Georgia teacher certification tests, field 03: communicative arts, objectives and assessment characteristics [June 1992]

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Werner Rogers State Superintendent of Schools Georgia Department of Education

Georgia Teacher Certification
Tests
Field 03: Communicative
Arts Objectives and
Assessment Characteristics
Produced by Georgia Assessment Project
Georgia State University
For Georgia Department of Education
Division of Assessment Atlanta, Georgia
Objectives effective March 1990 First printing December 1989
First revised printingJune 1992

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The Georgia Assessment Project (GAP) at Georgia State University has prepared this set of objectives for the Georgia Department of Education (GDE). These objectives have been verified as important content and professional knowledge required for certification in communicative arts.
The objectives defined in this document are based on an extensive job analysis carried out by the Georgia Assessment Project. Approximately 1780 communicative arts teachers statewide provided judgments on a comprehensive set of communicative arts tasks. Then, working with the guidance of GAP and GDE staff, groups of highly skilled content specialists--communicative arts teachers, supervisors and teacher educators--examined the tasks and developed detailed descriptions of the knowledge that an educator must possess in order to perform those tasks competently. Over fifty content specialists participated in this process. The objectives described in this publication, and their relative weighting on the examination, reflect the consensus of these educators.
The objectives and assessment characteristics in this document are given to specially trained Georgia content specialists who write the actual test items. The items are then reviewed to ensure that they accurately assess the objective for which they are written and that they do not contain any element that will unfairly penalize the members of any group.
The purpose of providing these objective specifications is to define the content and professional knowledge required of an applicant for certification in this field. The information contained in this guide will assist you in preparing for the test. We encourage applicants to study these materials to enhance their understanding of the requirements of the field and to allow realistic and confident expectations about the nature of the Georgia Teacher Certification Tests.
Along with these materials go hopes for a productive and rewarding career in education. If you have questions or desire further information, please contact:
Teacher Assessment Unit Division of Assessment
Georgia Department of Education 1866 Twin Towers East Atlanta, Georgia 30334 (404) 656-2556
Werner Rogers State Superintendent of Schools

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Introduction
This guide is designed for those individuals who are preparing to take the Georgia Teacher Certification Test (TCT) in communicative arts. Classroom teachers from across the state of Georgia participated in the preparation of these objectives. These objectives became effective with the March 1990 administration of the TCT in communicative arts.
When preparing for the TCT, you should review each objective, content component and indicator. Carefully read the assessment characteristics and sample items that accompany them. The assessment characteristics and sample items are designed to show you how each objective will be assessed on the test. You should be aware that
1. Most TCT items are multiple-choice with four possible answers. Each multiple-choice item has only one correct answer.
2. There are no penalties for guessing.
3. While you will be given 3t hours of actual test time, you may request up to one hour of
additional time if needed.
4. There are different numbers of test questions for each objective. Look carefully at the content weighting information given with each objective statement on page 7 to see how important each objective is. The distribution of content across objectives is based on recommendations of content experts and practitioners. The distribution will remain the same in each edition of the test.
5. In order to pass the TCT, you do not have to pass each objective. The test score is determined by the number of correct answers on the total test.
Read the directions carefully before attempting to answer an item. Be sure you know what the item is asking you to do.
If you need assistance in test-taking strategies or dealing with test anxiety, please seek help through a college or university counseling center.
Acknowledgements
The Georgia Department of Education wishes to express its appreciation to the group of Georgia communicative arts educators who volunteered their time and expertise to develop these objective specifications.

