Put to the TEST

It seems scary, but passing Praxis isn't impossible. With workshops and tutoring, students can build the skills they need to succeed.

For many future educators, Fear Factor is much more than just a wildly popular reality stunt show. Too often it's a major obstacle to surviving the dreaded Praxis I and II, tests 35 states require for certification as a highly qualified teacher.

Coupled with the fear is poor preparation and that's the dual problem NEA hopes to crack by awarding $10,000 teacher testing support grants to state affiliates in South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Vermont, and Indiana.

The Praxis failure rate is particularly high among minority college students who attended high-poverty rural and urban secondary schools in the South, says Nesa Chappelle, a policy analyst in NEA's Teacher Quality Department supervising the grant program. As part of NEA's ongoing effort to increase teacher diversity, much of the grant money will focus on assisting these students.

Many who want to teach can't get past Praxis I, the basic skills test necessary for entering many teacher education programs.

"Students get very nervous and fearful," says Mark Joseph, chairman of the South Carolina Education Association Student Program, a partner with the state affiliate in the testing grant. Joseph, a senior at Claflin University in Orangeburg, sees poor preparation in high school as the reason for the failures; but, he puts some of the onus on students as well. "They often don't take the necessary time to see where their weaknesses lie," he says.

For many students, reading comprehension presents the biggest stumbling block, says Chappelle. "They need a lot of work to reach the high level of analytical and creative thinking that the test requires," she says. Meanwhile, many needy students, some of whom are English-language learners, also lack the vocabulary necessary for a passing score, she adds.

So, the South Carolina grant project will focus on strengthening those skills. At least 350 education students at Allen University, Benedict College, Claflin University, Morris College, and South Carolina State University—all historically black colleges and universities—will have access to a Praxis study guide, on-campus test-prep workshops, and tutorials to build their reading, writing, and math skills.

Although Joseph, an aspiring third-grade teacher, already has passed Praxis I and II, he urges his fellow students to take advantage of available tutoring and continuously use the practice programs in the university computer lab to prepare for the test. "I try to get students to believe in themselves, to have a positive outlook, and to expect that with preparation great things will happen," he says.

A few hundred miles away in Indiana, students also are struggling with Praxis and feeling the same test anxiety, says Marilynn Edwards, grant project coordinator for the Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA). Math seems to be the greatest hurdle. So, ISTA will use its grant funds for testing support classes that address test anxiety and mathematics skills development, targeting minority students on three urban commuter campuses.

"It's difficult," she says. "Many other things, family and jobs, are going on in students' lives. They're fragmented and brains can absorb only so much. But, if retirements go as projected, Indiana will be in a real bind by 2010. We need to increase the number of teachers who look like the students they're teaching."

Many states exempt students with good SAT scores from Praxis I and that's just what happened to Shannon Monette and many of her cohorts at the University of Vermont. Much of Vermont's grant will go toward workshops and training to help these students and some teachers already in the field pass Praxis II—the licensure portion of The Praxis Series—in their content areas. "There's so much uncertainty," says Monette, a junior and chairperson of the state's Student Program. "We all wonder how well the classes we've taken in college will prepare us for what's on the Praxis."

Many students encounter problems when writing what are called "constructive responses" to the case studies presented on Praxis II, says Chappelle. Students' essays need to show they understand content plus educational theory, which can pose a problem for alternative-route teachers who haven't taken education courses, she says. NEA helps them find the resources to learn the theory they need to know.

"Because someone does not pass the test doesn't mean he or she wouldn't be a good teacher," says Chappelle. "But, given the times we live in, it is a requirement. We have no choice."

—Mary Anne Hess

Calling All Teachers

Cassandra Montgomery's 12th-grade teacher in Montgomery, Alabama, was more than a teacher to her—she was the person who inspired her to become an educator. When Montgomery, a special education major at Alabama State University, graduates in May she hopes she'll influence her students in the same way and spark their interest in teaching.

