Preparing for the
Assessment Center
Workshop #9
CERRA National Board Candidate Support
Workshop Toolkit
WS9
2014
Essential Questions
• How can I schedule my assessment?
• What are the policies and procedures at the
assessment center?
• How can I prepare for the assessment center?
• What questions will be asked at the
assessment center?
• What resources do I have available to help
me?
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Basis of Assessment
• Asks you to demonstrate your content
knowledge in response to exercises designed
by educators in your certificate area
• Tests your knowledge that supports
accomplished classroom teaching
• May cover the entire developmental age
range included in the certificate
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Before Scheduling Your
Appointment
• Review your “Authorization to Test” (ATT)
received via My Profile.
• Confirm that the information (name, address,
NB candidate number, certificate area) on
your ATT is correct. Your name must be
exactly the same as your photo ID.
• If you need to make changes, go to the NB
website and follow the directions. Do not
schedule assessment until the ATT is correct.
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Before Scheduling (cont.)
• If applicable, check your specialty area (ex.
Career and Technical Education, English as a
New Language, Exceptional Needs Specialist,
Music, Science, World Languages).
• If you need accommodations, all requests
must be preapproved.
• Schedule your appointment as far in advance
as possible. May and June months fill quickly.
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Schedule your Appointment
• Online: www.pearsonvue.com/nbpts/ or
by phone: 888-288-3028
• Make sure you have your ATT in hand.
• Add two leading zeros to your 8-digit NB ID#.
• Have 1st and 2nd choices for testing centers.
• You’ll receive a confirmation letter (email or
snail mail). Check for correctness.
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Special Considerations
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Art candidates (1st time or retaking exercise 1)-– Bring
the art product you completed with you. Instructions
for creating this product will be included with ATT.
World Languages (1st time or retaking exercise 1) –Call to schedule your appointment and ask to speak
with the Accommodations Program Coordinator.
Testing Accommodations-- Wait until you receive your
confirmation of testing accommodations. Call to
schedule your appointment and ask to speak with
Accommodations Program Coordinator.
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Changing/Cancelling
Appointments
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Pearson website (www.pearsonvue.com/nbpts/) or by
phone 888-288-3028 (World Languages must call.)
Deadline is 24 hours prior to assessment.
Penalties
Fail to test
Deferment
Withdrawal
Reschedule your appointment within your authorized
testing window.
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Test Day
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Arrive 30 minutes early.
Dress in layers.
Security – show photo ID, photographed, palm vein scan, previous
Pearson test-takers will be fingerprinted.
Some candidates will record responses in a response booklet.
Bring a candidate ID bar code, see page 12 in “Assessment Center
Policy and Guidelines.”)
http://www.nbpts.org/sites/default/files/documents/CandidateCenter/2012_ACPG_final.pdf)
Art candidates--bring your art product.
Response booklet, pencil, and erasable note board are provided.
Online scientific calculator provided for math and science candidates.
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Testing Schedule
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Nondisclosure Agreement
Computer tutorial
Exercises 1-3
BREAK
Exercises 4-6
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5 minutes
10 minutes
90 minutes
15 minutes
90 minutes
Assessment Exercises
• Most consist of multiple prompts.
• Number of prompts displayed in right corner of
screen (ex. 1 of 4) to help you monitor/pace.
• Prompts designed to elicit content knowledge
• Scenario or a student profile may be
presented prior to prompt(s).
• Follow directions; answer all prompts.
• Timed (30 minutes) (clock will show time)
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Assessment Exercises (cont.)
• Most prompts focus on themes, ideas, and
principles that represent core concepts in a
certification area.
• Exercises may also address pedagogy—the
knowledge of how to teach the content.
• Prompts do not require recall of trivia or
obscure content.
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Responding to Prompts
• Before writing, read each entire descriptor,
scrolling down to read all its parts initially.
• Respond to all of the questions.
• You may include bulleted lists.
• Stay focused; avoid getting off topic.
• Note if prompt is asking for a certain number
of examples. Follow those guidelines.
• Write concisely, keeping aware of the time.
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Scoring
• Each entry scored independently by peers
• NS – not scored, not scoreable
Rubric
• Level 4 3.75–4.25 Clear, consistent, and
convincing
• Level 3 2.75–3.74 Clear
• Level 2 1.75–2.74 Limited
• Level 1 0.75–1.74 Little or no evidence
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Scoring (cont.)
• You will receive an individual score for each of
the six assessment exercises. Any entry
earning 2.75 or higher demonstrates
“achievement” for that entry.
• Grammar and spelling are not scored.
• Quality and depth are more important than
quantity.
• These six exercises weigh 6.67% each (40%
of your whole score).
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How to Prepare
• Review exercise descriptions and sample
exercises in Assessment at a Glance.
• Review scoring rubrics in Scoring Guide for
Candidates.
• Review Assessment Center Policies and
Guidelines.
• Review your Certificate Standards
• Use the tools on Pearson VUE website
www.pearsonvue/com/nbpts/
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Other Materials to Help with
Preparation
• Textbooks (students’ texts and teachers’
manuals)
• Websites
• Professional journals
• Resources recommended by other educators
• Recent publications pertaining to your
certificate area
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Dissect the Assessment
Center Descriptions
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Find the Assessment Center exercise description in
the Assessment at a Glance document.
Highlight key words or phrases in each description.
Identify applicable words or elements from NB
standards.
What do I already know/do that I can use for this
exercise?
What do I need to research or learn more about for
this exercise?
What resources are available to me?
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Examples
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In this exercise, you demonstrate your ability to
identify mathematical misconceptions or difficulty in a
student's work, to state the fundamental prerequisites
needed by this student in order to learn this particular
mathematical concept, and to plan an instructional
strategy based on real-world applications. You are
also asked to choose the materials and to provide a
rationale for your choice of these materials that will be
used to teach these prerequisites.
(Early Childhood Generalist Exercise 2: Mathematics)
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Examples
• In this exercise, you show an understanding of
the writing process. You are asked to read a
student response, identify and discuss
weaknesses, and provide strategies for
correction.
(EA/ELA: Early Adolescence English Language Arts Exercise 6:
Teaching Writing)
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Sample Topics
AYA-Sci-Chem (chemistry)
• Data Analysis, Interrelationships,
Fundamental Concepts
ECYA-Couns (Guidance Counselor)
• Human Growth and Development, School
Counseling, Diverse Populations
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More Sample Topics
ECYA-Lib (Media Specialist)
• Organizational Management, Ethical and
Legal Tenets, Technologies, Collection
Development
EC-Gen (Early Childhood Generalist
• math, science, social studies, children’s play
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In Summary…
• You may take an online tour of a Pearson
Professional Center on the Pearson VUE
website.
• You may access the Web Tutorial and Sample
Exercise on the Pearson VUE website to
prepare for the assessment center. This
contains representative NB content and
navigation functions. You can scroll through
an exercise for practice.
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NB Assessment Resource
On the NB website:
“Assessment Center: Policy and Guidelines”—
19-page document that will serve as a valuable resource in preparing
for the assessment center for first-time and retake candidates:
• Authorization to Test
• Scheduling/Rescheduling/Checking your appointment
• Reviewing exercises/Accessing on-line preparation tools
• Reporting to the assessment center and what to bring
• Assessment rules, duration
• Taking and completing the assessment
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More Information
National Board for Professional
Teaching Standards®
www.cerra.org
1-800-476-2387
CERRA
nationalboard@cerra.org
Virginia Bartels
virginia@cerra.org
CERRA National Board Toolkit
www.nbpts.org
1-800-22-TEACH
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