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Using The Objective Specifications
Objective specifications define and describe the test content for a given certification field and are used to develop test items that will appear on the Georgia Teacher Certification Test for that field. Each objective is described in two ways. Objectives are first defined in a section called Assessment Characteristics. The assessment characteristics establish parameters for item development and describe items for that objective. A second section provides several sample test items for the objective.
Statement of the Objective Objectives have been constructed so that each statement contains three parts: a response term
(e.g., analyzes, identifies); a content term (e.g., literature, literary concepts); and a context (e.g., academic context, instructional context).
An objective might read, "The communicative arts educator analyzes literature and identifies literary concepts in academic or instructional contexts."
Assessment Characteristics
Assessment characteristics define what an objective is intended to test, that is, the acceptable range of content to measure an objective. The characteristics may include definitions, limits to the complexity of item types, or rules that specify which content can or cannot be used to assess the objective.
A content component further defines content within an objective (e.g., within Objective 02, "0210 - genres" is a content component). An indicator describes content within a content component (e.g., in Objective 02, "0211 - short story" is an indicator under the component "0210 - genres.") Some components have no indicators to subdivide them.
Examples Sample test items illustrate possible item content and formats used to assess each content
component or indicator of an objective. Examples are offered as suggestions, not as restrictive guides. Each sample test item in this document is labeled with a number and a descriptive phrase. Answers for sample items are indicated by bold italics.
Using the Objective Reference Numbers
The objective reference number is a six-digit code which identifies pertinent information about any test item. Objective reference numbers are used to designate test items by the objective, content component, indicator, and context for which they are written.
Prospective examinees should use the objective reference numbers only as a way of relating sample items to the content component or indicator which they illustrate or to determine the context in which an item is asked. Candidates should not concern themselves with learning the objective reference numbering system.
Each digit of the six-digit reference number contains specific information about a test item:
The first two digits (021101) identify the objective for which the item has been written. Objective 02 deals with literature and literary concepts.
The third digit (021101) indicates a specific content component within an objective. All
1 objectives have at least one content component. Content component for this objective refers to
genres.

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The fourth digit (021101) refers to an indicator, if there is one, within a content component.
Indicator 1 in this case n3fers to short story. If there are no indicators for the content component,
the fourth-digit is 2 (e.g., 01121).
The final two digits (0211 01) define the context in which the item is presented. Items for communicative arts have two possible contexts.
01 Academic context - Items written in this context require the recall or identification of facts. principles or concepts related to the field.
02 Instructional context - Items written in this context require the educator to assess specific situations, select appropriate instructional strategies. or evaluate student work.

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Field 03: Communicative Arts Objectives

Objective 01: Objective 02: Objective 03: Objective 04: Objective 05: Objective 06:

The communicative arts educator identifies and applies knowledge of the English language in academic or instructional contexts. This objective accounts for approximately 13-19 percent of the items on the test.
The communicative arts educator analyzes literature and identifies literary concepts in academic or instructional contexts. This objective accounts for approximately 25-31 percent of the items on the test.
The communicative arts educator identifies strategies for teaching the writing process and evaluates student writing in academic or instructional contexts. This objective accounts for approximately 18-24 percent of the items on the test.
The communicative arts educator identifies and applies principles of oral communication in academic or instructional contexts. This objective accounts for approximately 814 percent of the items on the test.
The communicative arts educator identifies and applies strategies for teaching reading in academic or instructional contexts. This objective accounts for approximately 10-16 percent of the items on the test.
The communicative arts educator identifies and applies principles of critical thinking in academic or instructional contexts. This objective accounts for approximately 8-14 percent of the items on the test.

Tel 03

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TEACHER CERTIFICATION TESTS Field 03: Communicative Arts
Objective 01: The communicative arts educator identifies and applies knowledge of the English language in academic or instructional contexts.
Assessment Characteristics:
Items for this objective assess the educator's understanding of the history, structure, and mechanics of the English language.
Content Component 0110 history of the English language
Items test the educator's knowledge of the English language in its historical aspect. While some items focus on the evolution of Modern English from earlier forms of the language, others may address present-day cultural and social factors that continue to shape the language.
The educator may be asked to identify
names and approximate dates of earlier forms of English, other languages that are related to English, general trends in the language over long periods of time, ways in which historical events have contributed to changes in the language, ways in which the development of English has been influenced by other languages, vocabulary that has come into general use through the influence of social institutions or
of new fields (e.g., terms from sports or computer science), general facts about the development of regional dialects, or meanings and derivations of common roots. prefixes, and suffixes.
Content Component 0120 grammar, usage, and syntax
Items test (1) the educator's ability to use English appropriately and (2) the educator's understanding of the structure of the language. Some items require the educator to recognize examples of appropriate or inappropriate usage. while others involve grammatical terminology and require the educator to identify or name syntactic elements.

