Preparing for the Assessment Center Exercises

2009 Annual Conference Southeastern VA NBCT Regional Network Amy Brown, NBCT Leigh Ann F. Hinsch, NBCT Hinsch,

INTRO: Assessment Center Exercises (ACEs)

PURPOSE: PURPOSE:  To demonstrate content knowledge in response to 6 exercises developed for your chosen content area TIMED EXERCISES: EXERCISES:  Up to 30 minutes to complete each of the 6 exercises FORMAT: FORMAT:  Computerized testing at 300+ sites across U.S.

Scheduling ACEs
BEFORE scheduling your ACEs:  Review the Guide to National Board Certification  Review the Assessment Center Policy & Guidelines  Review the Request for Testing Accommodations Form & Instructions These are all available at www.nbpts.org

Scheduling ACEs
BEFORE scheduling your ACEs, ensure:  eligibility forms are received & processed by NBPTS  all fees are paid in full* Forms & fees must be submitted & processed by January 31, 2010 for both first-time & retake firstcandidates. Log on to www.nbpts.org to check your candidacy status for all forms & payments.
*If youve been awarded grants from other sources, it is your responsibility to follow up with these sources to ensure timely payment of their portion of your fees.

Scheduling ACEs
At this point, you must wait to receive from NBPTS your Authorization to Test via U.S. mail. Upon receipt, verify accuracy of:  Name  Candidate number  Certification area  Specialty area Call 1.800.22TEACH to request corrections.

Scheduling ACEs
Candidates are eligible to test from early January 2010 to mid-June 2010. mid2010. Testing center locations are available at www.nbpts.org. www.nbpts.org.
FYI, the only local testing center* is: Pearson Professional Centers 825 Diligence Drive, Suite 120 Newport News, VA 23606 757.591.0766
*There are no testing centers on the Southside. The next closest testing center is in Richmond.

Scheduling ACEs
You may schedule your ACEs online or by phone*.  To schedule online, go to the Pearson VUE web site, www.pearsonvue.com/NBPTS, and click www.pearsonvue.com/NBPTS, on Schedule A Test.  To schedule by phone, call Pearson VUE Call Center at (888)288.3028, Monday Friday, 7:00 (888)288.3028, a.m. 7:00 p.m. CST (excluding holidays).
A confirmation letter will be either mailed or emailed to you once youve made your appointment for your ACEs. Verify accuracy of information contained therein.

Scheduling ACEs
Exceptions: Exceptions:


World Languages Other Than English (WLOE) candidates MUST schedule their testing by phone. Call (888)288.3028, and ask to speak to the Accommodations Program Coordinator to schedule to test in a private room. Art candidates are required to submit an ART PRODUCT during ACEs. Instructions & materials for creating the art product will be mailed with your Authorization to Test; you may wish to wait until youve received these items prior to scheduling your ACEs.

Rescheduling / Cancelling ACEs

You must contact Pearson VUE online www.pearsonvue.com/NBPTS) (www.pearsonvue.com/NBPTS) or by phone (888.288.3208) to reschedule or cancel your ACEs. A minimum of 24 hours notice is required to avoid penalty.*
*If you do NOT provide 24 hours notice of rescheduling / cancellation, NBPTS will assess you $175, which must be paid $175, within 30 days to provide you eligibility for rescheduling your ACEs. Visit www.nbpts.org for eligibility to defer or for procedures for NOT testing within your authorized testing window.

Preparing for ACEs

Review the exercise descriptions for your certificate area.  Review additional resource materials, including materials, retired prompts, provided in the Scoring Guide prompts, for your certificate area. Both the exercise descriptions AND the retired prompts and Scoring Guide for your certificate area are available at www.nbpts.org. www.nbpts.org.


Preparing for the ACEs

The Pearson VUE Web site offers the following resources to help you become familiar with the administration of the ACEs:


Step-byStep-by-step online scheduling guide (a 2-step process 2involving creating a web account containing a user profile & your email address) Pearson Professional Centers tour (floor plan & photos of testing center, testing center procedures & a short video of testing session) Interactive online tool containing representative NBPTS content & navigation functions for practice, scrolling through exercises & using the mouse and accompanying software

The Day of Testing

Plan to arrive 30 minutes prior to your testing appointment. Do not arrive more than 30 minutes early.  No one accompanying you will be permitted to wait in the assessment center or contact you during testing.  Dress in layers to accommodate varying room temperatures in the testing center.


The Day of Testing

Bring:  Authorization to Test  Sheet of bar code ID labels provided with your Authorization to Test*  Photo ID** bearing your signature (drivers license, military ID, passport)  Art product in plastic bag with bar code ID labels already affixed (for Art candidates only)
*For EMC/Art, EAYA Art, EA/Mathematics, AYA/Mathematics, EMC/Music, EAYA/Music, EA/Science, AYA/Science, and EAYA/World Languages Other than English candidates only **Names on Authorization to Test & photo ID must match!

