As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance communication and collaboration, the following updates are provided for you. Please share with others as appropriate.
HIGHER EDUCATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION:
As you may know, the newly signed Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) became law in August and will have implications for your educator preparation programs and for those providers that report pass rates for Title II (not Title IIA) reporting. We have been advised by Westat, to whom we report Title II, to expect changes, but to make no changes to data collection systems yet.
HEOA, in part, addresses the Teacher Quality Enhancements, which focus on accountability for programs that prepare teachers; teacher development; state functions; preparing teachers for digital age learners; as well as specific grants such as Adjunct Teacher Corps and Graduate Fellowships for High-Need Areas, and more.
With HEOA, there is an increased focus on partnerships; setting annual quantifiable goals to increase the number of teachers in math, science, special education, ELL, and other shortage areas; preparation in instructing students with disabilities and in teaching in urban and rural areas; as well as others.
Following are links that may be helpful to you:
A concise summary of provisions of HEOA that affect educator preparation programs (Title II) is located here.
The full text of the HEOA legislation is provided at the following link.
An overview of the complete HEOA legislation in the form of report to Congress can be found here.
We will keep you informed of updates regarding implications of HEOA with regard to Title II reporting as they come available. If you have questions, please contact Anne Marie Fenton at annemarie.fenton@gapsc.com or 404-232-2654.
LATEST ON GACE:
Use of GACE Computer Skill Competency (CSC) Assessment
For clarification, the GACE Computer Skill Competency (CSC) Assessment is designed as one path that educators can use to meet the Computer Skill Competency Certification Requirement. Paths to meeting the CSC Requirement are outlined specifically at http://www.gapsc.com/Certification/ComputerCompetency.asp. Please note that all educators who complete a GaPSC or NCATE approved program leading to initial educator certification since July 1, 2001, already meet the CSC requirement for initial certification, as the use of technology is embedded throughout program standards.
The GACE Computer Skill Competency Assessment is not designed to replace instruction in the integration of technology to meet the PSC/NCATE standards for educator preparation program approval. Although program providers may choose to use the GACE CSC Assessment as a tool for assessing candidates' technology skills, providers must not rely on the GACE CSC Assessment alone in preparing educators.
The GaPSC has created an Assessment Data Advisory Panel whose purpose is to make a positive contribution to the quality of educators in Georgia by assuring the quality of Georgia's educator certification assessment program. The panel is comprised of diverse representation from school systems, RESAs, public and private institutions of higher education, the Board of Regents, the Georgia Department of Education, the Governor's Office of Student Achievement, and others. The work of the Advisory Panel includes:
examining aggregate examinee performance on the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE);
examining data for each GACE Test, including Basic Skills, Pedagogy, Paraprofessional, Computer Skills Competency, and all content areas;
making recommendations to the GaPSC regarding GACE test(s) and/or score setting revisions;
making recommendations that impact practice and/or policy for improvement to the educator assessment certification program.
The Assessment Data Advisory Panel meets four times during this academic year.
GACE Data and Faculty Resources Virtual "GoToMeeting" Materials Available Online:
A series of five virtual information/help sessions were conducted in October and November 2008, for Institutions of Higher Education, School Systems, and RESAs that had program completers in the previous reporting year. The purpose of these electronic meetings was to help providers use the data that was provided in the Program Provider Summary Reports toward program improvement and to help them with accreditation reports.
In fostering collaboration across the unit and with external partners, providers were encouraged to invite representatives from across their units and their partners to attend this electronic meeting to learn more about:
making use of the GACE data;
additional GACE web resources for faculty;
this upcoming year's reporting (PAAR and web application) and Title II data process; and
providing any feedback to shape future reports.
Attendance and feedback from these virtual sessions were extremely positive. A description of the program provider summary reports and GACE faculty resources are available at http://www.gace.nesinc.com/GACE_faculty_resources.asp
ANNUAL DATA REPORTING FOR PROGRAM PROVIDERS
Data Notification and Streamlined Title II Process:
As you know, we have streamlined our data reporting process in order to better meet your needs. The benefits of these streamlined efforts to units and educator preparation programs include:
Providers will only have to report program completer data once. This year, the GaPSC, instead of the testing company, will work directly with each provider to verify the submitted data. This eliminates the provider working with multiple data formats;
Providers will receive Program Provider Summary Reports for all approved programs with completers, not just those programs that lead to initial certification as reported in Title II Pass Rate Summary Reports;
Providers will receive the Program Provider Summary Data at the end of the Spring Semester for the reporting year. This report includes data for all programs, even those with less than ten completers, and provides aggregate GACE performance by each subarea and objective for each test, as compared to statewide data.