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The educator may be asked to
identify parts of speech within a sentence; identify functions of words or phrases within a sentence (e.g., direct object. indirect
object); analyze the syntactical relationships among ideas in sentences (e.g., coordination,
su bordination); match syntactical terms with their definitions; identify the structure and functions of different types of sentences (e.g .. simple,
compound, complex, compound-complex; declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory); identify and apply rules for
agreement of subject and verb, agreement of pronoun and antecedent, formation of plurals, formation and use of appropriate tense, use of appropriate case, use of adverbs and adjectives, comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs, and avoidance of double negatives; distinguish between often-confused words (e.g., effect - affect; less - fewer); distinguish between standard and nonstandard American usage; select words that are appropriate for a given situation; recognize slang and colloquialisms as such; or distinguish between denotations and connotations of specific words.
Content Component 0130 mechanics
Items test whether the educator can identify and apply rules of the mechanics' of the English language. Items may test
spelling, capitalization, punctuation, or syllabication.

Examples for Objective 01:
011001
history of the English language
In English the word Qi9. is used to indicate the animal,
but pork is used to indicate food from a pig. This is a result of which historical development?
(A) the influence of Italian culture during the Renaissance
(8) the emphasis in Victorian England on polite language
(C) the influence of French on English following the Norman invasion
(0) the determination of the Catholic church to elevate language
012001
grammar, usage, and syntax
Did you see the woman who gave the dog that bone?
In the sentence above, dog is the
(A) direct object of the main clause. (8) indirect object of the main clause. (C) direct object of the relative clause. (0) indirect object of the relative clause.
012001
grammar, usage, and syntax
Which is a compound/complex sentence?
(A) After the play was over, we went to the cast party, but no one else came.
(8) After the play, we went to the cast party, stayed an hour and then went home.
(C) After the play was over, we rushed to the cast party and waited for the critics' reviews.
(0) After the play, we went to the cast party, had a good time and waited for the critics' reviews.

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012001 grammar, usage, and syntax
In which sentence is the underlined word used incorrectly?
(A) Studies have shown that stress can affect one's health.
(8) The affects of acid rain on the environment could be disastrous.
(C) Though he was actually deeply hurt, he affected indifference.
(0) The pianist's exaggerated mannerisms appeared unnatural and affected.
013001 mechanics
Which is punctuated correctly?
(A) John invited us to go; however, we were unable to attend.
(8) John invited us to go, however we were unable to attend.
(C) John invited us to go however, we were unable to attend.
(0) John invited us to go however we were unable to attend.

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TEACHER CERTIFICATION TESTS Field 03: Communicative Arts
Objective 02: The communicative arts educator analyzes literature and identifies literary concepts in academic or instructional contexts.
Assessment Characteristics:
Items for this objective assess the educator's knowledge of literary forms, works of literature, techniques of literary criticism, and approaches and techniques for eliciting student responses to literature.
Content Component 0210 genres
Items assess the educator's knowledge of the characteristics of literary genres and the contributions of major authors to each genre. While some items test the educator's recall of important facts, others require the educator to apply his or her knowledge to analyze a brief excerpt from one of the genres below.
Indicator 0211 short story Items test the educator's knowledge of
structure of the short story; development of the short story as a genre; characteristics such as plot, characterization, setting, and point of view as they relate
specifically to the short story; restrictions imposed on the short story by its form; and contributions of major short story writers.
Indicator 0212 novel Items test the educator's knowledge of
significant characteristics of the novel; development of the novel as a genre; major periods during which the novel flourished; types of novels (e.g., historical, romantic, science fiction, sociological); and contributions of major novelists.
Indicator 0213 nonfiction Items test the educator's knowledge of
major types and purposes of nonfiction writing (e.g.. biography, autobiography, essay, article, journal. etc.) and
contributions of major writers of nonfiction.