With African Americans and Hispanics comprising only 21 percent of teachers in the state, educators like Montgomery are hard to come by. But, the Student Alabama Education Association (SAEA) hopes to change that with help from a $5,000 NEA minority recruitment grant.

"Minorities and males have traditionally stayed away from teaching because of monetary issues and lack of respect for the teaching profession," says Sandra Jackson, state organizer for SAEA. "We are hoping to show everyone what a rewarding profession this truly is."

Ready for the Test? Then visit the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administers The Praxis Series. Here you'll find information about registering for the test, cost, testing dates and locations, and licensure details for states that require Praxis. You also can download sample questions, content outlines, and purchase study guides.

The SAEA will target minority students at Alabama State University and encourage them to pursue teaching and join the Association. Training workshops on test anxiety and developing good writing and reading skills will play an integral role in this effort and prepare students for Praxis II and the state-mandated Alabama Prospective Teacher Test, a basic-skills tests students must pass to receive a teaching certificate. Montgomery, the central regional coordinator for SAEA, says the workshops could help more students overcome their apprehensions about taking the tests.

"Many students get so worked up about this test that they forget they actually do know the information and probably will do well," she says.

Montgomery hopes the workshops and other recruitment strategies will convince more minority students to consider teaching. If students see more minorities in education it might encourage them to follow in their favorite teacher's footsteps, just like Montgomery did. Jackson agrees.

"By having more minority teachers in the classroom, there is a potential for children to see their teachers as role models, someone they can look up to and become aware of their own possibilities," says Jackson.

—Urmila Subramanyam

Fast Fact During the 2002-2003 year, the NEA Student Program increased its membership by 12.6 percent (6,713 members)—the highest percentage increase of all NEA member groups.

Just Go 'Click!' Joining the NEA Student Program has never been easier. With a few keystrokes and a click of the mouse, prospective members can now join online and get immediate access to NEA programs and resources. Shelley Christ, a master's student at South Carolina's College of Charleston, led the way as the first member to join when the new format debuted in August. Nearly 4,000 students joined during the first month alone! "I would have enrolled regardless of it being online or not, but it did make the process easier," says Christ, an aspiring elementary teacher. "Several people in my classes have inquired about how to sign up and I simply direct them to the Web site." Until now students who joined often would not get their bonanza of Association perks for several months. That's because forms for active members typically get processed first. Now, through online enrollment, student information is fed into the general database and members get immediate access to Tomorrow's Teachers, NEA Today, OWL.org, NEA Member Benefits, and $1 million of liability insurance. They also receive e-mail welcome messages from NEA President Reg Weaver and Student Program Chairperson Dawn Shephard, as well as a new member CD-ROM. "The benefits of NEA are great," says Christ. "Being a part of NEA has helped me build rapport with my fellow students and has helped demonstrate my commitment to education." Sign up now with a credit or debit card.

From the NEA Professional Library

Teacher to Teacher

"Welcome to the profession that makes all other professions possible! You're embarking on a career that's exciting and challenging, and the fact that you've chosen to be a teacher says a lot about the kind of person you are.

Perhaps the most defining characteristic of people entering the teaching profession is a unique brand of pragmatic idealism. Teachers have a real desire to do some good in the world. They realize that a teacher's dedication, enthusiasm, and genuine concern have the power to change the course of a student's life.

Over the next decade, two million new teachers are expected to join America's work force. Yet many of these beginners feel that the training they've received has not prepared them for the demands of today's real-world classrooms. In addition to ageless issues such as classroom management and student discipline, they face a number of contemporary challenges, such as the demand of high-stakes testing and greater accountability, the growing number of students from widely diverse backgrounds and cultures, and the inclusion of special-needs students in general education classrooms.

As new teachers tackle these challenges, they often find that veteran teachers are their most valuable resources. These seasoned practitioners are in the trenches every day. They've asked the same questions and faced the same dilemmas as the teachers who are just starting out."

—Sabrina Holcomb

From The Ultimate Beginner's Guide, part of the NEA Professional Library Teacher-to-Teacher series. Available for $12.95. For a copy, call 800/229-4200 or visit http://store.nea.org/.