FTCE Professional Ed (083) Book + Online

by Erin Mander PhD, Tammy Powell M.Ed., Chris A. Rose

Overview

REA's FTCE Professional Education (083) Test Prep with Online Practice Tests
Gets You Certified and in the Classroom!

REA's FTCE Professional Education (083) test prep is designed to help you master the information on this important exam, bringing you one step closer to being certified to teach in Florida. It's perfect for college students, out-of-state teachers, and career-changing professionals who want to teach in Florida.

Developed by Florida teacher education experts, our complete study package contains an in-depth review of the pedagogy and professional practices assessed on the FTCE Professional Education (083) test, including: instructional design and planning, student-centered learning environments, knowledge of the Code of Ethics and Principles of Professional Conduct of the education profession in Florida, and more.

REA's online diagnostic test and two full-length practice exams are based on today's FTCE Professional Education test. Our targeted materials let you thoroughly measure your test-readiness, based on every competency, type of question, and skill you need to know. The online practice tests at the REA Study Center come with automatic scoring, timed testing conditions, and diagnostic feedback to help you zero in on the topics and types of questions that give you trouble now, so you can succeed on test day.

The book includes the same two practice tests that are offered online, but without the added benefits of automatic scoring analysis and diagnostic feedback.

If you're looking to teach K-12 in Florida, turn to REA!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780738611662
Publisher:	Research & Education Association
Publication date:	06/27/2014
Series:	FTCE Teacher Certification Test Prep
Edition description:	Sixth Edition, Revised
Pages:	306
Sales rank:	218,579
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.70(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Dr. Erin Mander is president of Mastermind for Coaching, formerly known as Mastermind Educational Consulting. As the head of the company, Erin spends countless hours coaching individuals, helping them answer the questions that matter most, and ultimately aiding them in moving forward in their lives and careers. Beyond focusing on one-on-one coaching, Dr. Mander provides leadership training through the K–12 school
system as well as through speaking engagements. She provides professional development, FTCE test preparation for Florida teacher candidates, and curriculum planning/strategic analysis. A certified teacher who has worked in the educational field for more than 25 years, Dr. Mander started as a middle-level instructor/curriculum coordinator and now oversees coaches equipping professionals to navigate all aspects of life.

With respect to the foundations of this FTCE study guide, Dr. Mander’s Seminole County-based coaching firm is focused on relating learning experiences that make up the building blocks of successful test preparation: overcoming test anxiety, mastery of key skills/concepts, and understanding time management. Dr. Mander holds a B.A. in kinesiology from Wheaton College, an M.A. in curriculum and instruction from Walden
University, and an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Central Florida.

Tammy Powell received her undergraduate degree from the University of Central Florida and her master’s degree in K–12 Mathematics and Instruction from Concordia University. She is a Florida state-certified teacher who has been working in education in Orange County for the last 27 years. Currently a fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Powell has taught adult test preparation classes, and elementary, middle, and high school,
specializing in math and science. She is certified by the State of Florida in Elementary Education (K–6), Mathematics (5–9), Journalism (6–12), and English Speakers of Other Languages (K–12). She also has a reading endorsement.

Chris A. Rose is a specialist in teacher-certification exam preparation and professional certification review. Mr. Rose started his career at the University of Central Florida’s Executive Development Center in the College of Business, and has continued to build on his management and business relationship strengths at the Corporate College at Seminole State College, where he has guided the Business and Industry Support Center as well as other continuing education programs.

Expert Reviewer

Timothy R. Blair was Professor Emeritus in Reading/Literacy Education at the University of Central Florida. His Ph.D. was awarded in Early Childhood/Elementary Education with a major in Reading at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He his experience including working as an elementary-classroom teacher and reading teacher at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels. Dr. Blair authored several college textbooks on reading methods and assessment, and textbooks in multicultural teacher education.

Read an Excerpt

Passing the FTCE Professional Education (083) Test

Congratulations! By taking the FTCE Professional Education (083) test, you are on your way to a rewarding teaching career. This book and the online tools that come with it give you everything you need to succeed on this important exam, bringing you one step closer to being certified to teach in Florida.

REA’s FTCE Professional Education Book + Online Prep package includes:

• A complete overview of the FTCE Professional Education test

• A comprehensive review of every competency

• An online diagnostic test to pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses and focus your study

• Two full-length practice tests, both in the book and online, with powerful diagnostic tools to help you personalize your prep

• Detailed answer explanations that not only identify the correct answers, but also explain why the other answer choices are incorrect

There are many different ways to prepare for the FTCE Professional Education test. What’s best for you depends on how much time you have to study and how comfortable you are with the subject matter. Our book and online tests give you the tools you need to customize your prep so you can make the most of your study time.