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Indicator 0214 drama
Items test the educator's knowledge of
distinguishing characteristics of drama, including both tragedy and comedy; major periods during which drama flourished: popular dramatic arts such as film and television; and contributions of major dramatists.
Indicator 0215 poetry
Items test the educator's knowledge of
characteristics of poetry that distinguish it from prose; development of poetry; purposes of poetry; types of poetry; concepts of rhythm and rhyme; figurative language and its function in a poem; verse forms; and contributions of major poets.
Items will not require the educator to analyze entire poems with regard to meter or rhyme scheme; however, some items may require the educator to match common types of rhythm and rhyme with their definitions or to identify examples of them in isolation.
Content Component 0220 bodies of literature
Items test the educator's familiarity with specific bodies of literature, the characteristics that typify them, and the social, cultural, and historical factors that helped shape them.
For each of the indicators listed below, items may require the educator to
match major authors with their works; match major authors or works with the period, movement, or style they represent identify major characteristics of literary movements; identify a brief literary excerpt as characteristic of a particular literary period, movement,
or style; recognize prominent themes within a particular body of literature; recognize social, political, or economic events that were occurring at the time a given
piece of literature was written; or recognize historical events depicted in works of literature.
Indicator 0221 English literature
Items test the educator's knowledge of significant works, authors, and concepts associated with major periods of English literature.
Indicator 0222 American literature
Items test the educator's knowledge of significant works, authors, and concepts associated with major periods of American literature. Some items focus on authors and works that represent specific ethnic and regional groups.

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Indicator 0223 world literature
Items test the educator's knowledge of significant works, authors, and concepts associated with major periods of world literature, including classical Greek and Roman literature and mythology. Indicator 0224 adolescent literature
Items test the educator's knowledge of significant works, characteristics, and uses of adolescent literature.
Content Component 0230 literary analysis
Indicator 0231 approaches to literature
Items assess whether the educator can identify and apply major concepts of literary theory and approaches to evaluating literature. Concepts may include historical, biographical, linguistic, and personal response approaches to literature. Items may also assess knowledge of instructional strategies for stimulating student response to literature. Indicator 0232 literary elements and devices
Items assess the educator's ability to identify and analyze major elements and structures of literature, including
tone, mood, point of view, characterization, setting, plot, style, theme, local color, satire, irony, and figurative language.
Items may require the educator to
match one of the above elements with its definition; read a brief literary excerpt and select the option that best characterizes it with regard
to one or more of these elements; or recognize mechanisms or devices in a text that contribute to the development of these
elements (e.g., examples of language used specifically to introduce local color).

Examples for Objective 02: 021101 short story
Which American author had a significant impact on the development of the short story?
(A) Hart Crane (B) Thomas Wolfe (C) Edgar AI/an Poe (0) Theodore Oreiser
021401 drama
Which American author is known mainly for drama?
(A) Eudora Welty (B) William Faulkner (C) Carson McCullers (0) Tennessee Williams
021501 poetry
Which verse form commonly consists of fourteen lines?
(A) sonnet (B) terza rima (C) rhyme royal (0) Spenserian stanza

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022101 English literature
Which period of English literature can be characterized by an increased emphasis on the individual and an organic concept of art?
(A) modern (B) Victorian (C) romantic (0) Neoclassical
022401 adolescent literature
In adolescent literature, the era of new realism in social problem novels is best identified with the publication of
(A) The Outsiders. (B) A Wrinkle in Time. (C) Seventeenth Summer. (0) The House of Dies Drear.
023102 approaches to literature
Which classroom activity is least likely to enhance a student's engagement with literature?
(A) listening to a lecture on the author's life (B) participating in the dramatization of a scene (C) identifying social problems in a work that still
exist today (0) comparing a character's action to one the
reader might take under similar circumstances

Examples for Objective 02: 021101 short story
Which American author had a significant impact on the development of the short story?
(A) Hart Crane (B) Thomas Wolfe (C) Edgar AI/an Poe (0) Theodore Oreiser
021401 drama
Which American author is known mainly for drama?
(A) Eudora Welty (B) William Faulkner (C) Carson McCullers (0) Tennessee Williams
021501 poetry
Which verse form commonly consists of fourteen lines?
(A) sonnet (B) terza rima (C) rhyme royal (0) Spenserian stanza

