies in given situations.
- Demonstrate knowledge of factors such as age, gender, and cultural and linguistic background that can affect classroom communication.
- Demonstrate knowledge of methods for interacting effectively with all students to achieve specified communication goals, such as clarifying content, communicating high expectations for learning, and promoting a climate of collaboration and support.
- Apply knowledge of communication strategies for meeting specific instructional needs and for promoting understanding and engagement of all students in learning, including English language learners and students with exceptionalities.
- Demonstrate knowledge of skilled questioning and how to use various questioning techniques to achieve instructional goals, such as facilitating recall, stimulating curiosity, encouraging divergent thinking, and promoting higher-order thinking and creativity.
Sample Item:
Students are most likely to be intrinsically motivated to learn and master subject matter when they:
- know that they will be tested on their understanding of the content in the near future.
- believe that the work they are doing is interesting and relates to their own lives.
- perceive that their performance compares favorably with that of peers engaged in the same tasks.
- anticipate that they will receive positive reinforcement for achieving instructional objectives.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. An important concept in motivation theory is the idea that the strength of students' internal, or intrinsic, motivation in a particular situation is determined in part by their perception of the value of the assigned task. For students to find an assigned task meaningful and interesting, they must perceive the task to have some connection to the real-life problems and situations they will face outside the classroom, both now and in the future. For example, a physics teacher who knows that many of his or her students are avid skateboarders might use skateboarding as the basis for examples and problems in a physics lesson.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of strategies and procedures for creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment that encourages students' active engagement, risk taking, and collaboration in learning.
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for promoting positive student interactions, facilitating conflict resolution, and promoting students' understanding and application of ethical principles such as honesty, courtesy and respect, academic and personal integrity, and civic responsibility.
- Demonstrate knowledge of various strategies for managing student behavior and relationships between specific classroom-management approaches and student learning, attitudes, and behaviors.
- Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for creating an organized and productive classroom environment that fosters excellence, promotes learning, optimizes students' time on task, and encourages self-regulation and a sense of responsibility and accountability.
- Apply knowledge of effective strategies for organizing the physical environment of the classroom to meet instructional needs, managing class schedules and transitions, and handling routine tasks and unanticipated situations.
Sample Item:
A student breaks a classroom behavior rule, disrupting the class and interrupting the day's lesson.
Which of the following is the most important guideline for the teacher to follow when disciplining the student?
- Involve the class in determining an appropriate consequence for the student's actions.
- Document in writing the steps taken to address the student's actions and his or her response to those steps.
- Determine consequences for the student's actions based on his or her previous behavior and achievement.
- Address the student's actions in a manner that allows the student to preserve his or her sense of dignity.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of various strategies for managing student behavior and relationships between specific classroom management approaches and student learning, attitudes, and behaviors. Good teachers know that every student deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. This is particularly important when a teacher needs to redirect a student's behavior or discipline a student for inappropriate behavior. In taking steps to preserve the student's dignity, the teacher helps prevent the kind of power struggle that can occur when a student feels humiliated before his or her peers and becomes defiant or argumentative to try to save face and avoid further embarrassment.
Use the case study below to complete the assignment that follows.
Background
Mr. Wallace is a first-year teacher in a middle school. His fourth-period earth science class has 28 students who achieve at a range of levels, although nearly all of the students earn passing grades in this class. A few of the students read somewhat below grade level and sometimes struggle to comprehend the content in the textbook. Most of the students are eager learners and enjoy socializing with Mr. Wallace and with one another. In an effort to enhance students' achievement, Mr. Wallace has decided to implement cooperative learning as an instructional strategy.
Planning Steps
Mr. Wallace prepared several short, nongraded tasks for students' first cooperative learning experiences. He placed students in four groups of seven. The groups are homogeneous based on students' reading levels. Mr. Wallace designated one student in each group as group leader, except for the group of students reading at the lowest levels. He plans to lead this group himself. He explained to students that the purpose of cooperative learning is to work together to achieve a common goal and for every student to have a chance to participate and contribute to the group's final product. Mr. Wallace identified several possible roles within each group, including recorder, reporter, and fact checker.
