GUIDING CONCEPTIONS AND ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLES FOR THE PRAXIS SERIES: PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENTS FOR BEGINNING TEACHERS™

Abstract

This paper discusses underlying beliefs about teaching that are related to the assessment of prospective teachers and elucidates some basic beliefs that are guiding the development of new types of assessments for new teachers. These new assessments are called "The Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers(TM)." Differences among learners are of critical importance in the teaching-learning process. In addition to the different requirements of different students, there are different requirements for teaching different subjects. Teachers need to develop an instructional repertoire and skill in selecting appropriate procedures from this repertoire. In constructing the Praxis Assessments, teaching tasks have been grouped into four broad domains for discussion, analysis, and assessment: (1) organizing content knowledge for student learning; (2) creating an environment for student learning; (3) teaching for student learning; and (4) teacher professionalism. Each task domain must be examined from thought and action perspectives. This view of teaching and learning has implications for any assessment construction and implementation, but especially for the performance-based assessments that will be a component of The Praxis Series. An appendix lists 12 learner-centered psychological principles. Two figures illustrate the domains. (SLD)