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022101 English literature
Which period of English literature can be characterized by an increased emphasis on the individual and an organic concept of art?
(A) modern (B) Victorian (C) romantic (0) Neoclassical
022401 adolescent literature
In adolescent literature, the era of new realism in social problem novels is best identified with the publication of
(A) The Outsiders. (B) A Wrinkle in Time. (C) Seventeenth Summer. (0) The House of Dies Drear.
023102 approaches to literature
Which classroom activity is least likely to enhance a student's engagement with literature?
(A) listening to a lecture on the author's life (B) participating in the dramatization of a scene (C) identifying social problems in a work that still
exist today (0) comparing a character's action to one the
reader might take under similar circumstances

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TEACHER CERTIFICATION TESTS Field 03: Communicative Arts
Objective 03: The communicative arts educator identifies and applies strategies for teaching the writing process and evaluates student writing in academic or instructional contexts.
Assessment Characteristics:
Items for this objective test whether the educator has the skills and knowledge necessary to guide students through all phases of the writing process and to provide effective feedback on students' writing.
Content Component 0310 writing .process
Items test whether the educator can identify and evaluate activities appropriate to each stage of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, publishing). Items may apply to any type of writing, including the research paper.
Items test whether the educator has the skills and knowledge necessary to guide students in
selecting a topic that is appropriate for a given purpose; limiting a topic to one of manageable scope; identifying and using sources of information, including
- encyclopedias and other reference works, - subject indexes, - journals and other periodicals, and - library card catalogs; outlining; drafting; using a dictionary or a thesaurus; revising; editing; proofreading; documenting (e.g., references, bibliographies); formatting; and publishing.
Items for this content component focus on the activities that are involved in the writing process rather than on the quality of the writing itself. Items may require the educator to recognize appropriate and inappropriate activities related to the points above, to identify an appropriate sequence of activities, or to identify the stage of the writing process that would incorporate a particular activity.

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Content Component 0320 composition
Indicator 0321 evaluation of student writing
Items test whether the educator can evaluate student writing with regard to the following elements:
appropriateness to audience, setting, or purpose clarity of expression organization style consistency of tense, point of view, etc. sentence structure diction language level use of examples or other support when appropriate use of transitional phrases when needed
Most items are based on samples of student writing. The educator may be asked to
select the option that represents the most accurate evaluation of a composition overall: recognize a poorly organized paragraph and identify changes that would improve
organization; identify the type of organizational pattern in a paragraph; identify sentences in a paragraph that detract from the main idea; select a new sentence that would contribute effectively to a paragraph if inserted at a
certain point; identify places in a paragraph where examples might be effective; identify places in a composition where transitional devices are needed; recognize inappropriate shifts in verb tense or point of view; recognize redundancy in a composition; recognize awkward, unclear, or ambiguous constructions; recognize poor sentence structure and identify appropriate revisions: recognize inappropriate word choice; or identify errors in mechanics or format.
Indicator 0322 classification of composition
Items test the educator's understanding of characteristics and purposes of different types of writing. Types of writing may include narrative, expository, descriptive. and persuasive as well as social, business, and personal writing.
The educator may be asked to
read a brief text and identify the type of writing it represents, select an appropriate assignment for a particular type of writing, or recognize and apply conventions associated with specific types of writing (e.g., correct
heading, salutation, punctuation, and closing for a business letter).

Examples for Objective 03: 031002 writing process
Looking, brainstorming, clustering, listing, and peerexchanges are part of which stage of the writing process?
(A) drafting (8) prewriting (C) publishing (D) editing/proofreading
031002 writing process
During the drafting phase of the writing process, the major concern of the student writer is
(A) choosing or limiting a topic. (8) developing the composition. (C) mechanics. (D) syntax.
031001 writing process
Which is NOT an appropriate source in gathering materials for a formal research paper on a clearly defined topic?
(A) interviewing someone (8) taking notes on newspaper articles (C) taking notes from several general
encyclopedias (D) listening and taking notes on a news
documentary

