FTCE - Florida Teacher Certification Examination

ABOUT THIS BOOK REA's The Best Teachers' Test Preparation for the FTCE English 612 Test is a comprehensive guide designed to assist you in preparing to take the FTCE, which is required in Florida to teach English in grades 612. To enhance your chances of success in this important step toward your career as a teacher in Florida schools, this test guide features: An accurate and complete overview of the FTCE English 612 The information you need to know about the exam A targeted review of every competency and skill Tips and strategies for successfully completing standardized tests Diagnostic tools to identify areas of strength and weakness Two full-length, true-to-format practice tests based on the most recently administered FTCE English 612 Detailed explanations for each question on the practice tests, enabling you to identify correct answers and understand not only why they are correct but also why the other answer choices are incorrect INTRODUCTION: CHAPTER 1 This guide is the result of studying many resources. The editors considered the most recent test administrations and professional standards. They also researched information from the Florida Department of Education, professional journals, textbooks, and educators. The result is the best test preparation materials based on the latest information available. ABOUT THE FTCE ENGLISH 612 What Does the Test Cover? The following table lists the competencies used as the basis for the FTCE English 612 and the approximate percentage of the total test that each competency entails. These competencies represent the knowledge that teams of teachers, subject area specialists, and district-level educators have determined to be important for beginning teachers. A thorough review of all the competencies, as well as the specific skills that demonstrate each, is the focus of this book. Competencies and Percentages of Total Test Items 1. Knowledge of the English language and methods for effective teaching 20% 2. Knowledge of writing and methods for effective teaching 20% 3. Knowledge of the use of the reading process to construct meaning from a wide range of selections 20% 4. Knowledge of literature and methods for effective teaching 20% 5. Knowledge of listening, viewing, and speaking as methods for acquiring critical literacy 15% 6. Knowledge of the methods for integration of the language arts 5% 7. Ability to write well on a selection from poetry or prose, including fiction or nonfiction * * The writing section comprises 30 percent of the score for this subject area test. Scores for the FTCE English 6-12 Test aggregate the multiple-choice questions score and the performance (essay) score based on these weightings: 70% multiple-choice, 30% essay. The exact number of multiple-choice questions you will need to correctly answer to pass the test will depend upon how well you do on the essay and, in truth, on which of the several forms of the test you are administered. However, for all practical purposes, you'll want to consider 70%, or 60 questions, as your benchmark. Be aware, however, that, according to the Florida Department of Education on examinations like the FTCE English 6-12 which include written or oral performance components, "percentages are not provided because scoring these examinations involves a more complex process to arrive at 'combination scores' or 'part scores.' One result of this is that on performancebased examinations, several different combinations of multiple-choice and performance test scores may result in the same passing scale score of 200 for the FTCE." [read more]