The First Cooperative Learning Task
Mr. Wallace began by having students read a chapter on pollution in their textbooks. He then called out student groups, identified the leader for each group, and assigned the following task.
- Discuss different kinds of pollution and their effects on the environment. Choose a recorder to take notes on the discussion.
- Choose one type of pollution and brainstorm different ways that people can reduce that particular type of pollution.
- Review your list and decide together on the best three ideas. Select a reporter to share your group's ideas with the class. You have twenty minutes.
Excerpts from Mr. Wallace's Reflections on the First Cooperative Learning Task
Some groups took a long time with tasks like choosing a group member to take notes. There was quite a range in the quality of each group's responses... Some students did not interact well with one another; a few students laughed at their peers' ideas, resulting in some hurt feelings... Only one of the groups completed the entire task... The group leaders did not show the level of leadership I had expected. One of them dominated his group; another had trouble directing the group's discussion... The group I worked with seemed less enthusiastic than other groups.
Excerpts from Students' Journals
Margot: I really didn't get to talk. When James was through talking, our time was used up.
Jorge: I liked this activity! It was way more fun than doing stuff in books.
Chandra: I wish I could have been with my friends instead of in the group with the teacher.
Paul: I think our group would have finished if we had a timekeeper. We should add that to our list of roles next time.
Write a response in two parts based on the elements of the case study presented above.
Part One
- describe one approach Mr. Wallace took in planning this activity to try to promote students' ability to work productively in groups, and
- explain why this approach was a good one to take.
Part Two
Write a response based on the elements of the case study above in which you:
- describe one approach Mr. Wallace could have taken to improve students' ability to work productively in groups, and
- explain why this approach would have been effective in improving students' ability to work productively in groups.
Sample Responses
Sample Strong Response (Show Sample Strong ResponseHide Sample Strong Response)
Part One
One approach Mr. Wallace took in planning the activity to try to promote students' ability to work productively in small groups was to foster a sense of teamwork among students by identifying possible roles for students to take within their groups. He also identified specific tasks for some of the roles, such as having the recorder take notes on the group's discussion and the reporter present the group's ideas to the class. This was a good approach to take because guiding students to take different roles in their group helps promote the interdependence that is an important element in successful cooperative learning experiences. When each student has a different role in a small-group assignment, it encourages shared responsibility among group members for the outcome of the assignment. This approach also helps ensure that each student participates actively by encouraging students to divide responsibilities somewhat evenly.
Part Two
One additional approach Mr. Wallace could have taken to improve students' ability to work productively in small groups is to form smaller groups of four or five students, ensuring that each group includes students with a mixture of abilities and interpersonal skills. Smaller groups would help reduce the time each group needs to come to consensus and would also provide more opportunities for individual students to participate in group discussions. By forming groups of students with diverse abilities and interpersonal skills, Mr. Wallace would structure the activity in a way that exposes students to a range of perspectives and that simulates more closely the real world. Heterogeneous groups would also help promote students' understanding of the importance of communication and collaboration when working in small groups.
Sample Weak Response (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
Part One
One approach Mr. Wallace took in planning the activity to try to promote students' ability to work productively in small groups was to implement cooperative learning. This was an excellent approach for middle school students. Peer influence is strong in adolescents, and working together comes easily and naturally to most students this age. Cooperative learning provides students with opportunities to form friendships with peers outside of their immediate social circle and assume roles of leadership. In cooperative learning groups, students tend to participate more and have greater confidence in their ability to achieve. Mixing high- and low-ability students together in a group assures that all will achieve at a high level. Cooperative learning encourages healthy competition and promotes higher-order thinking skills.
Part Two
One additional approach Mr. Wallace could have taken to improve students' ability to work productively in small groups is to have given students who preferred to do so the option of working independently. Mr. Wallace noted that some students interacted poorly, behaved inappropriately, or lacked enthusiasm. It is clear that not all the students in his class were ready for group work. Adolescents vary in their abilities, interests, and preferred modes of learning. As much as possible, the teacher should try to accommodate these differences. In this scenario, it would have been an easy matter to modify the task so that it could also be done independently by those students who learn better working alone. For example, the second bulleted item in the first cooperative learning task could be changed to "Choose one type of pollution and list different ways that people can reduce that particular type of pollution."
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