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032102
evaluation of student writing
1Progress in science has both good and bad sides. 2Scientific advances have made the world a more comfortable place, but they have made it more dangerous also. 3As a result of progress, the quality of our lives has improved, but a severe pollution problem has developed. 4Since we now live longer, we also have a larger population. 5This population growth has caused a rise in waste materials and automobile emissions that cause pollution. 61n fact, studies show that pollution is increasing even faster than the population. 7Advances in science have also led to social problems that grow and develop in densely populated, overcrowded cities that contain too many people.
Which numbered part of the paragraph should be revised to reduce repetition and increase the effectiveness of the paragraph?
(A) Part 2 (8) Part 4 (C) Part 6 (D) Part 7
032201
classification of composition
The cold stone cliffs, stark and uncompromising, loomed dark against a pale, empty sky. A solitary gull circled endlessly in the hollows between the cliffs, endlessly searching, endlessly finding nothing but nothingness. The echo of its lonely cry reverberated with a metallic emptiness. Far below, the waves lapped relentlessly, eternally against the rock.
The excerpt above is an example of which type of writing?
(A) descriptive (8) expository (C) narrative (D) persuasive

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TEACHER CERTIFICATION TESTS Field 03: Communicative Arts
Objective 04: The communicative arts educator identifies and applies principles of oral communication in academic or instructional contexts.
Assessment Characteristics:
Items for this objective test whether the educator has the skills and knowledge necessary to guide students in the preparation and delivery of speeches and in the development of interpersonal communication skills.
Content Component 0410 public address
Indicator 0411 preparation and content
Items test whether the educator has the skills and knowledge necessary to guide students in
selecting a topic appropriate to the occasion, the audience, and the abilities of the speaker;
differentiating among different purposes of speaking (e.g., to convey information; to persuade; to inspire; to entertain);
developing content appropriate to the purpose of the speech; organizing material; identifying language appropriate to the purpose and the audience; identifying and locating appropriate supporting materials; and using anecdotes or jokes (if appropriate) effectively.
Indicator 0412 presentation skills
Items test the educator's knowledge of skills and techniques used in oral presentation. Items address such points as
pronunciation (including vowel quality, articulation of consonants, stress and juncture, etc.);
techniques for improving vocal qualities such as resonance and volume; gesture and body language; eye contact; use of vocal variety to enhance communication; and techniques for overcoming nervousness.

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Content Component 0420 interpersonal communication
Indicator 0421 group discussion
Items assess the educator's ability to identify and apply principles of group discussion. Items address such topics as
ways to foster group discussion, types of large and small group discussion, benefits of specific discussion types and techniques, and appropriate uses of discussion techniques such as brainstorming.
Indicator 0422 listening
Items assess the educator's ability to identify techniques for successful listening and for fostering successful listening in students. Included in this indicator are purposeful listening, active listening, and critical listening.

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Examples for Objective 04: 041102 preparation and content
A student is preparing a speech that examines world population growth. The student plans to discuss each continent separately. Which pattern of organization is being used?
(A) chronological (B) causal (C) spatial (0) topical
042101 group discussion
Which is NOT a benefit of small group decision making?
(A) Small groups create a stronger commitment to the final decision.
(B) Small groups can increase understanding of the perspectives of others.
(C) Small groups can more easily convince others of their solution.
(0) Small groups can create better understanding of the problem.
042202 listening
Which is the least effective method of engaging students in applying techniques for successful listening in the classroom?
(A) a lecture
(B) dictation and note-taking (C) an open-ended discussion (0) role playing and small group discussion

