MEGHAN GUATTERY
Staff Writer
As you count down the days until graduation, and that diploma is just out of your reach, the last thing you want to be thinking about is taking more tests.
And for many education majors, it’s not much of a choice.
In order to receive their teaching certificates, students must pass a series of four exams, usually taken during their senior year of college. Following the recent implementation of “Race to the Top” by the Obama Administration, three new exams, and modifications to fourth, were enforced in order to test the extent of applicants preparation for the world of education.
“‘Race to the Top’ is the latest initiative to increase the rigor,” said Dean of the College of Education Dr. Christine Givner. “It goes back to children and youth in urban areas and schools, where there is a lot of poverty, not being successful. They are not achieving, and they should be.”
The U.S. Department of Education asked states to reform four specific areas:
• Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy;
• Building data systems that measure student growth and success, and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction;
• Recruiting, developing, rewarding and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most;
• Turning around our lowest-achieving schools.
In August 2010, New York State was awarded $696,646,000 as a winner in the second round of the federal Race to the Top competition. According to “Race to the Top,” these awards are presented to states that are “leading the way with ambitious yet achievable plans for implementing coherent, compelling, and comprehensive education reform.”
The New York State Board of Regents recently finalized plans for three new mandatory exams for all teaching hopefuls.
The first of the three tests is the Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST). The ALST tests the candidates understanding of “proficient, close, and critical reading.” It consists of 40 selected response items, two focused response items and one extended response item, and takes approximately 3.5 hours to complete.
The Educating All Students (EAS) test is a constructive response test and the second of the most recent New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE).
“It probes, or assesses, their understanding of working with diverse students, English learners, as well as ethnically diverse students, students with disabilities and students who are struggling with things like poverty,” said Givner of the EAS test.
The third and most substantial newly implemented test is the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), which requires a videotaped submission from a student teaching session, as well as a digital portfolio.
“Along with doing a 15 to 20 minute video, the candidate has to write up a single-spaced, close to 30, 40, 50-page long narrative describing the learning context, the lesson plan, how it will be assessed, what the learning objectives are, a critical reflection of how the video went, what they would do different next time and its reference to the research,” said Givner.
Modifications were also made to the Content Specialty Tests (CST). These exams test the applicants’ knowledge of their specific areas of study and what they will teach, focusing on the foundational knowledge learned in 100 and 200 numbered courses in their disciplines.
“We are doing our best job here [at Fredonia],” said Givner. “We’ve been doing what now is being articulated as the most effective way to prepare educators for over 20 years. So, we are ahead of the curve.”
The effort demonstrated by the faculty and staff is not going unnoticed. As difficult as these tests may be, many students feel more than prepared, thanks to their education from Fredonia.
“I think our music education department has a good method in preparing us,” said senior music education major Tyler Eighmey. “They have a good balance between teaching what is on the tests and other interests a professor might believe relevant to the course.”
When it comes to adequately preparing students for these exams, many students start early.
“Starting as a freshman, you begin working towards passing these exams,” said Taylor Goodman, a senior childhood inclusive education major. “While you don’t have to take them until you are a senior, the majority of your education classes are structured around common information found on these exams.”
Music education majors begin their work during their first year at Fredonia as well. Foundations of Music Education is a required class that all first semester freshmen must take.
“We begin creating portfolios and writing reflection papers on why we want to be in music education,” said Eighmey. “The job of the professor is to take a student from high school and train them to be a professional in four years. So, I think it is a necessary amount of work to be doing in order to be prepared and ready to work in the field of music education.”
While these tests require an intense amount of preparation, they also require a greal deal of money.
“The costs of these tests are pretty ridiculous,” said Tyler Eighmey, a senior music education major. “I think they are costs that students aren’t really warned about until about a year before they need them, for some students, that can be problematic.”
The ALST, EAS and CST cost approximately $115, while the edTPA runs about $350.
“Because these exams are required for your teaching certificate, if you don’t pass on the first try you have to take it again — and pay again too,” said Goodman. “It all adds up pretty quick and can be overwhelming.”
Regardless of the money and time spent on these exams, in the end, students credit those who have helped them the most along the way.
“The professors at Fredonia have been really awesome in helping to prepare for these exams,” said Goodman. “It’s really comforting to know that they are doing their best to help you reach your goal and it often feels like they are working with you to get you through it.”