Remember that the GaPSC cannot accept program completer data beyond the annual published deadline of November 15, 2008. (Since the annual due date falls on Saturday, submission may be made by the close of business on November 17th this year.)
If you need assistance, please contact:
For questions about PAAR (Higher Education) - PAAR@gapsc.com
For questions about Program Completer data submission (for RESAs and LEAs) - Phyllis.Payne@gapsc.com
For questions about the Title II process and Program Provider Summary Reports, or for suggestions about the GaPSC's Educator Certification Assessment Program, including GACE - AnneMarie.Fenton@gapsc.com
As always, please let us know what suggestions you have for our assessment program and how we can be of help to you.
As summer draws to a close and your academic year begins, we thank you for your strong commitment to education and for your continued collaboration toward helping us achieve our mission of building the best prepared, best qualified, and most ethical educator workforce in the nation.
Following are important updates on the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators™(GACE™) program. Thank you in advance for sharing this information as appropriate:
Additional Testing Dates in 2008-2009
Two supplemental testing dates have been added to the GACE program schedule for 2008-2009, which is now available at www.gace.nesinc.com
The 2008-2009 testing dates are:
August 23, 2008 (currently in the late registration period)
October 25, 2008
January 10, 2009
March 28, 2009
May 9, 2009*
June 13, 2009
July 18, 2009*
August 22, 2009
*Supplemental administration for Basic Skills and Early Childhood assessments only.
Score Setting for Ed. Leadership/ASL
The PSC Commissioners will be setting the scores on the Educational Leadership GACE and American Sign Language GACE at the August Commission meeting. Score reports for these two assessments (first administered on June 14, 2008) will be available to examinees on August 29, 2008. All other score reports from the June administration were sent as scheduled.
The GACE and Special Education
Although there are no changes in the GACE Special Education Assessment requirements, a new document that outlines GACE requirements for Special Education certification is available here and will also be included in the newly-revised Title IIA Handbook. The purpose of this document is to provide general guidelines for Georgia licensure testing requirements with regard to Special Education Certification and Requirements for Highly Qualified educators.
Annual Program Provider Summary Reports
The comprehensive Summary Report for each program provider that reports program completer information for Title II will be made available on August 13, 2008. The report has been greatly expanded from its original format and will include program completers' performance in each subarea and objective for each GACE test required for certification. This new report will also include a comparison to the statewide GACE averages, as well as aggregate assessment summaries.
Each program provider that reports program completer information for Title II will also receive an invitation for representatives to attend a virtual meeting (webinar) to learn more about how the information provided in the summary reports can be used for program improvement, as well as the Title II process and timeline for 2008-2009.
Best Source of Information
The GACE website is the best source of information for questions regarding test administration, test preparation, and related GACE issues, and is available at http://www.gace.nesinc.com/ For testing administration questions beyond what is provided on the GACE website, please contact the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson at 1-800-523-7064 (9am-5pm, M-F, excluding Holidays). If the GaPSC can be of service regarding educator testing, please email annemarie.fenton@gapsc.com or call 404-232-2654.
Again, we wish you a great start to this academic year. Let us know how we can be of help.
Following are important updates on the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators™(GACE™) program. Thank you in advance for sharing this information as appropriate:
GACE Rules of Test Participation
As you know, the GACE program helps you and GaPSC ensure that your candidates have the knowledge and skills needed to perform the job of an educator in Georgia public schools. Protecting the integrity of the test and the testing process is critical toward ensuring quality educators who are prepared to make a positive impact on P-12 learning. The GACE Rules of Test Participation are an important part of the testing integrity assurance. The GaPSC supports all existing GACE Rules of Participation outlined in the GACE Registration Bulletin.
By registering on the Internet, registering by telephone, or submitting a registration form (even if the registration form is received without a signature) for the GACE, examinees are agreeing to abide by the Rules of Test Participation.
