Praxis II

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Praxis II
How do I begin to prepare ????
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Why Praxis ??

• 35 states in US currently use Praxis for
• assessment purposes
• in CT - used for assessing skills of future
• teachers, assuring high quality teachers
• CT used home grown assessments before
• development of Praxis series

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Why Praxis ??

• Praxis I (reading, writing, and math skills)
• for entry into teacher prep program
• Praxis II (content area knowledge) before
• issuance of initial certificate, and for
• addition of other endorsements

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Praxis tests required in Connecticut
subject area test code test name
qual. score
art education 20131 art
making 148 20132 art
content, traditions, criticism,
aesthetics 130 10133 art content
knowledge 157 biology 20235
biology content knowledge 152 business
educ. 10100 business education
620 chemistry 20245 chemistry
content knowledge
151 30242 chemistry
content essays 140 earth science 20571
earth science content knowledge
157
4-function calculator permitted
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elem. ed 1-6 10011 elem ed
curriculum, instruction,
assessment 163 20012
elem ed content area exercises
148 English 10041
English language, literature,
composition content knowledge
172
20042 English language, literature,
composition essays 160 general
science 10435 general science content
knowledge
157 30433 general
science content essays
145 health
20550 health education
680 home economics 10120 home
economics education 630
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math 10061 math
content knowledge
137 middle grades (4-8) test(s)
selected based on certification desired
10049 MS English /
lang arts 164 20069
MS math 158
10439 MS science 162
20089 MS social studies
160 music 10113
music content knowledge 153
30111 music concepts
processes 150
graphing calculator required
calculator allowed
contains listening section
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physical educ. 10091 phys. ed.
content knowledge
154 30092 phys. ed
movement forms - analysis
design 154 physics 10265
physics content knowledge
141 30262
physics content essays 135 social studies
10081 social studies content
knowledge
162 special educ. 20351 special ed
knowledge-based core principles
155 technology educ. 10050 technology
education 640
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Praxis tests required in Connecticut
any World Language

• World language teachers no longer take the Praxis
  II exams.
• 2 ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of
  Foreign Languages) exams required
• Oral Proficiency Interview
• Writing Proficiency Test
• information about this testing is available on
  the ACTFL web site
• http//www.actfl.org/
• or the State Dept. of Ed. web site
• http//www.state.ct.us/sde/dtl/cert/prax0102/praxc
  hrt_pr2.htm

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What should I do to prepare for Praxis??
example Social Studies
A. review components of test via Test at a
Glance

• 2 hour time limit
• 130 multiple-choice questions
• 6 categories covered - US History, World
• History, Government / Civics / Political
  Science,
• Geography, Economics, Behavioral Sciences

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What should I do to prepare for Praxis??
example Social Studies
B. pay attention to number of questions in each
content category percentage of test
those questions make

• United States history
• --- 29 questions
• --- 22 of exam
• world history
• --- 29 questions
• --- 22 of exam
• government / civics / political science
• --- 21 questions
• --- 16 of exam

• geography
• --- 19 questions
• --- 15 of exam
• economics
• --- 19 questions
• --- 15 of exam
• behavioral sciences
• --- 13 questions
• --- 10 of exam

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What should I do to prepare for Praxis??
example Social Studies
C. carefully review the About this test
information highlight wording that gives
clues to the question format,
information that may be given, skills that will
be tested
.The test requires the examinee to understand
and apply social studies knowledge, concepts,
methodologies, and skills across the fields of US
history world history government / civics /
political science geography economics and the
behavioral science fields of sociology,
anthropology, and psychology.
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example Social Studies
C. carefully review the About this test
information highlight wording that gives
clues to the question format, information that
may be given, skills that will be tested
A number of questions are interdisciplinary,
reflecting the complex relationships among the
social studies fields. Answering the questions
correctly requires knowing, interpreting, and
integrating history and social science facts
concepts.
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example Social Studies
C. carefully review the About this test
information highlight wording that gives
clues to the question format, information that
may be given, skills that will be tested
The 130 equally-weighted multiple-choice
questions consist of no more than 60 knowledge,
recall, and/or recognition questions and no less
than 40 higher order thinking questions. Some
questions are based on interpreting material such
as written passages, maps, charts, graphs,
tables, cartoons, diagrams, and photographs.
Between 10 15 of the questions contain content
reflecting the diverse experiences of people in
the United States as related to gender, culture,
and /or race, and / or content relating to Latin
America, Africa, Asia, or Oceania.
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What should I do to prepare for Praxis??
example Social Studies
D. review topics covered on test - compare to
number of questions in each content
category United States History - 29 questions /
22 of test / 13 topics.

• physical geography of NA
• Native American peoples
• European exploration
• colonization
• American Revolution
• establishing a new nation
• early years of the new nation
• continued national
• development

• Civil War era
• emergence of the modern US
• Progressive Era the First
• World War through the
• New Deal
• Second World War
• Post-Second World War
• period
• recent developments

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example Social Studies
D. review topics covered on test - compare to
number of questions in each content
category World History - 29 questions / 22 of
test / 8 topics.

• human society to
• approximately 3000BCE
• development of early
• ancient empires civilizations
• disruption reversal

• emerging global interactions
• political industrial revolutions,
• Nationalism
• conflicts, ideologies, evolutions
• in the 20th century
• contemporary trends

Government, Civics, Political Science - 21
questions / 16 of test / 4 topics

• base political concepts
• political theory
• international politics

• constitutional foundation
• political system of the US
• other forms of government

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example Social Studies
D. review topics covered on test - compare to
number of questions in each content
category Geography - 19 questions / 15 of test /
6 topics.

• the world in spatial terms
• places regions
• physical systems

• human systems
• environment society
• the uses of geography

Economics - 19 questions / 15 of test / 4
topics.

• Microeconomics I scarcity, etc.
• Microeconomics II production
• cost, etc.

• Macroeconomics I measures of
• economic performance
• Macroeconomics II national
• income determination

Behavioral Sciences - 13 questions / 10 of test
/ 3 topics.

• sociology

• anthropology

• psychology

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What should I do to prepare for Praxis??
example Social Studies

• E. determine content areas of strength
• weakness use study tips accordingly
• create mixed study groups (within content area)
• write lists of possible questions for content
  areas
• seek out other students who have taken the test
• seek out students with other majors

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What should I do to prepare for Praxis??
example Social Studies
E. use a variety of test preparation guides

• available from ETS
• Test At A Glance sample test - available via
  Praxis web
• site (free) http//www.ets.org/praxis/prxct.html
  required
• Test Study Guides - available for purchase via
  Praxis
• web site - http//www.ets.org/praxis/prxorder.ht
  mlguides
• Professors Guide to the Praxis II Tests -
  available for
• purchase via Praxis web site
• http//www.ets.org/praxis/prxorder.htmlguides
• Diagnostic Preparation Program (only for
  re-takes) -
• available for purchase via Praxis web site
• http//www.ets.org/praxis/prxorder.htmlguides

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What should I do to prepare for Praxis??
example Social Studies
E. use a variety of test preparation guides

• available from Amazon
• Preparation for the Praxis II Exam 2005 Joan
  Levy, Norman Levy
• ARCO Publishing
• Barons How to Prepare for the Praxis Robert
  Postman Barons
• Educational Series
• The Best Test Preparation for the Praxis II MSAT
  Multiple Subjects
• Assesssment for Teachers Research Education
  Association
• Multiple Subject Assessment for Teachers
  Preparation Guide
• Jerry Bobrow, Allan Casson, Michele Spence
  Cliff Notes Pub.