The Day of Testing

Materials permitted in testing room:  Photo ID  Art product in plastic bag (Art candidates only)  Candidate ID bar code labels, if applicable  Response booklet (provided by assessment center only for Math, Music, Science & WLOE candidates)  No. 2 pencil (provided by assessment center only for Math, Music, Science & WLOE candidates)

The Day of Testing

Materials permitted in testing room (continued):  Erasable noteboard & pen (provided by assessment center to candidates)  Online scientific calculator (provided to candidates in certain certificate areas)  Minor comfort aids (see subsequent list)

The Day of Testing

Minor comfort aids permitted in testing room include:  Tissues (Kleenex)  Cough drops (taken out of wrappers)  Pillow or cushion  Eye glasses / hearing aids  Insulin pump attached to your body
NOTE: Candidates are permitted to take breaks above & beyond the scheduled break to use the restroom or take medication; however, time used is deducted from time allotted to test.

The Day of Testing

Materials NOT permitted in the testing room:  Personal calculators  Scratch paper  Photocopies of resource materials provided by NBPTS or others  Any items not listed on the previous lists of items permitted in the testing room

The Day of Testing

You MUST follow all instructions provided by Pearson VUEs testing center staff & on testing materials precisely. Failure to do so may result precisely. in your responses being disqualified or in your not being permitted to test. There are NO refunds of any fees associated with the ACEs.

The Day of Testing

Allow 3 hours 40 minutes for the testing experience, 3 hours of which is dedicated to actual testing (responding to the six 30-minute 30testing prompts for your certificate area). 40 minutes time is allotted for:  Checking in  Reviewing the computer tutorial  Taking a 15 minute break after the first 3 ACEs  Completing a candidate survey once testing ends

The Day of Testing

You must remain in the testing room at your assigned testing station for the duration of the ACEs (minus the optional 15-minute break). 15If you leave the testing room for any reason during the ACEs, you will be electronically fingerfingerprinted prior to exiting for re-entry purposes. reEar plugs will be available to reduce ambient noise. Testers in other areas other than National Board may be entering & exiting while you are testing.

The Day of Testing

Music Candidates:  Aural stimuli are used in three ACEs (Audio files are embedded in the testing software, and you will listen to clips using headphones provided by the assessment center)  One ACE requires a candidate response written in musical notation (to be recorded in the response booklet provided by the assessment center)

The Day of Testing

World Languages Other Than English Candidates:  The first ACE contains an oral component (speaking in the target language) which will be recorded at your computer. This recording will be done in a separate room at the assessment center to ensure proper testing conditions for you and for the other testers in the testing room.

The Day of Testing

The Non-Disclosure Agreement Non All National Board candidates are required to read & approve a non-disclosure agreement, nonproviding an electronic signature agreeing to its content.  By signing, you commit to maintaining the FULL CONFIDENTIALITY of ACEs content, specifically agreeing not to REPRODUCE or DISCLOSE any content in whole or in part to any person or entity.

The Day of Testing

The Non-Disclosure Agreement (continued) Non Failure to approve the non-disclosure agreement nonwill result in immediate termination of the ACEs.  Reproduction or disclosure of any testing content, in whole or in part, may result in serious penalty & consequences, including, but not limited to, legal prosecution and / or revocation of your National Board certification (if achieved).

The Day of Testing

After the tutorial, TESTING BEGINS!  You will be given 30 minutes 00 seconds to respond separately to each of the six testing prompts.  The time will appear on the computer screen and will count down during testing for each of the six prompts.  You may choose to reduce the clock during testing; however, when five minutes remains, the clock will re-appear on the screen until testing of rethe given prompt ends.

The Day of Testing

Each ACE is designed to elicit evidence of your content knowledge related to the focus of the exercise (described for each certificate area on www.nbpts.org). www.nbpts.org).


A scenario or student profile may be presented for you to consider before you respond to a (set of) prompts. If an ACE asks you to provide a specific number of examples in your response, do not exceed the requested number (excess content will not be scored). Depth & quality count; quantity does not!

The Day of Testing

A short candidate survey follows the completion of the ACEs. Assessment center staff will then collect the erasable noteboard & pen and all testing materials before you will be permitted to leave the testing room. You will again be electronically finger-printed fingerbefore being permitted to leave the testing room.

The Day of Testing

If you experience problems of any kind (technology(technology-related, atmospheric conditions, etc.), you will be permitted to signal to assessment center staff who will make every effort to accommodate your complaint or issue. You have 7 days from the date of testing to file written complaint of testing irregularities with NBPTS. Failure to do so prohibits you from appealing your score based on such complaints.

