Endorsement Exams in Washington
Originally uploaded by jackhynes
In the fall of 2008, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) unveiled a revamped exam for endorsement certification. To earn an ELL or Bilingual Education endorsement, the candidate must complete an accredited education program, and then take the state-mandated exam, followed by an in-class practicum called the Field Experience.
Previously, this exam was known as the Praxis 2 and has been administered by Educational Testing Services. In the 2008-2009 academic year, the Praxis 2 has been joined by the WEST-E. These two tests will be offered until July 2009, when the WEST-E will become the sole qualifying exam for the ELL and Bilingual Education endorsements.
To help clarify the changes that have come about from this innovation, we want to point out some of the key differences between these two exams.
1. Cost: $130 for either Praxis 2 or WEST-E. Either test is offered every month or every second month. You can view a complete schedule of the WEST-E test dates here: http://www.west.nesinc.com/WA7_testdates.asp
You can view a complete schedule of the Praxis 2 test dates here: http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/?vgnextoid=f81bf53940a29110VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD&vgnextchannel=ba855ee3d74f4010VgnVCM10000022f95190RCRD
2. Format: The Praxis 2 is a 2-hour, multiple-choice test. It covers the following content areas: Analysis of Student Language Production (25%), Linguistic Theory (23%), Teaching Methods and Techniques (30%), Assessment Techniques and Cultural Issues (15%), and Professional Issues (7%). You can learn more about the content of the Praxis 2 here: http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/PRAXIS/pdf/0360.pdf
The WEST-E is also a multiple-choice exam in which the candidate has up to five hours to complete 50 questions. It covers the following content areas: Language and Literacy Development (18%), Culture (18%), Planning and Managing Instruction (28%), Assessment (18%), and Professional Leadership (18%). You can learn more about the content of the WEST-E here: http://www.west.nesinc.com/PDFs/WA_FW_051.pdf
3. With the Praxis 2, it has been possible to complete one exam for both the ELL and Bilingual Education endorsements when the education program for each is completed simultaneously. Endorsement candidates would then need only complete one Field Experience practicum. With the advent of the WEST-E, there are now separate exams for ELL and Bilingual Education, so the candidate must complete separate tests for each endorsement, and conduct two separate Field Experience internships.
We hope that this cursory outline will help illuminate the changes that have taken place with endorsement procedures here in Washington. Please let us know in the comments if you have taken the new WEST-E. Did you find that this new exam addressed adequately the issues and concepts that you learned in your training for the endorsement(s)?