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Tests-at-a-GlancePraxis I: Academic Skills Assessments
Required for Entry into Professional Education at LSU
These assessments are designed to be taken early in the student's college career to measure reading, writing, and mathematics skills vital to all teacher candidates. At LSU, Praxis I is required for entry into Professional Education, typically the last two years of the Teacher Preparation Program. The assessments are available in two formats, paper-based and computer-based. Both measure similar academic skills, but the computer-based tests (CBTs) are tailored to each candidate's performance. They also offer a wider range of question types, provide an immediate score in reading and math, and are available on demand throughout the year by appointment, eliminating the need to register in advance. The paper-based tests, called the PPST® or Pre-Professional Skills Tests, are given six times a year.
A new Praxis I offering in 2000-2001 is the Listening Skills test. This test is only available as a paper-based test and will be offered on all six national test dates. If students need help in improving basic academic skills, Educational Testing Service offers LearningPlus®, an innovative computer software program that provides interactive instruction and diagnostic placement tests in reading, writing, and mathematics. The program, used by hundreds of two- and four-year colleges and universities around the country, assists students who are preparing for The Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers and also helps them upgrade academic skills for general college coursework. It includes a recordkeeping system, more than 110 hours of instructional programming, and a series of comprehensive handbooks.
Praxis II: Subject Assessments
Required for Completion of the Teacher Education Program at LSU
These assessments measure candidates' knowledge of the subjects they will teach, as well as how much they know about teaching that subject. More than 140 content tests are available. The tests are regularly updated and several are available in each subject field, so a state can customize its program by selecting those assessments that best match its own licensure requirements. For added flexibility, each state can base its assessments on standard multiple-choice questions or incorporate new constructed-response modules. These performance-based items allow test takers to demonstrate in-depth knowledge and reinforce the importance of writing in the teaching profession. At LSU, successful passage of Praxis II is a requirement for completion of the Teacher Preparation Program. Click Here To See Which Praxis II Test(s) You Should Take.
The Praxis Series was initially developed during 1987-1993. Since that time, national organizations have updated the standards for their respective domains, including the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). ETS is working in collaboration with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and appropriate professional organizations to develop the next generation of Praxis assessments which will reflect (1) the current best practices in assessment design, (2) the new national standards for each subject area, and (3) current research and knowledge in the area of teacher preparation.
