PRAXIS TESTING FOR TENNESSEE LICENSURE

PRAXIS TESTING FOR TENNESSEE LICENSURE

Testing for licensure is changing across the country; changes are multiple and are being implemented to a great extent in Tennessee. Movement toward reduction of the number of tests required for the various endorsements is very real. (HOORAY!) Because of the Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) system now required of undergraduate and graduate/professional students seeking endorsement for early childhood, elementary, secondary education or music education, those students passing the TPA are not required to take a Principles of Teaching and Learning (PLT) exam previously required of all students. (Note: whether or not other states will require that the PLT test be taken is an unanswerable question at this point. If you plan to apply for licensure in other states that use PRAXIS testing, you might consider taking the PLT even though Tennessee doesn't require it after you've passed the TPA.)

Those who are already licensed teachers in Tennessee and are adding a new endorsement to their Tennessee license are exempted from the PLT as well. Those teachers must take only the specified content-specific tests for their added endorsement.

ETS no longer provides paper score reports to mail to test takers. Instead, ETS will notify you by email when your score(s) are available online. You have 45 days during which you can access your electronic score report; after 45 days, you can no longer access your scores unless you pay the $45 fee ETS charges from that point on. SUGGESTION: save your score report on your computer as a PDF file as soon as you first see it online, and make 3 or 4 color copies of your score report to store in your Professional Documents file so you can give a report to school systems/schools that may require them and will accept them directly from you.

Register online at praxis. Remember, this is PRAXIS II testing (NOT PRAXIS I). Tennessee automatically exempts you from PRAXIS I (basic skills testing) if you are an undergraduate and your SAT was 1020 or ACT was 22 or higher. If you will have a master's degree when you apply for initial licensure, you will be exempt from PRAXIS I testing in Tennessee. Other states may NOT have a similar exemption policy for PRAXIS I testing, however, so if you'll be seeking licensure in a state other then Tennessee, research that state's requirement for basic skills testing. More and more states are exempting licensed teachers coming into their state from taking basic skills (i.e., PRAXIS I) testing, but sometimes this policy is not advertised sufficiently. Delve deeper into testing requirements if there is any question about a state's basic skills testing requirements/exemptions.

HAVE SCORES SENT TO: ("Score Recipients")

1.

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY (CODE 1871)

2.

TN DEPT OF EDUC (CODE 8190) IF YOU TAKE ONE OR MORE OF THE

TESTS IN A STATE OTHER THAN TENNESSEE.

TIPS FOR PRAXIS II REGISTRATION praxis

1.

Register early in the academic year you plan to take the tests. Decide which kind of testing you want to do

(traditional testing on paper on national test dates or via computer-based testing via a Prometric Testing Center

anywhere in the country. Registering early for the year might be an advantage for finding a seat on the date you

want to take the test, and for applying for financial aid from ETS. It normally takes about 30 days to get reports on

tests that have essay sections, so if you're graduating in May, try to have all testing done by mid-March so there is

no delay in becoming eligible for licensure recommendation as soon as you graduate. You may graduate without

having PRAXIS II testing completed, but you may not be recommended for Tennessee licensure until the test

scores have been received at Vanderbilt. (ETS will charge the $50 registration fee only one time in an academic

year--even if you use more than one test date during that year. Also, for application to ETS for financial aid it is

particularly important to register early (before the financial aid allotment for that test date is given away by ETS).

2.

Be SURE to have a score report sent to Vanderbilt (code 1871). If you take any one of the tests outside the state of

Tennessee, you must also have a score report sent to the TN DOE (code 8190). (If you take the tests within the

State of TN, scores automatically will be sent to the TN DOE, so you don't have to have them sent.) BE SURE THAT

YOUR REGISTRATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (print from the ETS website after you've registered) INDICATES

THAT SCORES WILL BE COMING TO VANDERBILT. BE SURE TO PRINT AND KEEP A COPY OF YOUR REGISTRATION RECEIPT/ADMISSION TICKET WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED ONLINE REGISTRATION.

3.

If you experience any difficulties at the test site when you take the test, be sure to lodge a formal complaint (in

writing) with the test administrator before you leave the testing room.

4.

BE SURE TO PROVIDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER WHEN YOU REGISTER. YOU CAN TRUST THAT IT

WILL BE HANDLED CONFIDENTIALLY. NOT GIVING YOUR SS# CAN CAUSE A SERIES OF PROBLEMS WITH

STATE DEPARTMENTS OF EDUCATION AND ISSUANCE OF THE LICENSE.

Vanderbilt students, collectively for the past many years, pass the PRAXIS II exams at a 99-100% pass rate (according to the schedule dictated by state and federal regulations). Recommendation: Prepare for tests by at least by reviewing the "Tests At a Glance" information on the ETS website for the tests you need. This information includes an overview of the schedule for each test (i.e., what percentage is multiple choice vs. free response, etc.) and provides sample questions and responses, etc. There are also more substantial preparation manuals for many of the tests available for purchase from ETS (information is available on the praxis website) and some publications in bookstores (i.e., VU Rand Bookstore, Davis-Kidd Booksellers, chain stores). To get to "Tests at a Glance," on the front page of the ETS/PRAXIS website, go to State Requirements, use the pull down list and click on Tennessee. Then find the title of the test you're seeking and click on it. The "Test at a Glance" (TAAG) information will appear.