How to Use This Book + Online Prep

About the Review

The review chapters in this book are designed to help you sharpen your command of pedagogy and professional practices to help you excel on the FTCE Professional Education test. All the skills required for each of the eight competencies are discussed at length to optimize your understanding. Keep in mind that the education courses you have taken thus far have taught you what you need to know to answer the questions on the test. You already possess the know-how to understand and make important decisions about professional situations involving students.

Our review is designed to help you relate the information you have acquired to Florida’s specific competencies. Studying your class notes and textbooks together with our review will give you an excellent springboard for passing the exam.

About the REA Study Center

We know your time is valuable and you want an efficient study experience. At the online REA Study Center (www.rea.com/studycenter), you will get diagnostic feedback right from the start on what you know and what you don’t know.

Here’s what you’ll find at the Study Center:

• Diagnostic Test—Your diagnostic score report will pinpoint topics where you need further review, to help you focus your study.

• 2 Full-Length Practice Tests—These practice tests give you the most complete picture of your strengths and weaknesses. After you’ve studied with the book, test what you’ve learned by taking the first of two online practice exams. Review your score report, then go back and study any topics you missed. Then take the second practice test to ensure you’ve mastered the material and are ready for test day.

Each online practice test comes with these valuable features:

• Automatic Scoring—Find out how you did on your test, instantly.

• Diagnostic Score Reports—Get a specific score tied to each competency, so you can focus on the areas that challenge you the most.

• Detailed Answer Explanations—See why the correct response option is right, and why the other response options are incorrect.

• Timed Testing—Learn to manage your time as you practice, so you’ll feel confident on test day.

An Overview of the Test

Who Takes the Test?

The FTCE Professional Education test is taken by teacher candidates seeking certification in Florida. Passing this test is one of the requirements for your first five-year Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate.

You are eligible to take the test if you are:

• Enrolled in a college or university teacher-education program

• Teaching under provisional certification

• Making a career change to public school teaching

Consult the Florida Department of Education’s Bureau of Educator Certification at www.fldoe.org/edcert to determine which tests you need to take.

What Is the Format of the Test?

All FTCE tests are computerized. The FTCE Professional Education test is strictly a multiple-choice exam, but you’ll find distinctive types of questions that we’ll help you to recognize. In general, the 120 multiple-choice questions require various levels of critical thinking—mirroring the classroom imperative to promote exactly this among your future students. You will encounter three basic types of questions, or items:

• Direct question. Your task is to select the answer choice that best answers the question.

• Sentence completion. Your task is to select the answer choice that best completes the sentence.

• Scenario. Your task is (a) to evaluate a situation, problem or case study, and then (b) select a response that answers a question, makes a diagnosis or offers a recommended course of action.

Each question has four answer choices labeled A, B, C, and D. You will have 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete the exam.

Who Administers the Test?

The test is developed and administered by the Florida Department of Education in collaboration with the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson Education, Inc. Official information on the test is available by contacting the test developer at:

FTCE/FELE Customer Service Evaluation Systems
Pearson
P.O. Box 660
Amherst, MA 01004-9018
Phone: [phone] (toll free) or [phone]
Website: www.fl.nesinc.com

How do I Register for the Test? Is There a Registration Fee?

To register for the exam, visit the official test website (www.fl.nesinc.com) and follow the instructions. (First-time users will be required to create an account.) You can register for the test online anytime. The test requires a registration fee, which may be paid by personal check, money order, cashier’s check, or Visa or MasterCard.

How is the Test Scored?

According to the Florida Department of Education, depending on which FTCE test form you take, you will need to get about 71 percent of the items correct to pass. So out of 120 items, you need to answer approximately 85 correctly to be successful. This equates with a scale score of 200. This brings us to a common procedure in standardized testing called “equating,” which means that the required number of correct responses “varies based on the number of scorable test questions and the difficulty of the questions on a given test form,” as the Florida DOE puts it. Equating is done to equalize varying levels of item difficulty as represented on different test forms. For example, test-takers must answer more questions correctly on an easier form of the FTCE test than on a more difficult form in order to end up with the same passing scale score of 200.

When Will I Receive My Score Report?

Official test scores are released within four weeks of the testing date. You will receive an email notifying you when your official score report is available in your account. An unofficial score report will be provided immediately after your testing session.

Can I Retake the Test?

If you don’t do well on the FTCE Professional Education test, don’t panic! You can take the exam again, and in fact, many candidates do. Retakes are available after a waiting period of 31 days. You must reregister for the exam and pay a retake fee.

REA’s “6 + 6” Test-Taking Strategies and Tips

A good bit of your success on this test will hinge on your ability to be alternately strategic and tactical in your plan of attack. Our “6 + 6” plan will help get you through. We’ll cover six key FTCE-specific strategies plus six key test tips that apply to most standardized tests.

A major part of succeeding on the FTCE Professional Education test is figuring out how to decode the items as efficiently as possible. Regardless of the type of question, each test item is rooted in a specific competency and descriptive statement. Be sure to use our review to familiarize yourself with the competencies and skills associated with the Professional Education certificate.