You can do this!!!

The ACEs seem rather daunting and at times, even intimidating. There is so much help available to you as you prepare for the ACEs. Take advantage of all resources available to you. There are differing philosophies on how & when to prepare and on when to schedule your ACEs. Do whats right for YOU! You can do this! Many candidates before you have, and we support you!

Review the Core Propositions

1. Teachers are committed to students & their learning. 2. Teachers know the subjects they teach & know how to teach those subjects to students. 3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning. 4. Teachers think systematically about their practice & learn from experience. 5. Teachers are members of learning communities.

Review Your Own Standards

For instance, ELA/AYA includes 16 Standard Domains, broken into three areas:
  

Preparing the way for productive student learning Advancing student learning in the classroom Supporting Student Learning through LongLongRange Initiatives

The Certificate Area Standards Reflect the Core Propositions From Preparing the Way for Productive Student Learning
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Knowledge of students (1, 3) Knowledge of English Language Arts (2, 4) Instructional Design & Decision Making (2, 4) Fairness, Equity, & Diversity (1, 2, 4) Learning Environment (1, 3, 4) Instructional Resources (2, 4, 5)

Assessment Center Exercises



  

Read description of Assessment Center Exercise for your certificate area. Although the topics are numbered, they may be presented in any order. What content knowledge will be assessed? What skills will be assessed? How does the Exercise reflect the Core Propositions and the Certificate Standards? Standards?

For Example
ELA/AYA : Analysis of Writing  Teachers will demonstrate an understanding of audience and purpose in writing and an ability to analyze techniques authors employ to make a passage effective. They will be asked to read a nonnon-fiction passage, discuss audience and purpose, and analyze techniques that make the piece effective for the audience and purpose.

What content knowledge will be assessed?

ELA/AYA : Analysis of Writing  Teachers will demonstrate an understanding of audience and purpose in writing and an ability to analyze techniques authors employ to make a passage effective. They will be asked to read a nonnon-fiction passage, discuss audience and purpose, and analyze techniques that make the piece effective for the audience and purpose.

What content knowledge will be assessed?

ELA/AYA : Analysis of Writing Writing  Teachers will demonstrate an understanding of audience and purpose in writing and an ability to analyze techniques authors employ to make a passage effective. They will be asked to read a nonnon-fiction passage, discuss audience and purpose, purpose, and analyze techniques that make the piece effective for the audience and purpose. purpose.

What skills will be assessed?

ELA/AYA : Analysis of Writing  Teachers will demonstrate an understanding of audience and purpose in writing and an ability to analyze techniques authors employ to make a passage effective. They will be asked to read a nonnon-fiction passage, discuss audience and purpose, and analyze techniques that make the piece effective for the audience and purpose.

What skills will be assessed?

ELA/AYA : Analysis of Writing Analysis  Teachers will demonstrate an understanding of audience and purpose in writing and an ability to analyze techniques authors employ to make a passage effective. They will be asked to read a nonnon-fiction passage, discuss audience and purpose, and analyze techniques that make the piece effective for the audience and purpose.

How does it reflect the propositions & standards?

ELA/AYA : Analysis of Writing  Teachers will demonstrate an understanding of audience and purpose in writing and an ability to analyze techniques authors employ to make a passage effective. They will be asked to read a nonnon-fiction passage, discuss audience and purpose, and analyze techniques that make the piece effective for the audience and purpose.

What Can I Expect???

ELA/AYA : Analysis of Writing  Teachers will demonstrate an understanding of audience and purpose in writing and an ability to analyze techniques authors employ to make a passage effective. They will be asked to read a non-fiction nonpassage, discuss audience and purpose, and analyze techniques that make the piece effective for the audience and purpose.  READ, UNDERSTAND, ANALYZE, DEMONSTRATE, EVALUATE (ANALYZE EFFECTIVENESS); Questions about AUTHOR TECHNIQUES, AUDIENCE, AND PURPOSE

Breaking Down the Exercises

ACTIVITY Use the handout provided to breakdown the guidelines for a certification area.

Preparing on Your Own



Go to your BOX or download your certificate information at www.nbpts.org  Standards Overview for Your Certificate Area  Assessment Center Exercise descriptions/overview  Retired prompts  Use the online tutorial prior to your test date!!!

Presenters
Amy Brown NBCT 2006 ELA/AYA Grafton High School, York County School Division abrown@ycsd.york.va.us Leigh Ann F. Hinsch NBCT 2004 EAYA/WLOE Lafayette High School, WilliamsburgWilliamsburg-James City County Public Schools hinschl@wjcc.k12.va.us

SEVA Website: www.sevanbctrn.org