PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The state of Arizona is committed to maintaining a body of educators capable of enhancing student achievement and meeting the demands and expectations of the state's dynamic and diverse society. In November 1997, the Arizona State Board of Education adopted rules regarding the evaluation of educators applying for state certifications. The rules require that applicants for teacher certification pass a test of subject knowledge. Candidates for teacher certification must also pass a test of professional knowledge. The Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments® (AEPA®) were designed to ensure that each certified teacher has the necessary knowledge to teach in Arizona public schools. Legislation also requires that applicants for administrator certification take the appropriate test for the Superintendent, Principal, or Supervisor certificate.
The AEPA address areas covered by the Arizona Academic Standards, the Arizona Professional Teaching Standards, and the Arizona Professional Administrative Standards. The tests are criterion referenced and objective based. A criterion-referenced test is designed to measure a candidate's knowledge in relation to an established standard of performance (a criterion) rather than in relation to the performance of other candidates.
The explicit purpose of these tests is to help identify candidates for certification who have demonstrated the level of professional knowledge and skills judged to be important for Arizona educators. The purpose of the Basic Skills test is to provide an assessment that may be used by Arizona educator preparation programs for the purpose of assessing the basic skills of students in educator preparation programs.
A set of objectives was developed for each test field to serve as the basis for test content. The test objectives reflect certification standards, curriculum materials, and content of educator preparation programs in Arizona. The objectives are broad, conceptual statements written in language that reflects the skills, knowledge, and understanding that an entry-level educator needs to practice effectively in Arizona schools. Each test is composed of questions that measure a candidate's mastery of these test objectives. Each objective consists of two major parts: the objective statement, which broadly defines the subject matter that an entry-level educator needs to know, and the descriptive statement, which provides examples of the types of knowledge and skills covered by the test objective. The objectives for each field can be found on the AEPA Web site by selecting "Test Objectives."
A content validation survey, involving randomly selected Arizona school personnel as well as Arizona college and university faculty members, was conducted for each set of test objectives. Each survey participant reviewed the objectives for his or her field to ensure that the objectives selected for the tests are important to the job of an Arizona educator and reflect the knowledge and skills that teachers and administrators use in Arizona public schools. The test questions and exercises are matched to specific objectives that were verified as valid by panels of Arizona educators.
Description of the Tests
The AEPA program includes the following categories of tests. See "Test Selection" for a complete list of tests.
| Test Type | Test Description |
| Professional Knowledge Tests | These tests (Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary) measure pedagogical knowledge and skills and include approximately 100 selected-response (multiple-choice) questions and three written performance assignments. |
| Subject Knowledge Tests | Each subject knowledge test measures content knowledge of a specific subject area as defined by the Arizona Academic Standards. Most subject knowledge tests include approximately 100 selected-response questions and one written performance assignment. Subject knowledge tests for French, German, and Spanish contain approximately 55 selected-response questions (including questions assessing reading and listening comprehension), a written expression performance assignment, and an oral expression performance assignment. |
| Constitutions of the United States and Arizona Test | This test measures content knowledge of the provisions and principles of the United States and Arizona Constitutions. The test contains approximately 100 selected-response questions. |
| Administrator Tests | There are three Administrator tests. The Supervisor test includes approximately 100 selected-response questions and one written performance assignment. The Superintendent and Principal tests each include approximately 100 selected-response questions and four written performance assignments, which include two assignments relating to a case study, an educational issue assignment, and a work product assignment. Examinees will receive a single combined score for the test. |
| Basic Skills Test | The Basic Skills test was developed for the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to provide an assessment that may be used by Arizona educator preparation programs for the purpose of assessing the basic skills of students in educator preparation programs. The Basic Skills test is composed of three subtests: Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Mathematics. The Reading Comprehension and Mathematics subtests each contain approximately 42 selected-response questions. The Writing subtest contains approximately 42 selected-response questions and one written performance assignment. Passing the test is not a requirement for an Arizona teaching certificate. |
Tests may include test questions that do not count toward an examinee's score. These questions are placed on the test in order to collect information about how they will perform under actual testing conditions.
2009–2010 AEPA Registration Bulletin
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved.
Evaluation Systems, Pearson, P.O. Box 226, Amherst, MA 01004