Each test-item stem contains clues and limiters to help you narrow down the correct answer. Picking the correct response option depends on your ability to identify the competency implied in the item stem and selecting the response that matches the parameters established in the stem.

At first, any of the four response options may seem plausible. In fact, picking the correct response does not mean that the other responses will thereby represent abjectly or otherwise obviously poor choices. Instead, you need to consider which response option best fits the parameters of the stem. In other words, the correct response is conditional or situational because it applies specifically to the circumstances presented in the stem.

Six Strategies to Decode FTCE Test Items

FTCE Strategy #1. Read the item stem slowly and carefully. While you will be interacting with a computer screen, you will also be given scratch paper on which you can make relevant notes to help you work through the items.

FTCE Strategy #2. Pay attention to any limiters included in the stem, such as initial, best, most (as in “most appropriate” or “most likely”), first, required or necessary. In items that include these and similar terms, the limiters will enable you to eliminate response options that might work in the scenario but do not fit with the limitation established by the stem.

FTCE Strategy #3. On the basis of the previous two strategies, identify the FTCE competency that is being addressed by the stem. Inferring the targeted competency will enable you to eliminate response options that do not apply to that competency. Identifying the competency represented by the item stem is the most crucial step in ensuring that you respond correctly to the item.

FTCE Strategy #4. Read each response option carefully. This is not a time for skimming. Circle or underline any terms that seem particularly important in the responses. Do not expect obvious wrong answers or “trick” responses. FTCE test items are constructed to activate higher-order thinking skills that reflect the certification candidate’s breadth of knowledge in the tested competencies and skills.

FTCE Strategy #5. Do not pick your response hastily. As you go about eliminating three of the four response options, make sure you understand why the response is wrong—why it does not fit the parameters established by the stem.

FTCE Strategy #6. When you make your response choice, double-check yourself by asking how the response fits the limitations established by the stem. Think of the stem as a puzzle piece with a blank that can be filled perfectly by only one of the response options.

Table of Contents

About the Authors
About REA
Introduction
Passing the FTCE Professional Education Test
How to Use This Book + Online Prep
An Overview of the Test
REA’s “6+6” Test-Taking Strategies and Tips
Studying for the Test
The Day of the Test
Diagnostic Test

Content Review

Chapter 1: Competency 1—Instructional Design and Planning
Key Vocabulary
Understanding Instructional Planning
Creating Variety in Learning Experiences
Developing a Culturally Responsive Classroom
Applying Learning Theories
Monitoring Student Performance and Developing Patterns for Intervention
Review Questions
Summary

Chapter 2: Competency 2—Student-Centered Learning Environments
Key Vocabulary
Organizing the Learning Environment
Managing Behavior
Fostering Support for All
Communicating
Review Questions
Summary

Chapter 3: Competency 3—Instructional Delivery and Comprehensive Understanding of Subject Matter
Key Vocabulary
Motivating and Challenging Students
Providing Meaningful Student Feedback
Developing Critical and Creative Thinking Skills
Differentiating Instruction
Integrating Technology
Facilitating Academic Intervention
Focusing on Content-Area Literacy
Review Questions
Summary

Chapter 4: Competency 4—Assessment Strategies for Determining Impact on Student Learning
Key Vocabulary
Connecting Key Terminology
Understanding Effective Assessment
Differentiating Formative and Summative Assessments
Recognizing Types of Assessment
Integrating Technology
Review Questions
Summary

Chapter 5: Competency 5—Relevant Continuous Professional Improvement
Key Vocabulary
Valuing Professional Learning Communities
Utilizing a School Advisory Council
Becoming Reflective Practitioners
Understanding Professional Development Standards
Examining Types of Educational Research
Review Questions
Summary

Chapter 6: Competency 6—Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
Key Vocabulary
Code of Ethics and Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida
Review Questions
Summary

Chapter 7: Competency 7—Research-Based Practices for Teaching English Language Learners (ELLs)
Key Vocabulary
Understanding the Jargon
Applying Regulatory Laws
Recognizing Language Acquisition
Connecting Instructional Theorists
Evaluating ESOL Instructional Models
Differentiating for ELL Students
Review Questions
Summary

Chapter 8: Competency 8—Literacy
Key Vocabulary
Understanding Key Instructional Practices
Developing Content-Area Vocabulary
Fostering Reading Comprehension
Developing Higher-Order Thinking Skills
Selecting Appropriate Resources
Review Questions
Summary

Practice Test 1 (also available at www.rea.com/studycenter)
Answer Key
Answer Explanations
Answers Sorted by Competency

Practice Test 2 (also available at www.rea.com/studycenter)
Answer Key
Answer Explanations
Answers Sorted by Competency

Answers Sheet for Practice Test 1
Answers Sheet for Practice Test 2
Glossary
References
Index