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TEACHER CERTIFICATION TESTS Field 03: Communicative Arts
Objective 05: The communicative arts educator identifies and applies strategies for teaching reading in academic or instructional contexts.
Assessment Characteristics:
Items for this objective assess the educator's knowledge of methods of teaching and assessing reading skills.
Content Component 0510 reading assessment
Items test the educator's ability to assess student reading performance and to interpret test results appropriately. Items may require the educator to
identify techniques for assessing reading skills. including reading in content areas such as social studies or science;
recognize important formal reading assessment methods (e.g., criterion- or normreferenced tests);
recognize important informal reading assessment methods (e.g . Cloze tests, Informal Reading Inventory);
identify appropriate uses of formal and informal reading assessment methods; interpret the results of standardized tests; identify techniques for identifying students' reading interests at various ages; recognize factors that affect reading performance. both inside and outside the
classroom; or select an appropriate course of action based on information about a student's reading
performance.
Content Component 0520 developmental reading
Items assess the educator's ability to identify techniques and apply strategies for teaching developmental reading.
Indicator 0521 comprehension strategies
Items test whether the educator can
identify different purposes and types of reading, such as - skimming, - scanning, or - reading for detail;
identify specific strategies for teaching the types of reading enumerated above; identify strategies for teaching specific comprehension skills such as
- literal comprehension, - inferential comprehension, - critical evaluation, - identification of main idea,

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- recognition of cause and effect relationships, - identification of correct sequences of events, or - interpretation of tables, charts, and graphs; formulate questions, based on a given text, that would require students to use a specific comprehension skill; or evaluate a student's response to a text in terms of the type or level of comprehension skills it reflects,
This indicator is not intended to test the educator's own reading comprehension skills: however, items testing the educator's interpretive and critical reading skills may be included under Objective 02 (literature) and Objective 06 (critical thinking),
Indicator 0522 vocabulary development
Items assess the educator's ability to identify and apply strategies for teaching vocabulary development. The educator may be asked to identify
techniques for teaching sight vocabulary, techniques for teaching students to determine word meanings through the use of
context clues, techniques for teaching students to decode words phonetically, techniques for teaching vocabulary through structural analysis (e,g., recognition of word
forms such as contractions and plurals), appropriate exercises or assignments aimed at vocabulary development. or strengths and weaknesses of the various methods of vocabulary development.

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Examples for Objective 05: 051001 reading assessment
Which best describes the purpose of criterionreferenced tests?
(A) They compare students' performance on specified objectives.
(B) They indicate a grade level equivalent for students' performance.
(C) They indicate whether individuals have mastered specific objectives.
(0) They assess students' ability to use many skills simultaneously in an integrated way.
052102 comprehension strategies
Which is the least appropriate strategy for teaching . main idea?
(A) have students identify the topic sentence in a paragraph
(B) have students write a paragraph with a clear purpose
(C) have students write and discuss a definition of main idea
(0) have students summarize a paragraph
052202 vocabulary development
Which is the most appropriate word list to use to help a student enlarge his or her vocabulary?
(A) an alphabetical word list
(B) a root-ward-centered word list
(C) a word list from another English teacher (0) a word list from teachers in other disciplines

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TEACHER CERTIFICATION TESTS Field 03: Communicative Arts
Objective 06: The communicative arts educator identifies and applies principles of critical thinking in academic or instructional contexts.
Assessment Characteristics:
Items test the educator's ability to think critically in order to analyze texts or arguments, identify problems, and develop solutions.
Content Component 0610 critical thinking
Indicator 0611 principles of logic Items test the educator's knowledge of the most basic terminology and concepts of logic. Items are limited to the most fundamental concepts and do not require the use of logical symbols. The educator may be required to
match basic terms with their definitions, recognize the use of inductive or deductive logic. recognize a syllogism, or identify parts of an argument (e.g., premise. conclusion).
Indicator 0612 levels of thinking Items may require the educator to identify the levels of complexity in logical thinking processes. Examples of levels include knowledge level, comprehension level, application level, analysis level, evaluation level, or synthesis level.
Indicator 0613 problem solving and critical analysis Items assess the educator's ability to applyprinciples of problem solving and critical analysis. Problem-solving items test whether the educator can
recognize the nature of a problem, identify subgoals within the larger goal of solving a problem, establish schedules and priorities for achievement of goals, distinguish information that is relevant to the problem from that which is irrelevant, select an approach to solving the problem, formulate hypotheses related to problem areas, and recognize implications of the truth or falsity of a hypothesis. While some items are straightforward questions about general principles of problem solving, others are based on a brief scenario describing an imaginary problem.

