test of teaching knowledge

test of teaching knowledge (TTK), any of various tests used to assess teachers’ knowledge before, during, and after teacher preparation programs. TTKs are designed to identify an individual’s degree of formal teacher preparation, if any, and to predict teaching success.

In general, three types of tests are used to measure teacher knowledge: tests of basic skills, tests of content knowledge, and tests of professional knowledge. Tests of basic skills are typically used for selection into teacher preparation programs. Although those tests are often criticized for their low cutoff scores, many educators hold that decreasing the passing rate may result in a less-diverse teaching force. In the United States, examples of basic skills tests include the Educational Testing Service’s (ETS’s) Praxis I: the Academic Skills Assessment and the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST).

Though educators may disagree about the relative value of pedagogical and academic content knowledge as the ultimate goal for licensing, tests of content knowledge and professional knowledge are usually required for credentialing and are typically completed as candidates near graduation. Candidates may take one or more content knowledge tests, depending on their licensure area. In the United States, ETS offers several Praxis II tests on subject matter as well as other tests that target academic and functional professional knowledge. Critics of professional knowledge tests challenge their utility as a licensing requirement, claiming that it is nearly impossible for an exam to determine an effective teacher. Those critics also claim that professional knowledge tests measure only general and academic knowledge rather than functional pedagogical knowledge and skills, and they question the validity of such tests as predictors of future teaching competence.

In the United States, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the federal government require teacher education institutions to report pass rates of their graduates on content and professional knowledge tests. A further requirement is the alignment of the TTKs with adopted state standards for teacher education, such as the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium standards and principles. In some states, candidates are required to satisfactorily complete an additional test at the end of their first or second year of teaching. Results of that performance assessment provide the final evidence required to issue ongoing or permanent licensure.