Edith Said:

Does anyone know of a good Praxis 1 online study guide?

We Answered:

The website where you can sign up for the Praxis test has some practice tests for you to do. I'm not really sure. I didn't study at all for the Praxis I test and did just fine. It is honestly just about reading comp, writing, and simple math!

Holly Said:

Has anyone taken the Praxis 1...?

We Answered:

The Praxis I is really easy. It is all high school level information. It's probably about as hard as the SAT. If you feel the need to study, look at some SAT prep books.

Rene Said:

Advice for a futre Elemantay teacher in Florida?

We Answered:

Here's a good place to start for more info: http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/level2.asp

Joan Said:

Tell me what is this Charter about? Is this a bunch of baloney i.e.?

We Answered:

Agreed. The author(s) of this attempt at obvious obfuscation are basically chasing their tale. It literally doesn't really mean anything. Interpersonal communications, or speaking to one another in a manner easily understandable and actually communicating an idea or knowledge is what teachers do. I mean "Classroom Communities of Speech and Emancipatory Pedagogy and Praxis" WTF??? Was this written by, attorneys? Congress? Class room communities of speech is almost oxymoronic. It's a load of crap and seems to be something to confuse teachers and administrators and could probably be used to control teachers and their lesson plans and subject matter.

Catherine Said:

Advice for Praxis II Elementary Education Content Knowledge (0014)?

We Answered:

I had to take for both Elementary Education and Elementary Special Education, but that was back in 2004, so I don't know how much help I can be. But I'll do my best.

1. I passed the first time (barely on the Special Ed essay test), but I don't remember my scores off the top of my head. I have that at home in my portfolio.

2. The multiple choice part was rather easy in my opinion--like a 2. The essays were a little more difficult, esp. the special ed. part--maybe a 9.

3. I don't remember a whole lot, except know your acronyms, laws/court cases, and know how to do the "How would you use _______ in this situation" type questions.

4&5. I honestly didn't study much, if at all. I was right in the middle of student teaching in addition to working 2 jobs to help pay for the stupid tests, lol. I was under the Bush administration, too, so I practically had to memorize the No Child Let Behind handbook for a class anyway, which helped a lot.

Sorry if I'm not terribly helpful. It was 5-1/2 years ago when I did mine.

Harold Said:

What should I know for the PRAXIS I test?

We Answered:

The Praxis I is very similar to how the SATs are now: there is a reading section, math section, and a writing section. The reading section is all passages and answering questions (like, what is the main idea). The math covers a variety of basics like algebra, angles, radius, area, averages, etc. The writing is in three sections: One is writing an essay on a provided topic and the other two are grammatical questions. These questions are broken into two parts: picking out any possible errors in a sentence and deciding whether an underlined part of a sentence is written well or if alternatives are better.

If you did well on the SATs, this should not be a problem. However, I strongly suggest practicing, as it is on the computer, which is a much different experience. Also, it is best to familiarize yourself with the format, particularly the writing section. Some great test prep sites exits, and ETS offers great study guides and practice help as well. For some practice tests (which will be charged for), you can go to praxisfundamental.com. There are free testing sites, but they are not usually in the actual form of the real test, so it's less helpful.

Be careful of the study guide you get....there are some real stinkers out there (mistakes in the books, confusing organization, etc). I won't name names here, but you can easily search PPST study guides on Amazon and see their review ratings.

Julie Said:

Prospective teachers, have you had it with ETS Praxis ll tests, this evil monopoly of a corporate testing scam?

We Answered:

I sympathize. The problem with the Praxis tests is that they can be on ANYTHING related to the subject matter. I was lucky when I took the English test because one of the essays was on Shakespeare, which I'd studied in college. However, it could have been on a more modern author and I'd have been sunk. There IS a way to challenge a grade -- you need to look up the ETS/Praxis website and there should be a link somewhere. I think the tests are a necessary evil -- I was given a choice between the test or going back to school when I already had an MA -- but I think you are absolutely right about the secrecy and lack of communication with paying customers. The problem is that they really have no competition and have become self-serving and arrogant. They've also been accused of conflict of interest: did you know that they offer prep programs for tests that they've written?