Please be reminded in particular of the following Rules of Test Participation:
#4 - Purpose of the Test: "I understand that the tests are administered for the purpose of Georgia educator certification and are to be taken only by individuals who are seeking educator certification, who are applying for admission to a state-approved educator preparation program, or who are out-of-state teachers applying for Georgia educator certification. I certify that I am taking the test(s) for which I have registered for a purpose stated above."
#9 - Nondisclosure of Test Materials: "Because of the great cost expended to develop the Test Materials, because of the obvious necessity that they be kept confidential and secure from disclosure in order to fairly and effectively perform the test functions for which they were designed, and because any disclosure of part or all of the contents of the Test Materials to anyone might render them unusable for future test administrations, I promise and agree that I will not disclose the Test Materials or any part of them (including the form, subject matter, substance, and wording of any test question or any answer thereto) to anyone for a period of ten years from the date of the test administration to which such Test Materials pertain. I understand and agree that if I should violate this agreement of nondisclosure, I may be liable in damages for costs (including redevelopment costs) incurred as a result of any breach of this agreement, and I may also be subject to other legal and equitable remedies (in cluding injunctive relief) for any such breach. I understand that violation of this agreement of nondisclosure is a violation of the Georgia Code of Educator Ethics and is grounds for denial, revocation, or suspension of Georgia educator certification."
For the complete list of GACE Rules for Test Participation, please access the GACE Registration Bulletin available on the GACE website at http://www.gace.nesinc.com/
As you know, the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators™(GACE™) program helps you and the GaPSC ensure that your candidates have the knowledge and skills needed to successfully perform as educators in Georgia public schools. Following are important updates on the program:
Internet-Based Testing
The GACE Internet-based testing is now available at test sites across Georgia. Currently, the Internet-based Tests (IBT) for the Computer Skills Competency (CSC) assessment and the Paraprofessional assessment are available.
Contact your local Educational Technology Training Center (ETTC) at Georgia Department of Education, all of whom are currently offering the Computer Skills Competency (CSC) assessment or plan to offer the CSC assessment in the near future. GACE Internet-based testing may also be offered at your local RESA or school district. Inquiries about offering the CSC can be sent to pamela.eisermann@nesinc.com or visit the GACE website at http://www.gace.nesinc.com Inquiries about offering the Paraprofessional IBT can be sent to denise.cook@nesinc.com
Additional GACE Test Date
We are pleased to announce an additional administration of the Basic Skills assessment (Test Codes 200, 201, and 202) and Early Childhood Education assessment (Test Codes 001 and 002) scheduled for May 10, 2008. Information about the testing locations and registration will be posted on the GACE website at www.gace.nesinc.com.
The May 10, 2008, administration is in addition to the regular GACE administration test dates scheduled for June 14, 2008, and August 23, 2008.
Leadership GACE
Preparation for Educational Leadership Certification has changed substantially. Part of these changes includes a new GACE assessment in Leadership that will be administered for the first time on June 14, 2008. Anyone currently in a Leadership program (regardless of the program provider), or anyone interested in Leadership certification, should read PSC Educational Leadership Rule 505-2-.300, available at www.gapsc.com, very carefully. To register for the GACE Leadership Assessment (Test Codes 173 and 174), go to the GACE website. Preparation materials and the test framewo
rk can be found on the GACE Web site in May 2008.
The PSC will not accept PRAXIS Leadership test scores for score reports dated after March 15, 2008.
American Sign Language
The American Sign Language GACE (Test Code 150) will be offered for the first time on June 14, 2008. This American Sign Language assessment meets the testing requirement of the Foreign Language Education Program as described in PSC Rule 505-3-.20 Preparation materials and the test framework can be found on the GACE Web site in May 2008.
Best source of information
The GACE website is the best source of information for questions regarding test administration, test preparation, and related GACE issues, and is available at http://www.gace.nesinc.com For testing administration questions beyond what is provided on the GACE website, please contact the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson at 1-800- 523-7064 (9am-5pm, M-F, excluding Holidays). If the GaPSC can be of service regarding educator testing, please email annemarie.fenton@gapsc.com or call 404-232-2654.
Thank you for your continued collaboration toward helping us achieve our mission of building the best prepared, best qualified, and most ethical educator workforce in the nation.
Kelly Henson Executive Secretary Georgia Professional Standards Commission