You may take the tests in any state(s), but if you don't take the tests in Tennessee, it is IMPERATIVE that you have score reports sent by ETS to both Vanderbilt (code 1871) and Tennessee code 8190. These codes are referred to by ETS as "Score Recipient Codes."

See the information below regarding which tests are required, as of 9/1/2015, for which endorsements for Tennessee licensure. Note that some tests have been replaced by new tests; when registering for tests, be sure to use the test codes and titles below. Disregard PRAXIS information provided previously to avoid taking tests that are no longer accepted for Tennessee licensure. Also remember exemptions from the PLT for those passing the TPA in the Department of Teaching and Learning.

TESTS REQUIRED FOR TENNESSEE LICENSURE-Programs offered by Vanderbilt University (Effective June 1, 2016)

Every Initial License Applicant is required to take one of the PLT Exams (unless they are exempted by passing the TPA at their institution or they are applying for a non-teaching license such as school counseling)

Praxis Test Code/Title*

Passing Score

5621: Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Early Childhood 155 OR

5622: Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) K-6 158 OR

5623: Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) 5-9 158 OR

5624: Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) 7-12 155

SPECIALTY AREA TESTS

Endorsement Area

Test Code

Test Title

Passing Score

*** 126 Biology 6-12 *** 127 Chemistry 6-12

467 Early Childhood Education PreK-3

*** 128 Earth Science 6-12 130 Economics 6-12 120 Elementary Education K-5

159 490 466 132 133 125 428 429 *** 129 426 ** 486

* 487

425

**** 461

English 6-12 English as a 2nd Language PreK-12 Gifted Education PreK-12 Government 6-12 History 6-12 Mathematics 6-12 Music (Vocal/Gen.) K-12, or Music (Instrumental/Gen) K-12 Physics 6-12 Psychology 9-12 Reading Specialist PreK-12 School Counselor PreK-12

Sociology 9-12 SPED-Comprehensive K-12

**** 459 SPED-Preschool ECE PreK-3

**** 463 SPED-Hearing PreK-12

5235 Biology: Content Knowledge

148

5245 Chemistry: Content Knowledge

152

5024 Education of Young Children

160

5018 Elementary Education: Content Knowledge

163

5203 Teaching Reading: Elementary Education

162

5571 Earth & Space Science: Cont. Knowledge

146

5911 Economics

150

5017 Elementary Educ.: Curr, Instruc, & Assess

153

5203 Teaching Reading: Elementary Education

162

5018 Elementary Education: Content Knowledge

163

5038 English Language Arts.: Content Knowledge 167

5361 English to Speakers of Other Languages

143

5358 Gifted Education

157

5931 Government/Political Science

149

5941 World and U.S. History: Content Knowledge 136

5161 Mathematics: Content Knowledge

160

5114 Music: Content and Instruction

162

5265 Physics: Content Knowledge

144

5391 Psychology

154

5301 Reading Specialist

164

5421 Professional School Counselor

156

5952 Sociology

154

5545 Spec. Educ.: Core Knowledge & Severe to

153

Profound Applications

5203 Teaching Reading: Elementary Education

162

5354 Spec. Educ.: Core Knowledge & Applications 145

5691 Spec. Educ.: Preschool/Early Childhood

159

5203 Teaching Reading: Elementary Education

162

5354 Spec. Educ.: Core Knowledge & Applications 145

5272 Ed. Of Deaf & Hard of Hearing Students

160

5203 Teaching Reading: Elementary Education

162

**** 460 SPED- Modified K-12

144 Interventionist K-8

5543 Spec. Educ.: Core Knowledge & Mild to

153

Moderate Applications

145 Interventionist 6-12

5203 Teaching Reading: Elementary Education

162

* 498 SPED-Spch/ Lang Pathologist PreK-12 5331 Speech/Language Pathology

162

**** 462 SPED-Vision PreK-12

5354 Spec. Educ.: Core Knowledge & Applications 145 5282 Spec. Educ.: Teaching Stu w/ Visual Impair. 163

5203 Teaching Reading: Elementary Education

162

NOTE: Secondary Academic Content Endorsements (6-12) and 9-12 require only the subject-

specific Content Knowledge Exams. (Note: the PLT is NOT required for students who pass the

TPA in Peabody's Department of Teaching and Learning.)

Footnotes to previous listings:

* Note:

Candidates seeking licensure in early childhood education PreK-3 or preschool/early childhood special education PreK-3, are encouraged to take the Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) Early Childhood or PLT K-6. Candidates seeking licensure in elementary education K-6 are encouraged to take PLT K-6. Candidates seeking licensure in middle grades 4-8 are encouraged to take PLT 5-9. Candidates seeking licensure in secondary education areas are encouraged to take PLT 7-12. Candidates seeking licensure in K-12, or PreK-12 areas may choose from PLT Early Childhood, PLT K-6, PLT 5-9, or PLT 7-12.

Candidates for licensure as School Counselor and Speech/Language Pathologist are required to take only the content knowledge exam for the endorsement (no PLT is required for these endorsements).

** Note: Candidates for the Reading Specialist endorsement must hold a valid Tennessee Teacher License and have 3 years successful teaching experience.

*** Note: Candidates who already hold a license in science seeking an additional endorsement in biology, chemistry, earth science, or physics will be required to take only the content knowledge exam for endorsement in the additional science area.

**** Note: Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications is required for the following special education area: hearing, vision, and preschool/early childhood. Teaching Reading: Elementary Education, is required for the following special education areas: modified program, comprehensive program, hearing, vision and preschool/early childhood.

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