M E M O R A N D U M
TO: Members, Indiana Professional Standards Board
FROM: Nancy C. Taylor, Preservice Consultant
DATE: June 21, 2000
SUBJECT: Proposed Qualifying Scores for Praxis II Specialty Area Tests
Attached is a chart of 12 Praxis II specialty area tests to be implemented in fall 2001, and the proposed qualifying scores for each.
Also attached is the proposed rule amending 515 IAC 1-4-1 and 1-4-2, to insert the acceptable scores for the 12 tests. A public hearing and action on the proposed rule are scheduled for the September 2000 meeting of the Indiana Professional Standards Board (IPSB). Action at that time will give candidates, licensing advisors and unit heads ample opportunity to inform candidates of the required scores. The proposed rule also makes a number of other changes, deleting tests no longer offered, clarifying the application of certain tests to present licensing patterns, and conforming language to other recently adopted rules.
As background, the IPSB heard a presentation on the proposed scores in January 2000. In March 2000, the Board approved the proposed scores for the purposes of drafting the rule. The most meaningful resource on which to base a recommendation for qualifying scores for a licensure exam is the Standard Setting Study Report itself. Next is evidence collected of a state's own candidates' performance on a pilot test; since we did not have the opportunity to pilot these tests in Indiana, the next best available information was provided by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in the form of projected bass-fail rates based on one year of national data, using Indiana's proposed qualifying scores. Finally, an additional effort was to contact representatives of other states to learn how their candidates were performing on each of those states' qualifying scores and comparing those scores to our proposed scores. Staff used all of the above resources in determining the proposed scores which are attached to this memo.
As a reminder, standard setting studies will begin this fall to address four additional tests: biology, chemistry, physics, and teaching students with mental retardation. The results should be available in February 2001 for rule adoption in June 2001.
Attachments: Chart of 12 Proposed Qualifying Scores for Praxis II Specialty Area Tests
Draft Rule #00-78, amending 515 IAC 1-4-1 and 1-4-2