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Items may also require the educator to read and critically analyze a text or an argument. Texts range in length from a few lines to several paragraphs. Types of texts include excerpts from essays, editorials, letters, dialogues, or advertisements.
Items may test whether the educator can
identify a question that is being raised in a text, identify the author's position with regard to the question, identify the points the author makes in support of his or her viewpoint, identify any assumptions underlying the author's argument, distinguish fact from opinion, distinguish implicit information from stated facts, recognize propaganda as such, recognize the use of emotion-laden words and phrases in an argument, recognize the use of specific words or devices to create the impression of authority
(e.g., statistics; technical jargon; "A study by leading scientists has shown that ... "), recognize euphemisms, recognize generalizations, recognize vague or ambiguous statements, recognize assumptions that are contrary to fact, recognize avoidance of a question, recognize circular reasoning or other faulty logic, recognize "proof" by failure to find a counterexample, or .identify the attributes of a good argument.
Since the purpose of this indicator is to test the educator's thinking skills rather than knowledge of the terminology of logic and rhetoric, items will not require the educator to identify specific devices or techniques (e.g., specific propaganda techniques) by name.
Items involving literary analysis of a text (i.e., items asking about literary elements such as tone, characterization, irony, etc.) are classified under Objective 02.

Examples for Objective 06:
061102
principles of logic
Which classroom activity would involve deductive reasoning?
(A) reading a story and then discussing theme (B) taking notes on short stories and then
reading a short story (C) combining sentences and then discussing
syntax and paragraph elements (0) listening to a speech and then discussing
criteria for effective speaking
061201
levels of thinking
Which question requires the most complex reasoning process?
(A) How did the main character react? (B) With whom is the main character in conflict?
(e) What judgment can you make about the
main character? (0) How do you think the main character felt
about the conflict?

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061301
problem solving and critical analysis
1 A high school student should be able to exempt a high school course by passing a special examination. 2 If a student is bright enough to read a textbook and understand the material without the help of a teacher, why should he have to sign up for the course? 3 It requires a lot of time to do the homework and prepare for every little quiz and test given in a course. 4 Wouldn't the student's time be better spent in some course for which he needed a teacher's help?
5 It is ridiculous to claim that a student cannot be fairly graded for a whole course based on one exam. 6 First of all, many colleges offer course credit for passing a special examination. 7 Also, most readers are probably thinking of a standard one-hour exam, but a special exam, lasting five or six hours, could be administered and would certainly give a fair assessment of what a student knows.
In which sentence does the author anticipate an argument for the opposing side?
(A) 3 (B) 4
(C) 5
(0) 6

Bl.

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Federal law prohibits discnmination on the basis ofrace, color or national origin (Title VI ofthe Civil Rights Act of1964); sex (Title IX ofthe Educational A mendments of1972 and Title II ofthe Vocational Education Amendments of 1976); or handicap (Section 504 ofthe Rehabilitation Act of1990) in educational programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance. Employees, students and the general public are hereby notified that the Georgia Department of Education does not discnminate in any educational programs or actwities or in employment policies. The following individuals have been designated as the employees responsible for coordinating the department's effort to implement this nondiscrimInatory policy.
Title II - Billy Tidwell, Vocational Equity Coordinator Title VI- Bill Gambill, ,4.ssociate State Superintendent ofSchools, Coordinator Title IX -Ishmael Childs, Coordinator SectIOn 504 - Wesley Boyd, Coordinator Inquiries concerning the application of Title II, Title IX or Section 504 to the policies and practices of the department may be addressed to the persons listed above at the Georgw Department of Education, Twin Towers East, Atlanta 30334; to the Regional OffIce for Civzl RIghts Atlanta 30323; or to the Director, Office for Civil Rights, Education Department, Washington, D.C.20201.

Test Administration Unit Division of Assessment Georgia Department of Education 1866 Twin Towers East , Atlanta, Georgia 30334-5030
FIRST CLASS
Test Administration Unit. Division of Assessment Georgia Departme,nt of Education. Atlanta, Georgia 30334-5030. (404) 656-2556
Werner Rogers. State Superintendent of Schools. 1992